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Physics of the Outer Heliosphere

The outer heliosphere is the region at a large distance from the Sun where the interaction of the interstellar medium with the solar wind is important. Along with our international collaborators, we have developed a quantitative model for high intensity radio emission from the outer heliosphere. This model has produced and is still producing some very promising results.

We are also researching other important physical phenomena in the outer heliosphere, including the modification of the electron distribution due to interactions between electrons and lower-hybrid waves (the so called priming mechanism that involves lower-hybrid drive), the propagation of radiation from the interstellar medium to spacecraft in the solar wind, and changes in the magnetic field near the solar wind-interstellar medium boundary.

We are also working on:

1. Priming the electron distribution with a superthermal tail
2. The propagation of radiation using ray tracing
3. Draping of the magnetic field over the heliopause
4. Radio emission in the outer heliosphere

Figure. The Heliosphere showing the boundary of the ISM and the solar wind, the heliopause (HP), the termination shock (TS) and the bow shock (BS). The outer heliospheric radio emission source region is shaded.