Paper: astro-ph/0505553
Date: Fri, 27 May 2005 13:52:49 GMT (180kb)

Title: Reconnection at the Heliopause

Authors: Dieter H. Nickeler, Hans-Joerg Fahr
Comments: 12 pages, 3 figures, Advances in Space Research (in press)
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In this MHD-model of the heliosphere, we assume a Parker-type flow, and a
Parker-type spiral magnetic field, which is extrapolated further downstream
from the termination shock to the heliopause. We raise the question whether the
heliopause nose region may be leaky with respect to fields and plasmas due to
nonideal plasma dynamics, implying a breakdown of the magnetic barrier. We
analyse some simple scenarios to find reconnection rates and circumstances,
under which the heliosphere can be an "open" or a "closed" magnetosphere. We do
not pretend to offer a complete solution for the heliosphere, on the basis of
nonideal MHD theory, but present a prescription to find such a solution on the
basis of potential fields including the knowledge of neutral points. As an
example we imitate the Parker spiral as a monopole with a superposition of
homogeneous asymptotical boundary conditions. We use this toy model for x < -R
where R = 100 AU is the distance of the termination shock to describe the
situation in the nose region of the heliopause.

\\ ( http://arXiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0505553 , 180kb)