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At least 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Magnetically aligned H I fibers and the rolling hough transform

We present observations of a new group of structures in the diffuse Galactic interstellar medium (ISM): slender, linear H I features we dub 'fibers' that extend for many degrees at high Galactic latitude. To characterize and measure the extent and strength of these fibers, we present the Rolling Hough Transform, a new machine vision method for parameterizing the coherent linearity of structures in the image plane. With this powerful new tool we show that the fibers are oriented along the interstellar magnetic field as probed by starlight polarization. We find that these low column density (N{sub H} {sub I}≃5×10{sup 18} cm{sup –2}) fiber features are most likely a component of the local cavity wall, about 100 pc away. The H I data we use to demonstrate this alignment at high latitude are from the Galactic Arecibo L-Band Feed Array H I (GALFA-H I) Survey and the Parkes Galactic All Sky Survey. We find better alignment in the higher resolution GALFA-H I data, where the fibers are more visually evident. This trend continues in our investigation of magnetically aligned linear features in the Riegel-Crutcher H I cold cloud, detected in the Southern Galactic Plane Survey. We propose an application of the RHT for estimating the field strength in such a cloud, based on the Chandrasekhar-Fermi method. We conclude that data-driven, quantitative studies of ISM morphology can be very powerful predictors of underlying physical quantities.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

A Numerical Model for the Dynamics of Pickup Ions Outside the Heliopause and IBEX “Ribbon” Observation

The leading mechanism for the origin of the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) “ribbon” of enhanced energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) from the outer heliosphere is the so-called secondary ENA process. In this mechanism, neutralized ions escape the heliosphere, and after several times of charge exchange collision,s some propagate back toward Earth in directions nearly perpendicular to the local interstellar magnetic field. However, the physical processes governing the distribution of the pickup ions (PUIs) outside the heliopause are still unclear. In this study, we build a new global model of the IBEX ribbon, where a key component is to calculate the dynamics of the PUIs outside the heliopause by solving the gyrophase-averaged focused transport equations on top of the background magnetohydrodynamic-kinetic model for the heliosphere-interstellar medium interaction. We discuss how the properties of the simulated ribbon change with different scattering parameters and show simulation results of the ENA sky maps, ribbon centers, ribbon profiles at several azimuthal slices, the ribbon ENA source region, and the velocity distribution of PUIs in the ENA source region for different scattering frequencies. Our results show that the model can provide reasonable ribbon sky maps comparable to the observed ribbon when the PUI mean free path is on the order of several thousand astronomical units.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

INTERSTELLAR NEUTRAL HELIUM IN THE HELIOSPHERE FROM IBEX OBSERVATIONS. IV. FLOW VECTOR, MACH NUMBER, AND ABUNDANCE OF THE WARM BREEZE

Following the high-precision determination of the velocity vector and temperature of the pristine interstellar neutral (ISN) He via a coordinated analysis summarized by McComas et al., we analyzed the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) observations of neutral He left out from this analysis. These observations were collected during the ISN observation seasons 2010–2014 and cover the region in the Earth's orbit where the Warm Breeze (WB) persists. We used the same simulation model and a parameter fitting method very similar to that used for the analysis of ISN He. We approximated the parent population of the WB in front of the heliosphere with a homogeneous Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution function and found a temperature of ∼9500 K, an inflow speed of 11.3 km s{sup −1}, and an inflow longitude and latitude in the J2000 ecliptic coordinates 251.°6, 12.°0. The abundance of the WB relative to ISN He is 5.7% and the Mach number is 1.97. The newly determined inflow direction of the WB, the inflow directions of ISN H and ISN He, and the direction to the center of the IBEX Ribbon are almost perfectly co-planar, and this plane coincides within relatively narrow statistical uncertainties with the plane fitted only to the inflow directions of ISN He, ISN H, and the WB. This co-planarity lends support to the hypothesis that the WB is the secondary population of ISN He and that the center of the Ribbon coincides with the direction of the local interstellar magnetic field (ISMF). The common plane for the direction of the inflow of ISN gas, ISN H, the WB, and the local ISMF is given by the normal direction: ecliptic longitude 349.°7 ± 0.°6 and latitude 35.°7 ± 0.6 in the J2000 coordinates, with a correlation coefficient of 0.85.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

STRUCTURE OF THE INTERSTELLAR BOUNDARY EXPLORER RIBBON FROM SECONDARY CHARGE-EXCHANGE AT THE SOLAR–INTERSTELLAR INTERFACE

In 2009, the Interstellar Boundary Explorer discovered a bright “ribbon” of energetic neutral atom (ENA) flux in the energy range ≤0.4–6 keV, encircling a large portion of the sky. This observation was not previously predicted by any models or theories, and since its discovery, it has been the subject of numerous studies of its origin and properties. One of the most studied mechanisms for its creation is the “secondary ENA” process. Here, solar wind ions, neutralized by charge-exchange with interstellar atoms, propagate outside the heliopause; experience two charge-exchange events in the dense outer heliosheath; and then propagate back inside the heliosphere, preferentially in the direction perpendicular to the local interstellar magnetic field. This process has been extensively analyzed using state-of-the-art modeling and simulation techniques, but it has been difficult to visualize. In this Letter, we show the three-dimensional structure of the source of the ribbon, providing a physical picture of the spatial and energy scales over which the secondary ENA process occurs. These results help us understand how the ribbon is generated and further supports a secondary ENA process as the leading ribbon source mechanism.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Energetic neutral atom and interstellar flow observations with IBEX: Implications for the global heliosphere

Since launch in Oct. 2008, IBEX, with its two energetic neutral atom (ENA) cameras, has provided humankind with the first-ever global images of the complex boundary separating the heliosphere from the local interstellar medium (LISM). IBEX’s energy-resolved all-sky maps, collected every six months, are yielding remarkable new insights into the heliospheres structure as it is shaped by the combined forces of the local interstellar flow, the local interstellar magnetic field (LISMF), and the evolving solar wind. IBEX has also acquired the first images of ENAs backscattered from the surface of the moon as well as global images of the magnetospheric response to solar wind disturbances. IBEX thus addresses all three Heliophysics science objectives set forth in the 2014 Science Plan for NASAs Science Mission Directorate (SMD) as well as the goals in the recent Solar and Space Physics Decadal Survey (NRC 2012). In addition, with the information it provides on the properties of the LISM and the LISMF, IBEX represents a unique bridge between heliophysics and astrophysics, and fills in critical knowledge for understanding the habitability of exoplanetary systems and the future habitability of Earth and the solar system. Because of the few-year time lag due to solar wind and ENA transport, IBEX observed the solar wind/ LISM interaction characteristic of declining phase/solar minimum conditions. In the continuing mission, IBEX captures the response of the interstellar boundaries to the changing structure of the solar wind in its transition toward the “mini” solar maximum and possibly the decline into the next solar minimum. The continuing IBEX mission affords never-to-be-repeated opportunities to coordinate global imaging of the heliospheric boundary with in-situ measurements by the Voyagers as they pass beyond the heliopause and start to directly sample the LISM.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

THE ORIGIN OF THE HOT GAS IN THE GALACTIC HALO: TESTING GALACTIC FOUNTAIN MODELS' X-RAY EMISSION

We test the X-ray emission predictions of galactic fountain models against XMM-Newton measurements of the emission from the Milky Way's hot halo. These measurements are from 110 sight lines, spanning the full range of Galactic longitudes. We find that a magnetohydrodynamical simulation of a supernova-driven interstellar medium, which features a flow of hot gas from the disk to the halo, reproduces the temperature but significantly underpredicts the 0.5-2.0 keV surface brightness of the halo (by two orders of magnitude, if we compare the median predicted and observed values). This is true for versions of the model with and without an interstellar magnetic field. We consider different reasons for the discrepancy between the model predictions and the observations. We find that taking into account overionization in cooled halo plasma, which could in principle boost the predicted X-ray emission, is unlikely in practice to bring the predictions in line with the observations. We also find that including thermal conduction, which would tend to increase the surface brightnesses of interfaces between hot and cold gas, would not overcome the surface brightness shortfall. However, charge exchange emission from such interfaces, not included in the current model, may be significant. The faintness of the model may also be due to the lack of cosmic ray driving, meaning that the model may underestimate the amount of material transported from the disk to the halo. In addition, an extended hot halo of accreted material may be important, by supplying hot electrons that could boost the emission of the material driven out from the disk. Additional model predictions are needed to test the relative importance of these processes in explaining the observed halo emission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1990

Evolution of a superbubble blastwave in a magnetized medium

Researchers investigate the effects of interstellar magnetic fields on the evolution and structure of interstellar superbubbles, using both analytic and numerical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) calculations. These cavities of hot gas, surrounded by shells of cold dense material preceded by a shock wave result from the combined action of stellar winds and supernova explosions in OB associations. If the medium in which a superbubble goes off is homogeneous and unmagnetized, the blast wave expands isotropically. As the interstellar gas flows through the shock, it cools significantly and gets strongly compressed such that thermal pressure remains approximately equal to ram pressure. Hence, the swept up material is confined to a very thin shell. However, if the ambient medium is permeated by a uniform magnetic field B sub o approx. 3 mu G (typical value for the interstellar matter (ISM)), the configuration loses its spherical symmetry, and, due to magnetic pressure, the shell of swept up material does not remain thin. Researchers found the following qualitative differences: (1) Except in the immediate vicinity of the magnetic poles, the shell is supported by magnetic pressure. (2) The refraction of field lines at the shock and the thermal pressure gradient along the shell both contribute to accelerating the gas toward the equator. The resulting mass flux considerably decreases the column density at the magnetic poles. (3) Away from the poles, magnetic tension in the shell causes the field lines (particularly the inner boundary) to elongate in the direction of B sub o. In contrast, the shock wave radius increases with increasing theta. (4) The reduced inertia of a parcel in the polar neighborhood makes it easier to decelerate, and accounts for the dimple which appears at the poles in numerical simulations. This dimple also results from the necessity to call on intermediate shocks in order to insure a smooth transition between a purely thermal shock at the poles and a magnetic shock in the rest of the shell. (5) The shock wave propagates faster than in the absence of magnetic field, except near the poles where the reduced mass of the shell allows it to be more efficiently decelerated.

Ferriere, Katia M.↗
DOE OSTI2015

THE HELIOTAIL

The heliotail is formed when the solar wind (SW) interacts with the local interstellar medium (LISM) and is shaped by the interstellar magnetic field (ISMF). While there are no spacecraft available to perform in situ measurements of the SW plasma and heliospheric magnetic field (HMF) in the heliotail, it is of importance for the interpretation of measurements of energetic neutral atom fluxes performed by Interstellar Boundary Explorer. It has been shown recently that the orientation of the heliotail in space and distortions of the unperturbed LISM caused by its presence may explain the anisotropy in the TeV cosmic ray flux detected in air shower observations. The SW flow in the heliotail is a mystery itself because it is strongly affected by charge exchange between the SW ions and interstellar neutral atoms. If the angle between the Sun’s magnetic and rotation axes is constant, the SW in the tail tends to be concentrated inside the HMF spirals deflected tailward. However, the twisted field soon becomes unstable and the reason for the SW collimation within a two-lobe structure vanishes. We demonstrate that kinetic treatment of the H atom transport becomes essential in this case for explaining the lobe absence further along the tail. We show that the heliotail flow is strongly affected by the solar cycle that eliminates artifacts, which is typical of solutions based on simplifying assumptions. The heliopause in the tail is subject to Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, while its orientation and shape are determined by the ISMF direction and strength.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Interstellar flow longitude from the symmetry of the pickup ion cutoff at 1 AU

We provide a proof of concept that the pickup ion (PUI) cutoff speed variation with ecliptic longitude can provide the interstellar neutral (ISN) flow longitude λ{sub ISN∞} outside the heliosphere with a precision of the order of 0.°1. We compare 2007–2014 STEREO A PLASTIC observations in the solar wind frame with a simple analytical cutoff model and perform a Pearson correlation of the cutoff as a function of longitude with those values mirrored about a location λ{sub M} that slides in longitude. The resulting maximum correlation at λ{sub M} = 255.°21 ± 0.°04 reflects the ISN upwind direction with a purely statistical uncertainty. This result is consistent with recent ISN flow longitude values, but a precision determination requires the evaluation of underlying systematic effects. Obtaining a precision ISN flow longitude is highly complementary to the IBEX ISN observations, which return a narrow tube in the ISN parameter space that couples flow speed and longitude tightly, but leaves a substantially larger error bar along the tube. The ISN flow provides one cardinal axis of the heliosphere, with a strong leverage on the plane subtended by the ISN velocity and the interstellar magnetic field vector, which controls the shape of the heliosphere and its interaction with the interstellar medium. In addition, a discussion about potential temporal variations of the ISN flow has started. Both issues require a precision determination of the ISN flow velocity over decade-long time intervals. ACE SWICS, STEREO PLASTIC, and SOHO CTOF PUI data allow such long-term studies over almost two decades.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Magnetic Misalignment of Interstellar Dust Filaments

We present evidence for scale-independent misalignment of interstellar dust filaments and magnetic fields. We estimate the misalignment by comparing millimeter-wave dust-polarization measurements from Planck with filamentary structures identified in neutral-hydrogen (H I ) measurements from H I 4PI. We find that the misalignment angle displays a scale independence (harmonic coherence) for features larger than the H I 4PI beamwidth (16$\acute{.}$2). We additionally find a spatial coherence on angular scales of ${ \mathcal O }(1^\circ )$. We present several misalignment estimators formed from the auto- and cross-spectra of dust-polarization and H I -based maps, and we also introduce a map-space estimator. Applied to large regions of the high-Galactic-latitude sky, we find a global misalignment angle of ~2°, which is robust to a variety of masking choices. By dividing the sky into small regions, we show that the misalignment angle correlates with the parity-violating TB cross-spectrum measured in the Planck dust maps. The misalignment paradigm also predicts a dust EB signal, which is of relevance in the search for cosmic birefringence but as yet undetected; the measurements of EB are noisier than those of TB, and our correlations of EB with misalignment angle are found to be weaker and less robust to masking choices. We also introduce an H I -based dust-polarization template constructed from the Hessian matrix of the H I intensity, which is found to correlate more strongly than previous templates with Planck dust B modes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Denser sampling of the Rosette Nebula with Faraday rotation measurements: Improved estimates of magnetic fields in H ii regions

We report Faraday rotation measurements of 11 extragalactic radio sources with lines of sight through the Rosette Nebula, a prominent H ii region associated with the star cluster NGC 2244. The goal of these measurements is to better determine the strength and structure of the magnetic field in the nebula. We calculate the rotation measure (RM) through two methods, a least-squares fit to χ(λ{sup 2}) and Rotation Measure Synthesis. In conjunction with our results from Savage et al., we find an excess RM due to the shell of the nebula of +40 to +1200 rad m{sup −2} above a background RM of +147 rad m{sup −2}. We discuss two forms of a simple shell model intended to reproduce the magnitude of the observed RM as a function of distance from the center of the Rosette Nebula. The models represent different physical situations for the magnetic field within the shell of the nebula. The first assumes that there is an increase in the magnetic field strength and plasma density at the outer radius of the H ii region, such as would be produced by a strong magnetohydrodynamic shock wave. The second model assumes that any increase in the RM is due solely to an increase in the density, and the Galactic magnetic field is unaffected in the shell. We employ a Bayesian analysis to compare the two forms of the model. The results of this analysis were inconclusive, although the model without amplification of the interstellar magnetic field is weakly favored.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Modeling Shocks Detected by Voyager 1 in the Local Interstellar Medium

The magnetometer (MAG) on Voyager 1 ( V1 ) has been sampling the interstellar magnetic field (ISMF) since 2012 August. The V1 MAG observations have shown draped ISMF in the very local interstellar medium disturbed occasionally by significant enhancements in magnetic field strength. Using a three-dimensional, data-driven, multi-fluid model, we investigated these magnetic field enhancements beyond the heliopause that are supposedly associated with solar transients. To introduce time-dependent effects at the inner boundary at 1 au, we used daily averages of the solar wind parameters from the OMNI data set. The model ISMF strength, direction, and proton number density are compared with V1 data beyond the heliopause. The model reproduced the large-scale fluctuations between 2012.652 and 2016.652, including major events around 2012.9 and 2014.6. The model also predicts shocks arriving at V1 around 2017.395 and 2019.502. Another model driven by OMNI data with interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) removed at the inner boundary suggests that ICMEs may play a significant role in the propagation of shocks into the interstellar medium.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

A new optical polarization catalog for the Small Magellanic Cloud: The magnetic field structure

We present a new optical polarimetric catalog for the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). It contains a total of 7207 stars, located in the northeast (NE) and Wing sections of the SMC and part of the Magellanic Bridge. This new catalog is a significant improvement compared to previous polarimetric catalogs for the SMC. We used it to study the sky-projected interstellar magnetic field structure of the SMC. Three trends were observed for the ordered magnetic field direction at position angles (PAs) of (65° ± 10°), (115° ± 10°), and (150° ± 10°). Our results suggest the existence of an ordered magnetic field aligned with the Magellanic Bridge direction and SMC’s Bar in the NE region, which have PAs roughly at 115.°4 and 45°, respectively. However, the overall magnetic field structure is fairly complex. The trends at 115° and 150° may be correlated with the SMC’s bimodal structure, observed in Cepheids’ distances and HI velocities. We derived a value of B{sub sky}=(0.947±0.079) μG for the ordered sky-projected magnetic field, and δB=(1.465±0.069) μG for the turbulent magnetic field. This estimate of B{sub sky} is significantly larger (by a factor of ∼10) than the line of sight field derived from Faraday rotation observations, suggesting that most of the ordered field component is on the plane of the sky. A turbulent magnetic field stronger than the ordered field agrees with observed estimates for other irregular and spiral galaxies. For the SMC the B{sub sky}/δB ratio is closer to what is observed for our Galaxy than other irregular dwarf galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

MAGNETIC FIELDS AND COSMIC-RAY ANISOTROPIES AT TeV ENERGIES

Several cosmic-ray (CR) observatories have provided high-accuracy maps of the sky at TeV-PeV energies. The data reveal an O(0.1%) deficit from north galactic directions that peaks at 10 TeV and then evolves with the energy, together with other anisotropies at smaller angular scales. Using the Boltzmann equation, we derive expressions for the CR flux that fit these features. The anisotropies depend on the local interstellar magnetic field B{sub IS}, on the average galactic field B{sub R} in our vicinity, and on correlations between fluctuating quantities. We show that the initial dipole anisotropy along B{sub IS} can be modulated by changes in the global CR flow, and that a variation in the dipole direction would imply a given radius of coherence for the local B{sub IS}. We also show that small- and medium-scale anisotropies may appear when the full-sky anisotropy finds a field configuration acting as a magnetic lens.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

MAGNETIC FIELD AMPLIFICATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE RICHTMYER-MESHKOV INSTABILITY

The amplification of a magnetic field due to the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (RMI) is investigated by two-dimensional MHD simulations. Single-mode analysis is adopted to reveal definite relation between the nonlinear evolution of RMI and the field enhancement. It is found that an ambient magnetic field is stretched by fluid motions associated with the RMI, and the strength is amplified significantly by more than two orders of magnitude. The saturation level of the field is determined by a balance between the amplified magnetic pressure and the thermal pressure after shock passage. This effective amplification can be achieved in a wide range of the conditions for the RMI such as the Mach number of an incident shock and the density ratio at a contact discontinuity. The results suggest that the RMI could be a robust mechanism of the amplification of interstellar magnetic fields and cause the origin of localized strong fields observed at the shock of supernova remnants.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Assessment of energetic neutral He atom intensities expected from the IBEX Ribbon

Full sky maps of energetic neutral atoms (ENA) obtained with the Interstellar Boundary Explorer revealed a bright, arc-like Ribbon. We compare possible, though as yet undetected, He ENA emission in two models of the Ribbon origin. The models were originally developed for hydrogen ENA. In the first one, ENA are produced outside the heliopause from the ionized neutral solar wind in the direction where the local interstellar magnetic field is perpendicular to the line of sight. The second model proposes production at the contact layer between the Local Interstellar Cloud (LIC) and the Local Bubble (LB). The models are redesigned to helium using relevant interactions between atoms and ions. Resulting intensities are compared with possible emission of helium ENA from the heliosheath. In the first model, the expected intensity is ∼0.014 (cm{sup 2} s sr keV){sup –1}, i.e., of the order of the He emission from the heliosheath, whereas in the second, the LIC/LB contact layer model, the intensity is ∼(2-7) (cm{sup 2} s sr keV){sup –1}, i.e., a few hundred times larger. If the IBEX Ribbon needs a source population of He ENA leaving the heliosphere, it should not be visible in He ENA fluxes mainly because of the insufficient supply of the parent He ENA originating from the neutralized solar wind α-particles. We conclude that full-sky measurements of He ENA could give promising prospects for probing the Local Interstellar Medium at the distance of a few thousand AU and create the possibility of distinction between the above mentioned models of Ribbon origin.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

INTERPRETATION OF THE DISTURBANCE IN GALACTIC COSMIC RAYS OBSERVED ON VOYAGER 1 BEYOND THE HELIOPAUSE

We present a possible explanation for the transient increase in the galactic cosmic ray flux observed by Voyager 1 (V1) beyond the heliopause, in 2013 March. We suggest that this disturbance may be caused by a propagating disturbance in the interstellar magnetic field, of heliospheric origin. A model in which a magnetic disturbance, propagating outward from the heliosphere into the very-local interstellar plasma, affects the galactic cosmic rays is presented. We also discuss the possibility that this event is related to the plasma-wave event observed some 25 days later by the PWS experiment on V1.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗