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ST1.13 | The physics of the large scale heliosphere: measurements, theory and modeling
EDI
The physics of the large scale heliosphere: measurements, theory and modeling
Convener: Konstantinos Dialynas | Co-conveners: Matina Gkioulidou, R. Nikoukar
Our sun’s astrosphere, that we call the Heliosphere, is formed by the interaction of the solar wind (SW) with the Very Local Interstellar Medium (VLISM) and its properties are mainly modulated by magnetic field influences, particle-based interactions, and various instabilities. The ground-breaking observations of the two Voyager spacecraft, providing in-situ particle and fields measurements throughout the upwind direction of the heliosphere, showed the formation of a termination shock (TS), where the free expansion of the supersonic SW terminates and becomes the heated non-thermal plasma region called the heliosheath (HS), a reservoir of ions and electrons which terminates at the heliopause (HP), the interface between our solar bubble and the galaxy. Those measurements were placed in a global context by the remotely sensed Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA) observations from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX), the High energy Suprathermal Time Of Flight (HSTOF) instrument on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), as well as the Ion and Neutral camera (INCA) onboard Cassini. As the Voyagers continue to provide invaluable information from the VLISM (beyond the HP), a region in space that may become accessible again in a few decades by a future Interstellar Probe mission, the New Horizons spacecraft is providing important observations of Pickup Ions (PUIs) in the supersonic SW (about a couple of tens of Astronomical Units before the TS). In anticipation of the IMAP mission, the focus of the heliospheric community (e.g. the SHIELD NASA-DRIVE Center) is turned to employing all available measurements from space missions and advanced models to construct a predictive model for the large scale heliosphere.

The session welcomes contributions that are related (but not limited) to: analyses of spacecraft observations, numerical and analytical models concerning the large-scale structure of the heliosphere, its dynamics and interaction with the VLISM, as well as the science (open questions, puzzles and discussions) that drive the requirements for measurements and instrumentation from future spacecraft missions to better understand the physics of our heliosphere and its interstellar environment.