Suprathermal Ion Observations Associated with the Heliospheric Current Sheet Crossings during Parker Solar Probe Encounters 7, 8, and 9

We report observations of <100 keV/nucleon suprathermal (ST) H, He, O, and Fe ions in association with three separate crossings of the heliospheric current sheet that occurred near perhelia during PSP encounters 7, 8, and 9. In particular, we compare and contrast the ST ion time-intensity profiles, velocity dispersion, pitch-angle distributions, spectral forms, and maximum energies during the three HCS crossings. We find that these unique ST observations are remarkably different in each case, with those during E07 posing the most serious challenges for existing models of ST ion production in the inner heliosphere. In contrast, the ISOIS observations during E08 appear to be consistent with a scenario in which ST ions escape out of the reconnection exhausts into the separatrix layers after getting accelerated up to ~50-100 keV/nucleon by HCS-associated magnetic reconnection-driven processes. Finally, ST ions during the E09 HCS crossing have properties that are somewhat similar to those seen during both E07 and E08 crossings, with ion intensities being higher outside the exhausts and the separatrices, but significant intensity increases are also observed inside the reconnection exhausts. We discuss these new observations in terms of local versus remote acceleration sources as well as in terms of expectations of existing ST ion production and propagation, including reconnection-driven and diffusive acceleration in the inner heliosphere.