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In the coming decades, exploration of the lunar surface is likely to increase as multiple nations execute ambitious lunar exploration programs. Among several environmental effects of such activities, increasing traffic near and on the lunar surface will result in the injection of anthropogenic neutral gases into the lunar exosphere. The subsequent ionization of such anthropogenic neutrals in the lunar environment may contribute to and ultimately exceed the generation of 'native' lunar pickup ions, thereby altering the fundamental space plasma interaction with the Moon. To better understand these possible effects, we conducted plasma simulations of the solar wind interaction with the Moon in the presence of increasing ion production rates from an anthropogenic lunar exosphere. At ionization levels between 0.1 and 10 times the native lunar exospheric ion production rate, little to no changes to the solar wind interaction to the Moon are present; however, ionization levels of 100 and 1000 times the native rate result in significant mass loading of the solar wind and disruption of the present-day structure of the Moon's plasma environment. Comparing to the planned Artemis landings, which are likely to contribute only an additional ∼ 10% of the native lunar exospheric ion production rate, we conclude that the Artemis program will have little effect on the Moon's plasma environment. However, more frequent landings and/or continual outgassing from human settlements on the Moon in the more distant future are likely to fundamentally alter the lunar plasma environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the long-term persistence of the time series of energetic neutral atom (ENA) fluxes recorded by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). ENAs provide global information about the outer heliosphere and its interactions with the very local interstellar medium. To avoid the IBEX Ribbon, here, we focus our analysis solely on the polar regions N60°–N90° and S60°–S90°. Each year, IBEX takes two measurements of every pixel in the sky. We make use of the whole set of 14 yr of IBEX data and adhere to the correct time order for the construction of the flux time series. We examine in detail both the trend and the fluctuations of these time series. Using modern methods of time series analysis and persistence characterization, we show that the time series (i) trend is influenced by the solar cycle, (ii) persistence can be established independently of the presence of this trend, and (iii) statistical properties of the fluctuations differs between north and south, pointing to the existence of anisotropy and thus a north–south asymmetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pickup process of newly ionized hydrogen (H) from the Martian extended exosphere represents an important H+ escape channel on Mars. It is generally believed that interplanetary (IP) shocks can accelerate the pickup ions and, in turn, affect the pickup process. However, the underlying processes inherent to the acceleration are not yet fully understood. Here, we concentrate on the dynamic processes involved in acceleration arising from IP shock compression. We examine two typical IP shock events characterized by a sudden increase in the average energy of upstream H+ pickup ions across the shock. The H+ pickup ions continuously enter the field of view of Supra-Thermal And Thermal Ion Composition or Solar Wind Ion Analyzer on board the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN spacecraft in a narrow angular range. Moreover, they correspond to a similar part of their respective ring distributions in velocity space. By comparing measured and theoretical H+ pickup ion energies, we attribute the more energetic H+ pickup ions to the enhanced convection electric field acceleration caused by the shock compression. An increase in the guiding center drift speed across the shock implies a higher escape rate of the H+ pickup ions. Furthermore, the pitch-angle scattering could facilitate the escape of the higher energy H+ pickup ions from Mars. The results may shed light on the understanding of the energization and escape of planetary pickup ions in the solar system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outer heliosphere is profoundly influenced by nonthermal energetic pickup ions (PUIs), which dominate the internal pressure of the solar wind beyond ~10 au, surpassing both solar wind and magnetic pressures. PUIs are formed mostly through charge exchange between interstellar neutral atoms and solar wind ions. This study examines the apparent heating of PUIs in the distant supersonic solar wind before reaching the heliospheric termination shock. New Horizons’ SWAP observations reveal an unexpected PUI temperature change between 2015 and 2020, with a notable bump in PUI temperature. Concurrent observations from the ACE and Wind spacecraft at 1 au indicate a ~50% increase in solar wind dynamic pressure at the end of 2014. Our simulation suggests that the bump observed in the PUI temperature by New Horizons is largely associated with the enhanced solar wind dynamic pressure observed at 1 au. Additional PUI temperature enhancements imply the involvement of other heating mechanisms. Analysis of New Horizons data reveals a correlation between shocks and PUI heating during the declining phase of the solar cycle. Using a PUI-mediated plasma model, we explore shock structures and PUI heating, finding that shocks preferentially heat PUIs over the thermal solar wind in the outer heliosphere. We also show that the broad shock thickness observed by New Horizons is due to the large diffusion coefficient associated with PUIs. Shocks and compression regions in the distant supersonic solar wind lead to elevated PUI temperatures and thus they can increase the production of energetic neutral atoms with large energy.

Anomalous cosmic-rays (ACRs) are thought to be originated from the acceleration of pickup ions (PUIs) at the termination shock or interplanetary shocks, and play important role for the plasma dynamics in the outer heliosphere. Due to limited observation, the effects of ACRs on the solar wind events is not well known. Under the approximation of spherical symmetry, we have developed a three-component magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) numerical model that contains solar wind plasma, interstellar neutral atoms and ACRs, to investigate the evolution of the solar wind within a heliocentric distance from 1 to 150 astronomical units (AU). We use the solar wind observations from the OMNI database with the time from 2010.5 to 2016.0 (decimal years) at the inner boundary, and the effect of ACRs on the propagation of the solar wind events are compared with the observations from the spacecrafts of New Horizons, Voyager 1 and 2. The results show that ACRs may decrease the speed of the solar wind shocks to some extent, and the effect is positively correlated with the diffusion coefficient; a larger diffusion coefficient leads to a more pronounced effect. Moreover, the ACRs has a dissipation effect on the shock-like solar wind structures, and may play important roles on the dynamics of solar wind in the outer heliosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of turbulence in the heliosphere remains a mystery, due to the complexity in not only modeling the turbulence transport equations but also identifying the drivers of turbulence that vary with time and spatial location. Beyond the ionization cavity (a few astronomical units (AU) from the Sun), the turbulence is driven predominantly by freshly created pickup ions (PUIs), in contrast to the driving by stream shear and compression. Understanding the source characteristics is necessary to refine turbulence transport models and interpret measurements of turbulence and solar wind temperature in the outer heliosphere. Using a recent latitude-dependent solar wind speed model and the ionization rate of neutral interstellar hydrogen (H), we investigate the temporal and spatial variation in the strength of low-frequency turbulence driven by PUIs from 1998 to 2020. We find that the driving rate is stronger during periods of high solar activity and at lower latitudes in the outer heliosphere. The driving rates for parallel and anti-parallel propagating (relative to the background magnetic field) slab turbulence have different spatial and latitude dependences. The calculated generation rate of turbulence by PUIs is an essential ingredient to investigate the latitude dependence of turbulence in the outer heliosphere, which is important to understand the heating of the distant solar wind and the modulation of cosmic rays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A "Ribbon" of enhanced energetic neutral atom (ENA) emissions was discovered by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer in 2009, redefining our understanding of the heliosphere boundaries and the physical processes occurring at the interstellar interface. The Ribbon signal is intertwined with that of a globally distributed flux (GDF) that spans the entire sky. To a certain extent, Ribbon separation methods enabled examining its evolution independent of the underlying GDF. Observations over a full solar cycle revealed the Ribbon's evolving nature, with intensity variations closely tracking those of the solar wind (SW) structure after a few years delay, accounting for the SW–ENA recycling process. In this work, we examine the Ribbon structure, namely its ENA fluxes, angular extent, width, and circularity properties for two years, 2009 and 2019, representative of the declining phases of two adjacent solar cycles. We find that, (i) the Ribbon ENA fluxes have recovered in the nose direction and south of it down to ∼25° (for energies below 1.7 keV) and not at mid and high ecliptic latitudes; (ii) the Ribbon width exhibits significant variability as a function of azimuthal angle; (iii) circularity analysis suggests that the 2019 Ribbon exhibits a statistically consistent radius with that in 2009. The Ribbon's partial recovery is aligned with the consensus of a heliosphere with its closest point being southward of the nose region. The large variability of the Ribbon width as a function of azimuth in 2019 compared to 2009 is likely indicative of small-scale processes within the Ribbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2009, the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) discovered a narrow "ribbon" of energetic neutral atom emissions across the sky with properties correlated with the solar wind latitudinal structure and the interstellar magnetic field draped around the heliosphere. It is widely believed that the ribbon is formed from the escape of heliospheric ENAs into the local interstellar medium and their eventual return as secondary ENAs. However, there is no consensus on the rate of pitch angle scattering of these PUIs before they become secondary ENAs. We test two opposing limits of scattering rates ("weak" versus "strong") by solving a time-dependent model of the ribbon that evolves with the solar cycle, and we compare them to IBEX observations over 2009–2019. First, we find that both models qualitatively reproduce the evolution of IBEX fluxes for most of the data set, with a few exceptions, although the strong (or "spatial retention") scattering model greatly underestimates the observed fluxes. Regardless, time dependence of fluxes cannot distinguish these models. Second, the ribbon's geometric properties, i.e., its center and radius, are significantly different between the models. The spatial retention model reproduces the observed ribbon centers as a function of energy and time slightly better than the weak scattering model, and the spatial retention model reproduces the observed ribbon radius over energy and time almost perfectly, whereas the weak scattering model compares poorly. Our analysis favors the spatial retention mechanism as the source of the IBEX ribbon, but it requires modification to increase the flux of ENAs observed at 1 au. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) has been observing the outer heliosphere and its interactions with the very local interstellar medium (VLISM) via measurements of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) for over 14 yr. We discovered the IBEX Ribbon—a structure completely unanticipated by any prior theory or model—that almost certainly resides beyond the heliopause in the VLISM. We also characterized the other major source of heliospheric ENAs, the globally distributed flux (GDF), produced largely in the heliosheath between the termination shock and heliopause. In this study, we make three major new contributions. First, we validate, provide, and analyze the most recent 3 yr of IBEX-Hi (0.5–6 keV FWHM) data (2020–2022) for the first time. Second, we link these observations to the prior 11 yr of observations, exploring long-term variations. Finally, we provide the first IBEX team-validated Ribbon/GDF separation scheme and separated maps. Because of the uncertainty in separating different line-of-sight integrated sources, we provide not just best guess (median) maps, but also maps with upper and lower reasonable values of Ribbon and GDF fluxes, along with bounding fluxes that add the uncertainties to the upper and lower values. This allows theories and models to be compared with a range of possible values that the IBEX team believes are consistent with data. These observations, along with the reanalysis of the prior 11 yr of IBEX-Hi data, provide new insights and even further develop our detailed understanding of the heliosphere’s interaction with the local interstellar medium unlocked by IBEX.

The solar wind deceleration upstream of the Martian bow shock is examined using particle and magnetic field measurements obtained by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN). Mars lacks a strong intrinsic magnetic field so its upper atmosphere extends beyond the Martian bow shock and interacts directly with the solar wind. Neutral atoms in the Martian upper atmosphere can be ionized through several physical processes and then start to move with the solar wind flow to form pickup ions. In return, the solar wind is expected to slow down due to the momentum transfer to the pickup ions. The present study surveys the MAVEN solar wind measurements between 2015 and 2019 to evaluate the solar wind deceleration upstream of the Martian bow shock. Different from previous studies of solar wind deceleration, our analysis carefully excludes the solar wind deceleration in the shock foot region. The average solar wind deceleration obtained is about 0.7% of the initial solar wind speed, much smaller than the values given by previous studies. Further calculation using several reasonable Martian upper atmosphere density profiles demonstrates that the deceleration observed is consistent with the pickup ion mass-loading scenario.

Ion pickup by the solar wind is ubiquitous in space plasma. Because pickup ions are originally produced by ionization of an exospheric neutral atmosphere, their measurements contain information on the exospheric neutral abundance. Here we established a method to retrieve exospheric number densities, by analyzing the ion velocity distribution functions of pickup ions measured by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN spacecraft. We successfully retrieved exospheric oxygen density distributions at altitudes ranging from 1000 to 10,000 km around Mars except for the vicinity of the bow shock. This method can be applied to other space missions to study the upper atmosphere of planets, moons, and other small bodies in our solar system, where pickup ions exist.

Since its discovery in 2009, the IBEX energetic neutral atom (ENA) Ribbon has been a subject of numerous studies. It appears at energies ∼0.5–6 keV and is most pronounced at ∼1–3 keV. It is almost circular, ∼20°–40° wide, and its center lies near the pristine local interstellar magnetic field direction, whose field lines are draped around the heliosphere. The Ribbon intensity is enhanced above the more diffuse, globally distributed flux (GDF) and varies on timescales that are delayed compared to the underlying and slowly varying GDF. We present a novel method to infer the Ribbon boundaries and transverse profile of the Ribbon using sequential time variations of ENA fluxes, with minimal modeling assumptions involved. The method utilizes the difference in temporal evolution between the total Ribbon content and GDF fluxes. We then use the inferred Ribbon transverse profile to statistically quantify the GDF contribution to the observed peak Ribbon intensity to be ∼32.23% ± 3.15% in 2009–2011. This Ribbon separation method works best during times of gradual changes in solar wind output, and with high angular resolution and ENA counting statistics; results thus provide a proof of concept for the upcoming Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe ENA measurements.

The lunar exosphere is an ensemble of multiple overlapping, noninteracting neutral distributions that reflect the primary physical processes acting on the lunar surface. While previous observations have detected and constrained the behavior of some species, many others have only circumstantial evidence or theoretical modeling suggesting their presence. Many species are so tenuous as to be unobservable by direct neutral sampling, yet in comparison, measurements in their ionized form provide a particularly sensitive method of detection. To better aid the interpretation of past measurements and planning of future observations, we present a model for the production of lunar pickup ions from the Moon consisting of two components: An analytic model for the distributions of 18 neutral species produced by various mechanisms and an analytic model for the ionization and subsequent acceleration of 20 exospheric and surface‐sputtered pickup ion species. The dominant lunar pickup ions in the model are H2+ ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}^{+}$, He+, CO+, 40Ar+, Al+, Na+, K+, Si+, Ca+, and O+ with an asymmetric distribution favoring the positive interplanetary electric field hemisphere of the Moon. We compare the model predictions to statistically averaged pickup ion fluxes around the Moon as observed by the ARTEMIS spacecraft over the past decade. By filtering for interplanetary electric field‐aligned, high‐energy observations, we find that the pickup ion model lacks an additional source of heavy species. We suggest that a dense CO2 exosphere of 3 × 104 − 1 × 105 cm−3 could account for the missing pickup ion flux as part of the recycling of solar wind carbon ions incident to the Moon. Plain Language Summary: The Moon is surrounded by a thin neutral atmosphere comprised of multiple atomic and molecular species. This atmosphere, technically termed an "exosphere," is produced by multiple processes that are either internal or external to the Moon. As exospheric atoms and molecules are exposed to space, they are continuously ionized by photons, protons, and electrons from the Sun. Once ionized, these particles are accelerated by electromagnetic fields in interplanetary space and often lost from the Moon's environment. These "pickup ions" (so called because they are "picked up" into and carried along with the flow of particles in space by electromagnetic fields) provide information about the composition and distribution of the neutral lunar exosphere. We have constructed a model of 18 neutral and 20 ionized species in the lunar exosphere based on previous observations and/or models. The model predicts that the dominant pickup ion species in the lunar exosphere include carbon monoxide (CO+), 40‐argon (40Ar+), aluminum (Al+), sodium (Na+), and potassium (K+). The model is compared to observations of lunar pickup ions by NASA's ARTEMIS mission. We find that the model is missing a component of the pickup ion flux and suggest that the Moon may harbor a dense carbon dioxide (CO2) exosphere. Key Points: We constructed an observationally based model of 18 neutral and 20 ionized species from the lunar exosphereDominant pickup ion species are H2+ ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}^{+}$, He+, CO+, 40Ar+, Al+, Na+, K+, Si+, Ca+, and O+ with asymmetric spatial distributionThe model underestimates pickup ion fluxes when compared to ARTEMIS observations, and we suggest CO2+ ${\mathrm{C}\mathrm{O}}_{2}^{+}$ as the missing component [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report here observations of magnetic waves recorded by the Voyager spacecraft in the solar wind near Jupiter that are possibly the result of excitation by newborn pickup H+. Consideration of growth rates due to the known interstellar ion sources strongly disfavor an interstellar source. To determine the likely source of the waves, we compute the minimum ion production rate by equating wave growth to turbulent cascade rates and derive a lower limit for the production of H+ at the times of observations. The only available source of neutral H at these times and at the levels required is the Jovian system, most notably charge exchange between energetic protons and the neutral clouds around Io and Europa's orbits. Further refinement of the source identity is not possible at this time. We provide an estimate for the neutral H source subject to assumptions of the latitudinal extent of the population which is not constrained by observation. Plain Language Summary: The Voyager spacecraft instruments include a fluxgate magnetometer called MAG that measures the changing ambient magnetic field. We report observations by MAG of low‐frequency waves in the solar wind outside the Jovian magnetosphere that are seen at frequencies and with characteristics that suggest the waves are excited by protons that originate as neutral hydrogen. Collision with solar wind protons ionize the neutral hydrogen to produce an energetic ion population called pickup ions. We use known characteristics of wave excitation by pickup ions to estimate the rate of pickup ion production. The only source that is strong enough to produce the pickup ions with the number density required is the Jovian system. Key Points: Magnetic waves were measured by Voyagers 1 and 2 in the solar wind near the magnetosphere of JupiterThese waves have signatures of excitation by local pickup H+ ionsA neutral H loss rate of ∼5 × 1028 s−1 from the Jovian system is estimated [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of pickup ions (PUIs) in the solar wind interaction with the local interstellar medium is investigated with 3D, multifluid simulations. The flow of the mixture of all charged particles is described by the ideal MHD equations, with the source terms responsible for charge exchange between ions and neutral atoms. The thermodynamically distinct populations of neutrals are governed by individual sets of gas dynamics Euler equations. PUIs are treated as a separate, comoving fluid. Because the anisotropic behavior of PUIs at the heliospheric termination shocks is not described by the standard conservation laws (a.k.a. the Rankine–Hugoniot relations), we derived boundary conditions for them, which are obtained from the dedicated kinetic simulations of collisionless shocks. It is demonstrated that this approach to treating PUIs makes the computation results more consistent with observational data. In particular, the PUI pressure in the inner heliosheath (IHS) becomes higher by ∼40%–50% in the new model, as compared with the solutions where no special boundary conditions are applied. Hotter PUIs eventually lead to charge-exchange-driven cooling of the IHS plasma, which reduces the IHS width by ∼15% (∼8–10 au) in the upwind direction, and even more in the other directions. The density of secondary neutral atoms born in the IHS decreases by ∼30%, while their temperature increases by ∼60%. Simulation results are validated with New Horizons data at distances between 11 and 47 au.

Fast solar wind (SW) flows outward from polar coronal holes (PCHs). The latitudinal extent of the fast SW varies during different phases of the solar cycle. The fast SW in the inner heliosheath produces a flatter proton spectrum than the slow SW that can be observed through energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). In this study, we investigate the evolution of PCHs as reflected in the high-time resolution ENA flux measurements from IBEX-Hi, where the PCHs are identified by ENA spectral indices

Interstellar neutral atoms enter the heliosphere at a relatively slow speed corresponding to the motion of the Sun through the local interstellar medium, which is approximately 25 km s ^−1 . Neutral hydrogen atoms enter from the approximate location of the Voyager spacecraft and are eventually ionized primarily by collision with thermal solar wind ions. An earlier analysis by Hollick et al. examined low-frequency magnetic waves observed by the Voyager spacecraft from launch through 1990 that are thought to arise from the scattering of newborn interstellar pickup H ^+ and He ^+ . We report an analysis of Voyager 1 observations in 1991, which is the last year of high-resolution magnetic field data that are publicly available, and find 70 examples of low-frequency waves with the characteristics that suggest excitation by pickup H ^+ and 10 examples of waves consistent with excitation by pickup He ^+ . We find a particularly dense cluster of observations at the tail end of what is thought to be a Merged Interaction Region (MIR) that was previously studied by Burlaga & Ness using Voyager 2 observations. This is not unexpected if the MIR is followed by a large rarefaction region, as they tend to be regions of reduced turbulence levels that permit the growth of the waves over the long time periods that are generally required of this instability.

Nearly incompressible magnetohydrodynamic (NI MHD) theory for β ∼ 1 (or β ≪ 1) plasma has been developed and applied to the study of solar wind turbulence. The leading-order term in β ∼ 1 or β ≪ 1 plasma describes the majority of 2D turbulence, while the higher-order term describes the minority of slab turbulence. Here, we develop new NI MHD turbulence transport model equations in the high plasma beta regime. The leading-order term in a β ≫ 1 plasma is fully incompressible and admits both structures (flux ropes or magnetic islands) and slab (Alfvén waves) fluctuations. This paper couples the NI MHD turbulence transport equations with three fluid (proton, electron, and pickup ion) equations, and solves the 1D steady-state equations from 1–75 au. The model is tested against 27 yr of Voyager 2 data, and Ulysses and NH SWAP data. The results agree remarkably well, with some scatter, about the theoretical predictions.

In this paper, we develop the transport equation of kappa, the fundamental thermodynamic parameter that labels kappa distributions of particle velocities. Using the recently developed concept of entropy defect, we are able to formulate the transport equation of kappa as a function of a general, positive or negative, rate of entropy change. Then, we derive the particular case of exchanging plasma ions with low-dimensionality, newly born pickup protons, which interact and decrease the entropy of the flow of otherwise kappa-distributed plasma protons. Finally, we apply the transport equation of kappa to the solar wind plasma protons, which leads to the radial profile of kappa values, as well as the evolution of the kappa distributions through the heliosphere. The results show that the solar wind kappa decreases with increasing heliocentric distance, corresponding to plasmas residing in stationary states far from classical thermal equilibrium. Moreover, in the outer heliosphere and the heliosheath, kappa reaches its lowest values and is spread across the far-equilibrium region of 1.5 < κ < 2.5, which coincides with independent observations provided by NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer mission.

We revisit the question of how the unstable scattering of interstellar pickup ions (PUIs) may drive turbulence in the outer solar wind and why the energy released into fluctuations by this scattering appears to be significantly less than the standard bispherical prediction. We suggest that energization of the newly picked-up ions by the ambient turbulence during the scattering process can result in a more spherical distribution of PUIs and reduce the generated fluctuation energy to a level consistent with the observations of turbulent intensities and core solar wind heating. This scenario implies the operation of a self-regulation mechanism that maintains the observed conditions of turbulence and heating in the PUI-dominated solar wind.

This study provides a detailed analysis of five distant interplanetary shocks observed by the Solar Wind Around Pluto instrument on board New Horizons, which exhibit the signature of a suprathermal H ^+ pickup ion (PUI) tail in the downstream distribution. These shocks were observed with a PUI data cadence of approximately 24 hr, covering a heliocentric distance range of 23.71–36.75 au. The shock compression ratio varies between approximately 1.4 and 3.2. The H ^+ PUI density and temperature show a gradual increase across the shock, while the H ^+ solar wind density shows erratic behavior without a distinct downstream compression. The H ^+ PUI cooling index variation across the shock displays different characteristics in each shock. This study demonstrates, for the first time, the variation of the number density of downstream H ^+ PUI tails with the shock compression ratio, revealing an increase in tail density with stronger shocks. Additionally, theoretical estimates of reflected PUI number densities derived from the electrostatic cross-shock potential agree very well with the observed H ^+ PUI tail densities for stronger shocks.

Observations of the plasma environment outside of the Earth's magnetosphere by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission Hot Plasma Composition Analyzers (MMS‐HPCAs) allow density measurements of geocoronal hydrogen pickup ions (PUIs). A study of this environment from December 4, 2019 to December 6, 2019, part of a single orbital period of the MMS spacecraft, revealed an inverse square dependence on PUI density. This dependence corresponds well with an inverse‐cube dependence on the neutral hydrogen density within the geocorona. Plain Language Summary: Measuring pickup ions produced from the Earth's geocorona provide an in‐situ analysis of their geocentric density dependence. These measurements also provide a model‐dependent evaluation of the neutral geocorona's expanse and geocentric dependence, which is part of the Earth's extended atmosphere, also known as the exosphere. Key Points: Pickup ions (PUIs) produced from the hydrogen exosphere are observable with near‐Earth plasma instrumentsPickup ions are distinguishable from solar wind ions through their respective velocity distributionsGeocoronal PUI density decreases with geocentric radius and corresponds to an inverse radius cube neutral dependence [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 05 December 2015 the Magnetospheric MultiScale constellation observed interstellar pickup ion distributions during an inbound crossing of Earth's perpendicular bow shock near the subsolar point, which provides new insights into shock acceleration of pickup ions throughout the heliosphere. In this study we analyze the upstream and downstream velocity distributions of H+ and He+ using data from the Hot Plasma Composition Analyzer on Magnetospheric MultiScale. We derive average two‐dimensional pitch angle distributions in the upstream and downstream field‐aligned bulk plasma frame, as well as integrated one‐dimensional velocity distributions. By comparing the upstream and downstream distributions, we find evidence of accelerated H+ and He+ downstream of the shock. By comparing measured and theoretical reflection ratios for He+, we attribute a significant part of this acceleration to a single reflection at the shock. Plain Language Summary: By studying distributions of ions before and after a shock in space, we gain valuable insights into shock acceleration mechanisms that produce high‐energy ion populations, observed throughout the heliosphere. On 05 December 2015 the Magnetospheric MultiScale constellation crossed Earth's perpendicular bow shock and measured velocity distributions of He+ ions before and after the shock. This study analyzes these distributions in search for signs of accelerated He+. We find that He+ is accelerated mainly perpendicular to the local magnetic field, and that a significant fraction of the accelerated He+ is consistent with the theory of shock reflection at the bow shock, in which an ion is reflected at the shock and then energized by the solar wind electric field (pointing parallel to the shock surface) as the ion gyrates back to the shock. Key Points: MMS observed interstellar pickup He+ upstream and downstream of the Earth's perpendicular bow shockComparison of upstream and downstream velocity distributions revealed accelerated pickup He+The observations are consistent with single reflection shock acceleration [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed the first systematic analysis of pickup ion (PUI) cutoff speed variations, across compression regions and due to fast fluctuations in solar wind (SW) speed and magnetic field strength. This study is motivated by the need to remove or correct for systematic effects on the determination of the interstellar flow longitude based on the longitudinal variation of the PUI cutoff. Using 2007–2014 STEREO A PLASTIC observations, we identified SW compression regions and accumulated the contained PUI velocity distributions in a superposed epoch analysis. The shift of the cutoff in velocity, interpreted as PUI energization, varies systematically across the compression region and increases approximately linearly with the speed gradient of the compression. Additionally, the shift remains positive into the negative speed gradient at the beginning of the rarefaction region. A similar response is found when PUI distributions are sorted according to the strength of fast fluctuations in SW speed, density, and magnetic field strength. These parameters remain high in the first part of the rarefaction region, suggesting a possible PUI energization through compressive turbulence. Based on these results, we removed the strongest compression regions from the interstellar flow analysis, finding no significant change in direction or uncertainty. Thus, we have revealed the influence of adiabatic compression and compressive turbulence, increasing the PUI cutoff energy, and we have demonstrated that the determination of the interstellar inflow direction via analysis of PUI distributions is robust for a multiyear data set, even in the presence of SW interaction regions. Key Points: The cutoff speed of the pickup ion helium distribution function is shown to systematically increase in solar wind compression regionsThe magnitude of the pickup ion cutoff shift scales approximately linearly with the solar wind speed gradient in the compression regionThe interstellar flow longitude obtained from the pickup ion cutoff is largely unaffected by compressions, when using multiyear data sets [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a phenomenological description of multispacecraft observations of energetic particles caused by the close flyby of comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring with Mars on 19 October 2014. This is the first time that cometary energetic particles have been observed at Mars. The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN)‐solar energetic particle (SEP) and the Mars Odyssey‐High Energy Neutron Detector (HEND) instruments recorded evidence of precipitating particles, which are likely O+ pickup ions, during the ~10 hr that Mars was within the region of the comet's coma. O+ pickup ions were also detected several hours after, although whether their origin is the comet or space weather is not conclusive. We discuss the possible origin of those particles and also the cause of an additional shower of energetic particles that HEND observed between 22 and 35 hr after the comet's closest approach, which may be related to dust impacts from the comet's dust tail. An O+ pickup ion energy flux simulation is performed with representative solar wind and cometary conditions, together with a simulation of their energy deposition profile in the atmosphere of Mars. Results indicate that the O+ pickup ion fluxes observed by SEP were deposited in the ionosphere around 105 to 120 km altitude, and they are compared with precomet flyby estimations of cometary pickup ions. The comet's flyby deposited a significant fluence of energetic particles into Mars' upper atmosphere, at a similar level to a large space weather event. Plain Language Summary: Comet Siding Spring is a comet from the Oort cloud (a spherical shell of cometary bodies far beyond the solar system) that made a single flyby through the inner solar system in October 2014. It passed very close to Mars on 19 October 2014, at only one third of the Earth‐Moon distance. This is a unique event as a close encounter of this type with Mars is predicted to occur only once in 100,000 years. In this work, we analyze data from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) and the Mars Odyssey missions in order to understand how the Martian atmosphere reacts to such an unusual external event. This is done through the study of energetic particles from the comet. These particles are important as they constitute an energy input into Mars' atmosphere and are therefore useful for understanding atmospheric evolution and habitability. We have found several O+ detections from the comet, while Mars was within the comet environment (during ~10 hr). Also, we discuss several other interesting features that occurred after the closest approach, which could be related to comet dust tail impacts between 22 and 35 hr after the comet's closest approach. In general, the comet deposited into Mars' upper atmosphere a similar level of energy to that of a large space weather storm. Key Points: Both MAVEN and Mars Odyssey saw high‐energy O+ ions from comet Siding SpringThe O+ cometary ions deposited significant energy into the upper atmosphereSome effects may have persisted even after Mars left the outer coma of the comet [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations of plasma and turbulence in the outer heliosphere (the distant supersonic solar wind and the subsonic solar wind beyond the heliospheric termination shock) made by the Voyager Interstellar Mission and the energetic neutral atom observations made by the IBEX spacecraft have revealed that the underlying plasma in the outer heliosphere and very local interstellar medium (VLISM) comprises distinct thermal proton and electron and suprathermal pickup ion (PUI) populations. Estimates of the appropriate collisional frequencies show that the multi-component plasma is not collisionally equilibrated in either the outer heliosphere or VLISM. Furthermore, suprathermal PUIs in these regions form a thermodynamically dominant component. We review briefly a subset of the observations that led to the realization that the solar wind-VLISM interaction region is described by a non-equilibrated multi-component plasma and summarizes the derivation of suitable plasma models that describe a PUI-mediated plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction of the heliosphere with the local interstellar medium (LISM) results in a complicated series of boundary regions. The Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft are exploring these distant boundaries in situ, as is the Interstellar Boundary Explorer from 1 AU, which measures energetic neutral atoms created in the distant reaches of the heliosphere and LISM. Lyman-α absorption and backscatter measurements also probe the structure and physics of the interface of the heliosphere and LISM. We survey the suite of observations, the underlying theory, and the resulting models that describe the boundary regions of the solar wind and LISM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this report we discuss the self-consistent dynamics of pickup ions in the solar wind flow around the lunar-like object. In our model the solar wind and pickup ions are considered as a particles, whereas the electrons are described as a fluid. Inhomogeneous photoionization, electron-impact ionization and charge exchange are included in our model. The Moon will be chosen as a basic object for our modeling. The current modeling shows that mass loading by pickup ions , and may be very important in the global dynamics of the solar wind around the Moon. In our hybrid modeling we use exponential profiles for the exospheric components. The Moon is considered as a weakly conducting body. Special attention will be paid to comparing the modeling pickup ion velocity distribution with ARTEMIS observations. Our modeling shows an asymmetry of the Mach cone due to mass loading, the upstream flow density distribution and the magnetic field. The pickup ions form an asymmetrical plasma tails that may disturb the lunar plasma wake. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The solar wind environment has a large influence on the transport of cosmic rays. This chapter discusses the observations of the solar wind plasma and magnetic field in the outer heliosphere and the heliosheath. In the supersonic solar wind, interaction regions with large magnetic fields form barriers to cosmic ray transport. This effect, the 'CR-B' relationship, has been quantified and is shown to be valid everywhere inside the termination shock (TS). In the heliosheath, this relationship breaks down, perhaps because of a change in the nature of the turbulence. Turbulence is compressive in the heliosheath, whereas it was non-compressive in the solar wind. The plasma pressure in the outer heliosphere is dominated by the pickup ions which gain most of the flow energy at the TS. The heliosheath plasma and magnetic field are highly variable on scales as small as ten minutes. The plasma flow turns away from the nose roughly as predicted, but the radial speeds at Voyager 1 are much less than those at Voyager 2, which is not understood. Despite predictions to the contrary, magnetic reconnection is not an important process in the inner heliosheath with only one observed occurrence to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Detailed features of the near-Moon pickup ions under different interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions are investigated using data obtained from the solar wind ion detector (SWID-B) onboard Chang'E-1. In the event studied, Chang'E-1 was on a noon-midnight meridian orbit and the field-of-view of the SWID-B was in the satellite orbital plane. The observations show that the pickup energy detected depends not only on where these particles are detected but also on their incident angles. As the spacecraft moved into the wake from the South Pole along the midnight meridian, wider incident angle distributions were measured. When IMF B x was significant, the pickup ions had a strong velocity component parallel to the magnetic field, and the efficiency of acceleration was reduced when the IMF B y decreased. The back tracking calculations show that the possible source of the pickup ions is solar wind ions scattered/reflected on the lunar surface in a wide area over the dayside of the Moon, from both magnetic and nonmagnetic anomaly regions. A three dimensional analysis performed on the asymmetric properties of the pick-up ions can explain most of the particle behavior observed near the Moon under different IMF conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this report we discuss the self-consistent dynamics of pickup ions in the solar wind flow around the lunar-like object. In our model the solar wind and pickup ions are considered as a particles, whereas the electrons are described as a fluid. Inhomogeneous photoionization, electron-impact ionization and charge exchange are included in our model. The Moon will be chosen as a basic object for our modeling. The current modeling shows that mass loading by pickup ions and may be very important in the global dynamics of the solar wind around the Moon. In our hybrid modeling we use exponential profiles for the exospheric components. The Moon is considered as a weakly conducting body. Special attention will be paid to comparing the modeling pickup ion velocity distribution with ARTEMIS observations. Our modeling shows an asymmetry of the Mach cone due to mass loading, the upstream flow density distribution and the magnetic field. The pickup ions form an asymmetrical plasma tails that may disturb the lunar plasma wake. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A particle-in-cell code is used to examine contributions of the pickup ions (PIs) and the solar wind ions (SWs) to the cross shock electric field at the supercritical, perpendicular shocks. The code treats the pickup ions self-consistently as a third component. Herein, two different runs with relative pickup ion density of 25 % and 55 % are presented in this paper. Present preliminary results show that: (1) in the low percentage (25 %) pickup ion case, the shock front is nonstationary. During the evolution of this perpendicular shock, a nonstationary foot resulting from the reflected solar wind ions is formed in front of the old ramp, and its amplitude becomes larger and larger. At last, the nonstationary foot grows up into a new ramp and exceeds the old one. Such a nonstationary process can be formed periodically. When the new ramp begins to be formed in front of the old ramp, the Hall term mainly contributed by the solar wind ions becomes more and more important. The electric field E is dominated by the Hall term when the new ramp exceeds the old one. Furthermore, an extended and stationary foot in pickup ion gyro-scale is located upstream of the nonstationary/self-reforming region within the shock front, and is always dominated by the Lorentz term contributed by the pickup ions; (2) in the high percentage (55 %) pickup ion case, the amplitude of the stationary foot is increased as expected. One striking point is that the nonstationary region of the shock front evidenced by the self-reformation disappears. Instead, a stationary extended foot dominated by Lorentz term contributed by the pickup ions, and a stationary ramp dominated by Hall term contributed by the solar wind ions are clearly evidenced. The significance of the cross electric field on ion dynamics is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We experimentally identify mirror mode (MM) structures in the Voyager 1 heliosheath data for the first time. This is done using the magnetic field data alone. The heliosheath MM structures are found to have the following characteristics: (1) quasiperiodic spacings with a typical scale size of ∼57 ρ p, (2) little or no angular changes across the structures (∼3° longitude and ∼3° latitude), and (3) a lack of sharp boundaries at the magnetic dip edges. It is demonstrated that the pickup of interstellar neutrals in the upstream region of the termination shock (TS) and quasiperpendicular TS plasma compression are the causes of MM instability during intervals when the IMF is nearly orthogonal to the solar wind flow direction. Concomitant additional injection of pickup ions (PUIs) throughout the heliosheath will lead to further MM amplification. MM structures in planetary magnetosheaths and interplanetary sheaths are discussed for comparative purposes. Multiple sources of free energy are often involved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The interaction of the solar wind with the local interstellar medium is characterized by the self-consistent coupling of solar wind plasma, both upstream and downstream of the heliospheric termination shock, the interstellar plasma, and the neutral atom component of interstellar and solar wind origin. The complex coupling results in the creation of new plasma components (pickup ions), turbulence, and anomalous cosmic rays, and new populations of neutral atoms and their coupling can lead to energetic neutral atoms that can be detected at 1 AU. In this review, we discuss the interaction and coupling of global sized structures (the heliospheric boundary regions) and kinetic physics (the distributions that are responsible for the creation of energetic neutral atoms) based on models that have been developed by the University of Alabama in Huntsville group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Properties of the heliospheric interface, a complex product of an interaction between charged and neutral particles and magnetic fields in the heliosphere and surrounding Circumheliospheric Medium, are far from being fully understood. Recent Voyager spacecraft encounters with the termination shock and their observations in the heliosheath revealed multiple energetic particle populations and noticeable spatial asymmetries not accounted for by the classic theories. Some of the challenges still facing space physicists include the origin of anomalous cosmic rays, particle acceleration downstream of the termination shock, the role of interstellar magnetic fields in producing the global asymmetry of the interface, the influence of charge exchange and interstellar neutral atoms on heliospheric plasma flows, and the signatures of solar magnetic cycle in the heliosheath. These and other outstanding issues are reviewed in this joint report of working groups 4 and 6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss pickup ion acceleration and transport near the solar wind termination shock from the perspective of their spectral, spatial, and pitch-angle distributions. Our study is performed in the framework of a recently developed anisotropic transport model based on a Legendre polynomial expansion technique. Voyager 1 LECP angular distributions of 1 MeV protons, represented in the form of an expansion in spherical harmonics in the frame aligned with the measured interplanetary magnetic field, are used as benchmarks for our theory. We find the observed distributions consistent with our model predictions for particle acceleration and reflection at a highly oblique shock wave. It is shown that first-order (field aligned) anisotropy is a measure of shock obliquity while the second-order (transverse) anisotropy reflects the energy dependence of the particle scattering mean free path. We also discuss the role of enhanced scattering and momentum diffusion on the spectral properties of energetic charged particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]