An exact analytical solution for the interstellar magnetic field in the vicinity of the heliosphere

Abstract

An analytical representation of the interstellar magnetic field in the vicinity of the heliosphere is derived. The three-dimensional field structure close to the heliopause is calculated as a solution of the induction equation under the assumption that it is frozen into a prescribed plasma flow resembling the characteristic interaction of the solar wind with the local interstellar medium. The usefulness of this analytical solution as an approximation to self-consistent magnetic field configurations obtained numerically from the full MHD equations is illustrated by quantitative comparisons.

arXiv comment13 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication at ApJ. The MPEG animation referenced in Figure 3 may be accessed via [http://www.tp4.rub.de/heliophysics/movies/pflow_drape+btime_annot.mp4]

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• On the Geometry of the IBEX Ribbon
• An Improved Analytical Model of the Local Interstellar Magnetic Field: The Extension to Compressibility
• An empirical model of Energetic Neutral Atom imaging of the heliosphere and its implications for future heliospheric missions at great heliocentric distances
• The interaction of multiple stellar winds in stellar clusters: potential flow
• An exact analytical solution for the weakly magnetized flow around an axially symmetric paraboloid, with application to magnetosphere models
• An Exact, Time-dependent Analytical Solution for the Magnetic Field in the Inner Heliosheath
• Systematic Light Propagation Bias from the Heliosphere and Its Impact on the Hubble Tension