Magnitude and direction of the local interstellar magnetic field inferred from Voyager 1 and 2 interstellar data and global heliospheric model

Abstract

In this Letter, we provide constraints on the direction and magnitude of the pristine (i.e., unperturbed by the interaction with the Sun) local interstellar magnetic field. The constraints are based on analysis of the interstellar magnetic field components at the heliopause measured by magnetometer instruments on board Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft. The analysis was performed with the help of our kinetic-magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) model of the global heliosphere. The model shows that the solar-induced disturbances of the interstellar magnetic field are extended relatively far from the Sun up to 400-500 AU. The field is draped around the heliopause and compressed. By comparison of the model results with Voyager data we found that the model provides results comparable with the data for the interstellar magnetic field of $B_{LISM}$ = 3.7-3.8 $\mu$G in magnitude and directed towards $\approx$125${}^{\circ }$ in longitude, and $\approx$37${}^{\circ }$ in latitude in the heliographic inertial (HGI) coordinate system.

5 pages + 2 appendixes

References in corpus (4)

• Revisiting Ulysses Observations of Interstellar Helium
• Neutral interstellar He parameters in front of the heliosphere 1994--2007
• Electron thermal conduction as a possible mechanism to make the inner heliosheath thnner
• Neutral interstellar helium parameters based on Ulysses/GAS and IBEX-Lo observations: what are the reasons for the differences?

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Heliospheric Energetic Neutral Atoms: Non-stationary Modeling and Comparison with IBEX-Hi data
• Effects of dispersion of the dust velocity in the LISM on the interstellar dust distribution inside the heliosphere
• Backscattered solar Lyman-alpha emission as a tool for the heliospheric boundary exploration
• Dynamical charging of interstellar dust particles in the heliosphere
• The strong effect of electron thermal conduction on the global structure of the heliosphere