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The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission provides global energetic neutral atom (ENA) observations from the heliosphere and the Earth's magnetosphere, including spatial, temporal, and energy information. IBEX views the magnetosphere from the sides and almost always perpendicular to noon‐midnight plane. We report the first ENA images of the energization process in the Earth's ion foreshock and magnetosheath regions. We show ENA flux and spectral images of the dayside magnetosphere with significant energization of ENA plasma sources (above ~2.7 keV) in the region magnetically connected to the Earth's bow shock (BS) in its quasi‐parallel configuration of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). We also show that the ion energization increases gradually with decreasing IMF‐BS angle, suggesting more efficient suprathermal ion acceleration deeper in the quasi‐parallel foreshock., Key Points We present the first remote‐sensing global images of ion energization in the Earth's foreshockWe provide ion energization profile as a function of bow shock obliquityWe quantify the difference of energization in magnetosheath and its magnetically connected counterpart in the upstream foreshock

Energetic neutral atoms (ENA) are an important tool for investigating the structure of the heliosphere. Recently, it was observed that fluxes of ENAs (with energy $\le$ 55 keV) coming from the upwind and downwind regions of the heliosphere are similar in strength. This led the authors of these observations to hypothesize that the heliosphere is bubble-like rather than comet-like, meaning that it has no extended tail. We investigate the directional distribution of the ENA flux for a wide energy range (3--88 keV) including the observations from IBEX (Interstellar Boundary Explorer), INCA (Ion and Neutral Camera, on board Cassini), and HSTOF (High energy Suprathermal Time Of Flight sensor, on board SOHO, Solar and Heliospheric Observatory). An essential element is the model of pickup ion acceleration at the termination shock (TS) proposed by Zank. We use state of the art models of the global heliosphere, interstellar neutral gas density, and pickup ion distributions. The results, based on the "comet-like" model of the heliosphere, are close in flux magnitude to ENA observations by IBEX, HSTOF and partly by INCA (except for the 5.2-13.5 keV energy channel). We find that the ENA flux from the tail dominates at high energy (in agreement with HSTOF, but not INCA). At low energy, our comet-like model produces the similar strengths of the ENA fluxes from the upwind and downwind directions, which, therefore, removes this as a compelling argument for a bubble-like heliosphere., Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

The effects of turbulence in the very local interstellar medium (VLISM) have been proposed by Giacalone & Jokipii (2015) to be important in determining the structure of the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) ribbon via particle trapping by magnetic mirroring. We further explore this effect by simulating the motion of charged particles in a turbulent magnetic field superposed on a large-scale mean field, which we have considered to be either spatially-uniform or a mean field derived from a 3D MHD simulation. We find that the ribbon is not double-peaked, in contrast to Giacalone & Jokipii (2015). However, the magnetic mirror force still plays an important role in trapping particles. Furthermore, the ribbon$'$s thickness is considerably larger if the large-scale mean field is draped around the heliosphere. Voyager 1 observations in the VLISM show a turbulent field component that is stronger than previously thought, which we test in our simulation. We find that the inclusion of turbulent fluctuations at scales ${\gtrsim}$100 au and power consistent with Voyager 1 observations produces a ribbon whose large-scale structure is inconsistent with IBEX observations. However, restricting the fluctuations to ${\sim}$10 au or smaller produces a smoother ribbon structure similar to IBEX observations. Different turbulence realizations produce different small-scale features ${\lesssim}10��$ in the ribbon, but its large-scale structure is robust if the maximum fluctuation size is ${\sim}$10 au. This suggests that the magnetic field structure at scales ${\lesssim}$10 au is determined by the heliosphere$'$s interaction with the VLISM and cannot entirely be represented by homogeneous interstellar turbulence., Submitted to the Astrophysical Journal

In 2009, the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) discovered the existence of a narrow "ribbon" of intense energetic neutral atom (ENA) emission projecting approximately a circle in the sky. It is believed that the ribbon originates from outside of the heliopause in radial directions ( r ) perpendicular to the local interstellar magnetic field (ISMF), B , i.e., B∙ r = 0. Swaczyna et al. (2016a) estimated the distance to the IBEX ribbon via the parallax method comparing the ribbon position observed from the opposite sides of the Sun. They found a parallax angle of 0.41° ± 0.15°, yielding a distance of 140 - 38 + 84 au to a portion of the ribbon at high ecliptic latitudes. In this study, we demonstrate how the apparent shift of the ribbon in the sky, and thus the apparent distance to the ribbon's source found via the parallax, depends on the transport effects of energetic ions outside the heliopause. We find that the apparent shift of the ribbon based on the "spatial retention" model with ion enhancement near B∙ r = 0, as proposed by Schwadron & McComas (2013), agrees with the parallax of the source region. Parallax is also accurate for a homogeneously-distributed emission source. However, if there is weak pitch angle scattering and ions propagate freely along the ISMF, the apparent shift is significantly smaller than the expected parallax because of the highly anisotropic source. In light of the results from Swaczyna et al. (2016a), our results indicate that the IBEX ribbon source is spatially confined.

In this study, we extend the prior interstellar pickup ion (PUI) observations from the Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument on New Horizons out to nearly 47 au—essentially halfway to the termination shock in the upwind direction. We also provide significantly improved analyses of these and prior observations, including incorporating a cooling index, α, to characterize the nonadiabatic heating of PUI distributions. We find that the vast majority (93.6%) of all distributions show additional heating above adiabatic cooling. Speed jumps indicate compressional waves and shocks with associated enhancements in core solar wind and PUI densities and temperatures. Interestingly, additional heating of the PUIs as indicated by a peak in the cooling index follows the jumps by about a week. We characterize nearly continuous solar wind and H+ PUI data over ∼22–47 au, producing radial gradients, “fiducial” values at 45 au—halfway to the nominal upstream termination shock—for direct comparison to models, and extrapolated values at the shock. These termination shock values are n PUI = (4.1 ± 0.6) × 10−4 cm−3, T PUI = (5.0 ± 0.4) × 106 K, P PUI = 30 ± 4 fPa, α = 2.9 ± 0.2, n PUI/n Total = 0.24 ± 0.02, T PUI/T SW = 716 ± 124, P PUI/P SW = 173 ± 32, P PUI/P SW − Dyn = 0.14 ± 0.01. The PUI thermal pressure exceeds by more than an order of magnitude the thermal solar wind and magnetic pressures in the outer heliosphere. SWAP provides the first and only direct observations of interstellar PUIs in the outer heliosphere, which are critical for both inferring the plasma conditions at the termination shock and understanding PUI-mediated shocks in general. This study examines these observations and serves as the citable reference for these critical data.

This study provides the first observations of Plutogenic ions and their unique interaction with the solar wind. We find ~20% solar wind slowing that maps to a point only ~4.5 RP upstream of Pluto and a bow shock most likely produced by comet-like mass loading. The Pluto obstacle is a region of dense heavy ions bounded by a “Plutopause” where the solar wind is largely excluded and which extends back >100 RP into a heavy ion tail. The upstream standoff distance is at only ~2.5 RP. The heavy ion tail contains considerable structure, may still be partially threaded by the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), and is surrounded by a light ion sheath. The heavy ions (presumably CH4+) have average speed, density, and temperature of ~90 km s−1, ~0.009 cm−3, and ~7 × 105 K, with significant variability, slightly increasing speed/temperature with distance, and are N-S asymmetric. Density and temperature are roughly anticorrelated yielding a pressure ~2 × 10−2 pPa, roughly in balance with the interstellar pickup ions at ~33 AU. We set an upper bound of

Interstellar neutral gas atoms penetrate the heliopause and reach 1~au, where they are detected by IBEX. The flow of neutral interstellar helium through the perturbed interstellar plasma in the outer heliosheath (OHS) results in creation of the secondary population of interstellar He atoms, the so-called Warm Breeze, due to charge exchange with perturbed ions. The secondary population brings the imprint of the OHS conditions to the IBEX-Lo instrument. Based on a global simulation of the heliosphere with measurement-based parameters and detailed kinetic simulation of the filtration of He in the OHS, we find the number density of interstellar He$^+$ population at $(8.98\pm 0.12)\times 10^{-3}$~cm$^{-3}$. With this, we obtain the absolute density of interstellar H$^+$ $5.4\times 10^{-2}$~cm$^{-3}$ and electrons $6.3\times 10^{-2}$~cm$^{-3}$, and ionization degrees of H 0.26 and He 0.37. The results agree with estimates of the Very Local Interstellar Matter parameters obtained from fitting the observed spectra of diffuse interstellar EUV and soft X-Ray background., Accepted for ApJ

New Horizons unveils the Pluto system In July 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft flew through the Pluto system at high speed, humanity's first close look at this enigmatic system on the outskirts of our solar system. In a series of papers, the New Horizons team present their analysis of the encounter data downloaded so far: Moore et al. present the complex surface features and geology of Pluto and its large moon Charon, including evidence of tectonics, glacial flow, and possible cryovolcanoes. Grundy et al. analyzed the colors and chemical compositions of their surfaces, with ices of H 2 O, CH 4 , CO, N 2 , and NH 3 and a reddish material which may be tholins. Gladstone et al. investigated the atmosphere of Pluto, which is colder and more compact than expected and hosts numerous extensive layers of haze. Weaver et al. examined the small moons Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra, which are irregularly shaped, fast-rotating, and have bright surfaces. Bagenal et al. report how Pluto modifies its space environment, including interactions with the solar wind and a lack of dust in the system. Together, these findings massively increase our understanding of the bodies in the outer solar system. They will underpin the analysis of New Horizons data, which will continue for years to come. Science , this issue pp. 1284 , 10.1126/science.aad9189 , 10.1126/science.aad8866 , 10.1126/science.aae0030 , & 10.1126/science.aad9045

In late 2014, the solar wind dynamic pressure increased by ~50% over a relatively short time (~6 months). In early 2017, the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) observed an increase in heliospheric energetic neutral atom (ENA) fluxes from directions near the front of the heliosphere. These enhanced ENA emissions resulted from the increase in SW pressure propagating through the inner heliosheath (IHS), affecting the IHS plasma pressure and emission of ~keV ENA fluxes. We expand on the analysis by McComas et al. on the effects of this pressure change on ENA fluxes observed at 1 au using a three-dimensional, time-dependent simulation of the heliosphere. The pressure front has likely already crossed the termination shock (TS) in all directions, but ENA fluxes observed at 1 au will change over the coming years, as the TS, heliopause, and IHS plasma pressure continue to change in response to the SW pressure increase. Taken in isolation, the pressure front creates a "ring" of increasing ENA fluxes projected in the sky that expands in angular radius over time, as a function of the distances to the heliosphere boundaries and the ENA propagation speed. By tracking the position of this ring over time in our simulation, we demonstrate a method for estimating the distances to the TS, heliopause, and ENA source region that can be applied to IBEX data. This will require IBEX observations at 4.3 keV up through ~2020, and longer times at lower ENA energies, in order to observe significant changes from the heliotail.

In this paper we investigate the interaction between the solar wind (SW) and the local interstellar medium (LISM) using spacecraft data and numerical simulations. In particular, we will focus on neutral atom results from NASA’s Interstellar Boundary EXplorer (IBEX) mission, and compare these with implementations of our neutral atom models that look at both the energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) which are created as hydrogen of LISM origin interacts with the heliosphere, as well as the transmission of interstellar Oxygen through the heliospheric interface. The goal of this work is to better understand the global structure of the heliosphere and its interaction with the galaxy.

The solar wind emanating from the Sun interacts with the local interstellar medium (LISM), forming the heliosphere. Hydrogen energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) produced by the solar-interstellar interaction carry important information about plasma properties from the boundaries of the heliosphere, and are currently being measured by NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). IBEX observations show the existence of a "ribbon" of intense ENA emission projecting a circle on the celestial sphere that is centered near the local interstellar magnetic field (ISMF) vector. Here we show that the source of the IBEX ribbon as a function of ENA energy outside the heliosphere, uniquely coupled to the draping of the ISMF around the heliopause, can be used to precisely determine the magnitude (2.93 ± 0.08 μG) and direction (22728 ± 069, 3462 ± 045 in ecliptic longitude and latitude) of the pristine ISMF far (~1000 AU) from the Sun. We find that the ISMF vector is offset from the ribbon center by ~83 toward the direction of motion of the heliosphere through the LISM, and their vectors form a plane that is consistent with the direction of deflected interstellar neutral hydrogen, thought to be controlled by the ISMF. Our results yield draped ISMF properties close to that observed by Voyager 1, the only spacecraft to directly measure the ISMF close to the heliosphere, and give predictions of the pristine ISMF that Voyager 1 has yet to sample.

The Interstellar Boundary EXplorer (IBEX) ribbon is an intense energetic neutral atom (ENA) emission feature encircling the sky, spanning energies ≤0.5–6 keV. The ribbon may be produced by the “secondary ENA” mechanism, where ENAs emitted from a source plasma population inside the heliosphere propagate outside the heliopause, undergo two charge-exchange events, and become secondary ENAs that may be directed back toward Earth and detected by IBEX. In this scenario, the source plasma population is governed by the interaction of the solar wind (SW) with the interstellar medium and is thus sensitive to the global SW properties. Moreover, this scenario predicts that the distance to the source of secondary ENAs depends on the ENA energy and SW speed, which in turn may affect the shape of the ribbon. In this paper, we use a computational model of the heliosphere with simplified SW boundary conditions to analyze the influence of ENA energy and SW speed, independent of time and latitude, on the global spatial and geometric properties of the ribbon. We find a strong dependence of the simulated ribbon energy spectrum and spatial symmetry on SW speed and ENA energy, and only a slight dependence on ribbon geometry. Our results suggest a significant number of primary ENAs from the inner heliosheath may contribute to the pickup ion source population outside the heliopause, depending on the ENA energy and SW speed. The lack of variation in the simulated ribbon center as a function of ENA energy and SW speed, in contrast to the observations, implies that the asymmetry of the SW plays an important role in determining the position of the ribbon. Comparisons to the IBEX data also signify the ribbon’s dependence on the properties of the local interstellar medium, particularly the interstellar magnetic field.

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.

The circular ribbon of enhanced energetic neutral atom (ENA) emission observed by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission remains a critical signature for understanding the interaction between the heliosphere and the interstellar medium. We study the symmetry of the ribbon flux and find strong, spectrally dependent reflection symmetry throughout the energy range 0.7-4.3?keV. The distribution of ENA flux around the ribbon is predominantly unimodal at 0.7 and 1.1?keV, distinctly bimodal at 2.7 and 4.3?keV, and a mixture of both at 1.7?keV. The bimodal flux distribution consists of partially opposing bilateral flux lobes, located at highest and lowest heliographic latitude extents of the ribbon. The vector between the ribbon center and heliospheric nose (which defines the so-called BV plane) appears to play an organizing role in the spectral dependence of the symmetry axis locations as well as asymmetric contributions to the ribbon flux. The symmetry planes at 2.7 and 4.3?keV, derived by projecting the symmetry axes to a great circle in the sky, are equivalent to tilting the heliographic equatorial plane to the ribbon center, suggesting a global heliospheric ordering. The presence and energy dependence of symmetric unilateral and bilateral flux distributions suggest strong spectral filtration from processes encountered by an ion along its journey from the source plasma to its eventual detection at IBEX.

We present new results from three-dimensional simulations of the solar wind interaction with the local interstellar medium (LISM) using recent observations by NASA's Interstellar Boundary EXplorer (IBEX) mission estimates of the velocity and temperature of the LISM. We investigate four strengths of the LISM magnetic field, from 1 to 4 μG, and adjust the LISM proton and hydrogen densities so that the distance to the termination shock (TS) in the directions of the Voyager spacecraft is just below 90 AU, and the density of hydrogen at the TS is close to 0.09 cm–3 in the nose direction. The orientation of the magnetic field is chosen to point toward the center of the ribbon of enhanced energetic neutral atom (ENA) flux seen in the IBEX data. Our simulations show that the plasma and neutral properties in the outer heliosheath vary considerably as a function of the LISM magnetic field strength. We also show that the heliotail points downwind in all cases, though its structure is strongly affected by the external magnetic field. Comparison and consistency between the simulated ENA flux and the circularity of the ribbon as measured by IBEX are most consistent with a LISM magnetic field strength aligned with the center of the ribbon and a magnitude in the range 2.5-3 μG.

Pickup ions (PUIs) appear to play an integral role in the multi-component nature of the plasma in the interaction between the solar wind (SW) and local interstellar medium (LISM). Three-dimensional (3D) MHD simulations with a kinetic treatment for neutrals and PUIs are currently still not viable. In light of recent energetic neutral atom (ENA) observations by the Interstellar Boundary EXplorer, the purpose of this paper is to illustrate the complex coupling between PUIs across the heliopause (HP) as facilitated by ENAs using estimates of PUI properties extracted from a 3D MHD simulation of the SW-LISM interaction with kinetic neutrals. First, we improve upon the multi-component treatment of the inner heliosheath (IHS) plasma from Zank et al. by including the extinction of PUIs through charge-exchange. We find a significant amount of energy is transferred away from hot, termination shock-processed PUIs into a colder, freshly injected PUI population. Second, we extend the multi-component approach to estimate ENA flux from the outer heliosheath (OHS), formed from charge-exchange between interstellar hydrogen atoms and energetic PUIs. These PUIs are formed from ENAs in the IHS that crossed the HP and experienced charge-exchange. Our estimates, based on plasma-neutral simulations of the SW-LISM interaction and a post-processing analysis of ENAs and PUIs, suggest the majority of flux visible at 1 AU from the front of the heliosphere, between ~0.02 and 10 keV, originates from OHS PUIs, indicating strong coupling between the IHS and OHS plasmas through charge-exchange.

Energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) observed by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) provide powerful diagnostics about the origin of the progenitor ion populations and the physical mechanisms responsible for their production. In this paper, we extend the work of Desai et al. and Fuselier et al. and combine and compare ENA spectra from the first 3 yr of observations by the IBEX-Hi and -Lo ENA imagers along the lines-of-sight (LOSs) from the inner heliosphere through to the locations of Voyager 1 and 2 with results from an updated physics-based model of the three-dimensional heliosphere and its constituent ion populations. Our results show that (1) IBEX ENA fluxes and spectra above ∼0.7 keV measured along the LOSs of the Voyagers are consistent with several models in which the parent pickup ion (PUI) populations originate in the inner heliosheath, and (2) a significant fraction of lower energy ENAs between ∼0.1-0.5 keV may originate from interstellar neutral gas charge-exchanging with a non-thermalized (hot) population of PUIs in the outer heliosheath beyond the heliopause. We discuss the implications of ENAs observed by IBEX originating from distinct parent populations as well as from two distinct locations in the heliospheric interface. These results indicate that ENA spectralmore » measurements at various energies can be used to remotely probe distinct physical processes operating in vastly different regions of the distant heliosphere.« less

The Interstellar Boundary EXplorer (IBEX), launched in 2008 October, has improved our understanding of the solar wind-local interstellar medium interaction through its detection of neutral atoms, particularly that of hydrogen (H). IBEX is able to create full maps of the sky in six-month intervals as the Earth orbits the Sun, detecting H with energies between ∼0.01 and 6 keV. Due to the relative motion of IBEX to the solar inertial frame, measurements made in the spacecraft frame introduce a Compton-Getting (CG) effect, complicating measurements at the lowest energies. In this paper we provide results from a numerical simulation that calculates fluxes of H atoms at 1 AU in the inertial and spacecraft frames (both ram and anti-ram), at energies relevant to IBEX-Hi and -Lo. We show theory behind the numerical simulations, applying a simple frame transformation to derived flux equations that provides a straightforward way to simulate fluxes in the spacecraft frame. We then show results of H energetic neutral atom fluxes simulated at IBEX-Hi energy passbands 2-6 in all frames, comparing with IBEX-Hi data along selected directions, and also show results simulated at energies relevant to IBEX-Lo. Although simulations at IBEX-Hi energies agree reasonably well with the CG correctionmore » method used for IBEX-Hi data, we demonstrate the importance of properly modeling low energy H fluxes due to inherent complexities involved with measurements made in moving frames, as well as dynamic radiation pressure effects close to the Sun.« less

As a sharp feature in the sky, the ribbon of enhanced energetic neutral atom (ENA) flux observed by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission is a key signature for understanding the interaction of the heliosphere and the interstellar medium through which we are moving. Over five nominal IBEX energy passbands (0.7, 1.1, 1.7, 2.7, and 4.3 keV), the ribbon is extraordinarily circular, with a peak location centered at ecliptic (λRC, βRC) = (219.°2 ± 1.°3, 39.°9 ± 2.°3) and a half cone angle of C = 74.°5 ± 2.°0. A slight elongation of the ribbon, generally perpendicular to the ribbon center-heliospheric nose vector and with eccentricity ~0.3, is observed over all energies. At 4.3 keV, the ribbon is slightly larger and displaced relative to lower energies. For all ENA energies, a slice of the ribbon flux peak perpendicular to the circular arc is asymmetric and systematically skewed toward the ribbon center. We derive a spatial coherence parameter δC ≤ 0.014 that characterizes the spatial uniformity of the ribbon over its extent in the sky and is a key constraint for understanding the underlying processes and structure governing the ribbon ENA emission.

Recent IBEX observations indicate that the local interstellar medium (LISM) flow speed is less than previously thought (23.2 km s–1 rather than 26 km s–1). Reasonable LISM plasma parameters indicate that the LISM flow may be either marginally super-fast magnetosonic or sub-fast magnetosonic. This raises two challenging questions: (1) Can a LISM model that is barely super-fast or sub-fast magnetosonic account for Lyα observations that rely critically on the additional absorption provided by the hydrogen wall (H-wall)? and (2) If the LISM flow is weakly super-fast magnetosonic, does the transition assume the form of a traditional shock or does neutral hydrogen (H) mediate shock dissipation and hence structure through charge exchange? Both questions are addressed using three three-dimensional self-consistently coupled magnetohydrodynamic plasma—kinetic H models with different LISM magnetic field strengths (2, 3, and 4 μG) as well as plasma and neutral H number densities. The 2 and 3 μG models are fast magnetosonic far upwind of the heliopause whereas the 4 μG model is fully subsonic. The 2 μG model admits a broad (~50-75 AU) bow-shock-like structure. The 3 μG model has a smooth super-fast-sub-fast magnetosonic transition that resembles a very broad, ~200 AU thick, bow wave. A theoretical analysis shows that the transition from a super-fast to a sub-fast magnetosonic downstream state is due to the charge exchange of fast neutral H and hot neutral H created in the supersonic solar wind and hot inner heliosheath, respectively. For both the 2 μG and the 3 μG models, the super-fast magnetosonic LISM flow passes through a critical point located where the fast magnetosonic Mach number M = 1 and Qe = γ/(γ – 1)UQm , where Qe and Qm are the plasma energy and momentum source terms due to charge exchange, U is the LISM flow speed, and γ is the plasma adiabatic index. Because the Mach number is only barely super-fast magnetosonic in the 3 μG case, the hot and fast neutral H can completely mediate the transition and impose a charge exchange length scale on the structure, making the solar-wind-LISM interaction effectively bow-shock-free. The charge exchange of fast and hot heliospheric neutral H therefore provides a primary dissipation mechanism at the weak heliospheric bow shock, in some cases effectively creating a one-shock heliosphere (i.e., a heliospheric termination shock only). Both super-fast magnetosonic models produce a sizeable H-wall. We find that (1) a sub-fast magnetosonic LISM flow cannot model the observed Lyα absorption profiles along the four sightlines considered (α Cen, 36 Oph, DK UMa, and χ1 Ori—upwind, sidewind, and downwind respectively); (2) both the super-fast magnetosonic models can account for the Lyα observations, with possibly the bow-shock-free 3 μG model being slightly favored. Subject to further modeling and comparison against further lines of sight, we conclude with the tantalizing possibility that IBEX may have discovered a class of interstellar shocks mediated by neutral H.