Survival probability and energy modification of hydrogen Energetic Neutral Atoms on their way from the termination shock to Earth orbit

Context: With the forthcoming launch of a NASA SMEX mission IBEX devoted to imaging of heliospheric interface by in-situ detection of Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENA) an important issue becomes recognizing of transport of these atoms from the termination shock of the solar wind to Earth orbit. Aims: Investigate modifications of energy and of survival probability of the H ENA detectable by IBEX (0.01 -- 6 keV) between the termination shock and Earth orbit taking into account the influence of the variable and anisotropic solar wind and solar EUV radiation. Methods: Energy change of the atoms is calculated by numerical simulations of orbits of the H ENA atoms from ~100 AU from the Sun down to Earth orbit, taking into account solar gravity and Lyman-$\alpha$ radiation pressure, which is variable in time and depends on radial velocity of the atom. To calculate survival probabilities of the atoms against onization, a detailed 3D and time-dependent model of H ENA ionization based on observations of the solar wind and EUV ionizing radiation is constructed, and wth the use of this model probabilities of survival of the atoms are calculated by numerical integration along the previously calculated orbits. Results: Owing to the radiation pressure, H ENA reach the Earth orbit practically without energy and direction change except the atoms with energy lower than 0.1 keV during high solar activity. For a given energy at Earth orbit one expects fluctuations of survival probability from ~20% at 0.01 keV down to just a few percent at 6 keV and a modulation of survival probability as a function of the location at Earth orbit, ecliptic latitude of the arrival direction, and the phase of solar cycle with an amplitude of a few dozen percent for 0.1 keV atoms at solar minimum to a few percent for 6 keV atoms at solar maximum.Comment: final version, accepted by A&A, missing figure panels adde

Heavy coronal ions in the heliosphere. II. Expected fluxes of energetic neutral He atoms from the heliosheath

Aims. A model of heliosheath density and energy spectra of alpha-particles and He+ ions carried by the solar wind is developed. Neutralization of heliosheath He+ ions, mainly by charge exchange (CX) with neutral interstellar H and He atoms, gives rise to ~0.2 - ~100 keV fluxes of energetic neutral He atoms (He ENA). Such fluxes, if observed, would give information about plasmas in the heliosheath and heliospheric tail. Methods. Helium ions crossing the termination shock (TS) constitute suprathermal (test) particles convected by (locally also diffusing through) hydrodynamically calculated background plasma flows (three versions of flows are employed). The He ions proceed from the TS towards heliopause (HP) and finally to the heliospheric tail (HT). Calculations of the evolution of alpha- and He+ particle densities and energy spectra include binary interactions with background plasma and interstellar atoms, adiabatic heating (cooling) resulting from flow compression (rarefaction), and Coulomb scattering on background plasma. Results. Neutralization of suprathermal He ions leads to the emergence of He ENA fluxes with energy spectra modified by the Compton-Getting effect at emission and ENA loss during flight to the Sun. Energy-integrated He ENA intensities are in the range ~0.05 - ~50 cm^-2 s^-1 sr^-1 depending on spectra at the TS (assumed kappa-distributions), background plasma model, and look direction. The tail/apex intensity ratio varies between ~1.8 and ~800 depending on model assumptions. Energy spectra are broad with maxima in the ~0.2 - ~3 keV range depending on the look direction and model. Conclusions. Expected heliosheath He ENA fluxes may be measurable based on the capabilities of the IBEX spacecraft. Data could offer insight into the heliosheath structure and improve understanding of the post-TS solar wind plasmas. HT direction and extent could be assessed.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures. Accepted Astronomy & Astrophysic

Solar ions in the heliosheath: a possible new source of heavy neutral atoms

We show that multiply ionized coronal C, N, O, Mg, Si, S ions carried by the solar wind and neutralized by consecutive electron captures from neutral interstellar atoms constitute an important new source of neutral atoms in the inner heliosheath, with energies up to ~ 1 keV/n. In the model we developed, the heavy ions are treated as test particles carried by hydrodynamic plasma flow (with a Monte-Carlo description of interstellar neutrals) and undergoing all relevant atomic processes determining the evolution of all charge-states of considered species (radiative and dielectronic recombination, charge exchange, photo-, and electron impact ionization). The total strength of the source is from ~10^6 g/s for S to ~10^8 g/s for O, deposited as neutrals below the heliopause. These atoms should provide, as they drift to supersonic wind region, important sources of PUIs and eventually ACRs, especially for species that are excluded from entering the heliosphere because of their ionization in the LISM. The expected corresponding ENA fluxes at 1 AU are in the range 10^-4 - 10^0 at./(cm^2 s sr), depending on the species and direction (Table 2).Comment: Submitted for IGGP Astrophysics Conference, March 2006; 6 page

Modulation of neutral interstellar He, Ne, O in the heliosphere. Survival probabilities and abundances at IBEX

Direct sampling of neutral interstellar (NIS) atoms by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) can potentially provide a complementary method for studying element abundances in the Local Interstellar Cloud and processes in the heliosphere interface.}{We set the stage for abundance-aimed in-depth analysis of measurements of NIS He, Ne, and O by IBEX and determine systematic differences between abundances derived from various calculation methods and their uncertainties.}{Using a model of ionization rates of the NIS species in the heliosphere, based on independent measurements of the solar wind and solar EUV radiation, we develop a time-dependent method of calculating the survival probabilities of NIS atoms from the termination shock (TS) of the solar wind to IBEX. With them, we calculate densities of these species along the Earth's orbit and simulate the fluxes of NIS species as observed by IBEX. We study pairwise ratios of survival probabilities, densities and fluxes of NIS species at IBEX to calculate correction factors for inferring the abundances at TS.}{The analytic method to calculate the survival probabilities gives acceptable results only for He and Ne during low solar activity. For the remaining portions of the solar cycle, and at all times for O, a fully time dependent model should be used. Electron impact ionization is surprisingly important for NIS O. Interpreting the IBEX observations using the time dependent model yields the LIC Ne/O abundance of $0.16\pm40$. The uncertainty is mostly due to uncertainties in the ionization rates and in the NIS gas flow vector.}{The Ne/He, O/He and Ne/O ratios for survival probabilities, local densities, and fluxes scaled to TS systematically differ and thus an analysis based only on survival probabilities or densities is not recommended, except the Ne/O abundance for observations at low solar activity.Comment: Astronomy & Astrophysics, in press. Language and editing corrections implemente