Advertisement

Space Science Reviews

, Volume 146, Issue 1–4, pp 11–33 | Cite as

IBEX—Interstellar Boundary Explorer

  • D. J. McComas
  • F. Allegrini
  • P. Bochsler
  • M. Bzowski
  • M. Collier
  • H. Fahr
  • H. Fichtner
  • P. Frisch
  • H. O. Funsten
  • S. A. Fuselier
  • G. Gloeckler
  • M. Gruntman
  • V. Izmodenov
  • P. Knappenberger
  • M. Lee
  • S. Livi
  • D. Mitchell
  • E. Möbius
  • T. Moore
  • S. Pope
  • D. Reisenfeld
  • E. Roelof
  • J. Scherrer
  • N. Schwadron
  • R. Tyler
  • M. Wieser
  • M. Witte
  • P. Wurz
  • G. Zank
Open Access
Article
First Online:

Abstract

The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) is a small explorer mission that launched on 19 October 2008 with the sole, focused science objective to discover the global interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium. IBEX is designed to achieve this objective by answering four fundamental science questions: (1) What is the global strength and structure of the termination shock, (2) How are energetic protons accelerated at the termination shock, (3) What are the global properties of the solar wind flow beyond the termination shock and in the heliotail, and (4) How does the interstellar flow interact with the heliosphere beyond the heliopause? The answers to these questions rely on energy-resolved images of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs), which originate beyond the termination shock, in the inner heliosheath. To make these exploratory ENA observations IBEX carries two ultra-high sensitivity ENA cameras on a simple spinning spacecraft. IBEX’s very high apogee Earth orbit was achieved using a new and significantly enhanced method for launching small satellites; this orbit allows viewing of the outer heliosphere from beyond the Earth’s relatively bright magnetospheric ENA emissions. The combination of full-sky imaging and energy spectral measurements of ENAs over the range from ∼10 eV to 6 keV provides the critical information to allow us to achieve our science objective and understand this global interaction for the first time. The IBEX mission was developed to provide the first global views of the Sun’s interstellar boundaries, unveiling the physics of the heliosphere’s interstellar interaction, providing a deeper understanding of the heliosphere and thereby astrospheres throughout the galaxy, and creating the opportunity to make even greater unanticipated discoveries.

Keywords

Interstellar boundary Termination shock Heliopause Energetic Neutral Atom ENA LISM 
Download to read the full article text

References

  1. F. Allegrini, G.B. Crew, D. Demkee, H.O. Funsten, D.J. McComas, B. Randol, B. Rodriguez, P. Valek, S. Weidner, The IBEX background monitor. Space Sci. Rev. (2009, this issue) Google Scholar
  2. V.B. Baranov, Y.G. Malama, Model of the solar wind interaction with the local interstellar medium: Numerical solution of self-consistent problem. J. Geophys. Res. 98, 15157 (1993) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  3. V.B. Baranov, Y.G. Malama, Axisymmetric self-consistent model of the solar wind interaction with the LISM: Basic results and possible ways of development. Space Sci. Rev. 78, 305 (1996) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  4. L. Bartolone, S. Cohen, J. Erickson, J. Gutbezahl, P. Knappenberger Jr., IBEX Education and public outreach. Space Sci. Rev. (2009, this issue) Google Scholar
  5. L.F. Burlaga, N.F. Ness, M.H. Acuña, R.P. Lepping, J.E.P. Connerney, E.C. Stone, F.B. McDonald, Crossing the termination shock into the heliosheath: magnetic fields. Science 309, 2027 (2005) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  6. L.F. Burlaga, N.F. Ness, M.H. Acuña, R.P. Lepping, J.E.P. Connerney, J.D. Richardson, Magnetic fields at the solar wind termination shock. Nature 454, 78 (2008) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  7. M. Bzowski, Astron. Astrophys. 488, 1057 (2008) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  8. A.C. Cummings, E.C. Stone, Inferring energetic particle mean free paths from observations of anomalous cosmic rays in the outer heliosphere at solar maximum, in Proc. ICRC 2001, p. 4243 (2001) Google Scholar
  9. R.B. Decker, S.M. Krimigis, E.C. Roelof, M.E. Hill, T.P. Armstrong, G. Gloeckler, D.C. Hamilton, L.J. Lanzerotti, Voyager 1 in the foreshock, termination shock, and heliosheath. Science 309, 2020 (2005) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  10. R.B. Decker, S.M. Krimigis, E.C. Roelof, M.E. Hill, T.P. Armstrong, G. Gloeckler, D.C. Hamilton, L.J. Lanzerotti, Mediation of the solar wind termination shock by on-thermal ions. Nature 454, 67 (2008) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  11. H.J. Fahr, H. Fichtner, K. Scherer, Theoretical aspects of energetic neutral atoms as messengers from distant plasma sites with emphasis on the heliosphere. Rev. Geophys. 45(4), RG4003 (2007) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  12. L.A. Fisk, G. Gloeckler, T.H. Zurbuchen, Astrophys. J. 644, 631 (2006) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  13. P. Frisch, J. Linsky, S. Redfield, R. Shelton, J. Slavin, The galactic environment of the sun: interstellar matter inside and outside of the heliosphere. Space Sci. Rev. (2009, this issue) Google Scholar
  14. H. Funsten, F. Allegrini, D. Everett, S. Fuselier, R.W. Harper, P. Janzen, A. Guthrie, D. McComas, E. Moebius, S. Pope, D. Reisenfeld, S. Weidner, Interstellar boundary explorer high energy (IBEX-Hi) neutral atom imager. Space Sci. Rev. (2009, this issue) Google Scholar
  15. S.A. Fuselier, A.G. Ghielmetti, E. Hertzberg, A. Moore, D. Isaac, J. Hamilton, C. Tillier, E. Moebius, M. Granoff, D. Heirtzler, B. King, H. Kucharek, S. Longworth, J. Nolin, S. Turco, P. Wurz, M. Wieser, J. Scheer, L. Saul, C. Schlemm, D.J. McComas, D. Chornay, J. Lobell, T. Moore, P. Rosmarynowski, R.J. Nemanich, T. Friedmann, H. Funsten, The IBEX-Lo sensor for the IBEX mission. Space Sci. Rev. (2009, this issue) Google Scholar
  16. J. Giacalone, in The Outer Heliosphere: The Next Frontiers, ed. by K. Scherer, H. Fichtner, H.J. Fahr, E. Marsch. COSPAR Colloquia Series, vol. 11 (Pergamon, Elmsford, 2001), p. 377 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. G. Gloeckler , Acceleration of interstellar pickup ions in the disturbed solar wind observed on Ulysses. J. Geophys. Res. 99, 17637 (1994) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  18. G. Gloeckler, L.A. Fisk, T.H. Zurbuchen, N.A. Schwadron, Sources, injection and acceleration of heliospheric ion populations, in Acceleration and Transport of Energetic Particles Observed in the Heliosphere: ACE 2000 Symposium, ed. by R.A. Mewaldt AIP Conference Proceedings, vol. 528 (AIP, New York, 2000), p. 221 Google Scholar
  19. M. Gruntman, Energetic neutral atom imaging of space plasmas. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 68(10), 3617 (1997) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  20. M. Gruntman, E.C. Roelof, D.G. Mitchell, H.J. Fahr, H.O. Funsten, D.J. McComas, Energetic neutral atom imaging of the heliospheric boundary region. J. Geophys. Res. 106, 15,767–15,781 (2001) ADSGoogle Scholar
  21. J. Heerikhuisen, N.V. Pogorelov, V. Florinski, G.P. Zank, J.A. le Roux, The effects of a κ-distribution in the heliosheath on the global heliosphere and ENA flux at 1 AU. Astrophys. J. 682(1), 679–689 (2008) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  22. V. Izmodenov, D.B. Alexashov, S.V. Chalov, O.A. Katushkina, Y.G. Malama, E.A. Provornikova, Kinetic-gasdynamic modeling of the heliospheric interface: global structure, interstellar atoms and heliospheric ENAs. Space Sci. Rev. (2009, this issue) Google Scholar
  23. R. Lallement, E. Quemerais, J.L. Bertaux , Deflection of the interstellar neutral hydrogen flow across the heliospheric interface. Science 307(5714), 1447–1449 (2005) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  24. M. Lee, Acceleration of energetic particles on the Sun, the heliosphere, and in the galaxy, in Acceleration and Transport of Energetic Particles Observed in the Heliosphere, ed. by R.A. Mewaldt, J.R. Jokipii, M.A. Lee, E. Möbius, T.H. Zurbuchen. AIP Conf. Proceedings, vol. 528 (AIP, New York, 2000), p. 3 Google Scholar
  25. M.A. Lee, H.J. Fahr, H. Kucharek, E. Moebius, C. Prested, N. Schwadron, P. Wu, Physical processes in the outer heliosphere. Space Sci. Rev. (2009, this issue) Google Scholar
  26. T.J. Linde, A three-dimensional adaptive multifluid MHD model of the heliosphere. Thesis (Ph.D.) The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Source DAI-B 59/02, p. 709 (1998) Google Scholar
  27. T.J. Linde, T.I. Gombosi, P.L. Roe, K.G. Powell, D.L. Dezeeuw, Heliosphere in the magnetized local interstellar medium—Results of a three-dimensional MHD simulation. J. Geophys. Res. 103, 1889 (1998) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  28. D.J. McComas, N.A. Schwadron, An explanation of the Voyager paradox: Particle acceleration at a blunt termination shock. Geophys. Res. Lett. 33, L04102 (2006). doi: 10.1029/2005GL025437 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  29. D.J. McComas, F. Allegrini, C.J. Pollock, H.O. Funsten, S. Ritzau, G. Gloeckler, Ultra-thin (∼10 nm) carbon foils in space instrumentation. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 75(11), 4863–4870 (2004a) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  30. D.J. McComas, F. Allegrini, P. Bochsler, M. Bzowski, M. Collier, H. Fahr, H. Fichtner, P. Frisch, H. Funsten, S. Fuselier, G. Gloeckler, M. Gruntman, V. Izmodenov, P. Knappenberger, M. Lee, S. Livi, D. Mitchell, E. Möbius, T. Moore, D. Reisenfeld, E. Roelof, N. Schwadron, M. Wieser, M. Witte, P. Wurz, G. Zank, The interstellar boundary explorer (IBEX), in Physics of the Outer Heliosphere, Third Annual IGPP Conference, ed. by V. Florinski, N.V. Pogorelov, G.P. Zank. AIP CP719 (AIP, New York, 2004b), pp. 162–181 Google Scholar
  31. D.J. McComas, F. Allegrini, L. Bartolone, P. Bochsler, M. Bzowski, M. Collier, H. Fahr, H. Fichtner, P. Frisch, H. Funsten, S. Fuselier, G. Gloeckler, M. Gruntman, V. Izmodenov, P. Knappenberger, M. Lee, S. Livi, D. Mitchell, E. Moebius, T. Moore, S. Pope, D. Reisenfeld, E. Roelof, H. Runge, J. Scherrer, N. Schwadron, R. Tyler, M. Wieser, M. Witte, P. Wurz, G. Zank, The interstellar boundary explorer (IBEX): Update at the end of Phase B, in Physics of the Inner Heliosheath, CP 858, Proceedings of 5th Annual International Astrophysics Conference, pp. 241–250 (2006) Google Scholar
  32. D.J. McComas, R.W. Ebert, H.A. Elliott, B.E. Goldstein, J.T. Gosling, N.A. Schwadron, R.M. Skoug, Weaker solar wind from the polar coronal holes and the whole Sun. Geophys. Res. Lett. (2008). doi: 10.1029/2008GL034896
  33. H. Moestue, The electric field and geometrical factor of an annular curved plate electrostatic analyzer. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 44, 1709–1713 (1973) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  34. E. Moebius, H. Kucharek, L. Petersen, M. Bzowski, L. Saul, P. Wurz, S. Fuselier, V. Izmodenov, D. McComas, H. Mueller, D. Alexashov, Diagnosing the neutral interstellar gas flow at 1 AU with IBEX-Lo. Space Sci. Rev. (2009, this issue) Google Scholar
  35. H.-R. Müller, G.P. Zank, A.S. Lipatov, Self-consistent hybrid simulations of the interaction of the heliosphere with the local interstellar medium. J. Geophys. Res. 105(A12), 27419–27438 (2000) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  36. M. Opher, E.C. Stone, T.I. Gombosi, The orientation of the local interstellar magnetic field. Science 316(5826), 875 (2007) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  37. M.E. Pesses, J.R. Jokipii, D. Eichler, Cosmic-ray drift, shock wave acceleration, and the anomalous component of cosmic rays. Astrophys. J. 256, L85 (1981) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  38. N.V. Pogorelov, E.C. Stone, V. Florinski, G.P. Zank, Termination shock asymmetries as seen by the voyager spacecraft: The role of the interstellar magnetic field and neutral hydrogen. Astrophys. J. 668(1), 611–624 (2007) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  39. W.K.M. Rice, G.P. Zank, J.A. Le Roux, An injection mechanism for shock waves of arbitrary obliquity. Geophys. Res. Lett. 27, 3793–3796 (2000) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  40. J.D. Richardson, J.C. Kasper, C. Wang, J.W. Belcher, A.J. Lazarus, Cool heliosheath plasma and deceleration of the upstream solar wind at the termination shock. Nature 454, 63 (2008) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  41. E. Roelof, M. Bzowski, Motion of neutrals and ENA inversion. Space Sci. Rev. (2009, this issue) Google Scholar
  42. J. Scherrer et al., The IBEX spacecraft. Space Sci. Rev. (2009, this issue) Google Scholar
  43. N.A. Schwadron, L.A. Fisk, G. Gloeckler, Statistical acceleration of interstellar pickup ions in corotating interaction regions. Geophys. Res. Lett. 23, 2871 (1996) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  44. N.A. Schwadron, M.A. Lee, D.J. McComas, Diffusive acceleration at the blunt termination shock. Astrophys. J. 675, 1584–1600 (2008) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  45. N.A. Schwadron, G. Crew, R. Vanderspek, K. Goodrich, K. Maynard, C. Prested, P. Wu, M. Reno, K. Mashburn, G. Dunn, J. Hanley, C. Loeffler, D. McComas, B. Randol, M. Bzowski, R. DeMagistre, E. Roelof, M. Gruntman, J. Heerikuisen, H. Funsten, P. Janzen, D. Reisenfeld, S. Fuselier, E. Moebius, D. Heirtlzer, H. Kucharek, The interstellar boundary explorer science operations center. Space Sci. Rev. (2009, this issue) Google Scholar
  46. O. Sternal, H. Fichtner, K. Scherer, Calculation of the energetic neutral atom flux from a 3D time-dependent model heliosphere. Astron. Astrophys. 477, 365–371 (2008) zbMATHCrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  47. E.C. Stone, A.C. Cummings, F.B. McDonald, B.C. Heikkila, N. Lal, W.R. Webber, Voyager 1 explores the termination shock region and the heliosheath beyond. Science 309, 2017 (2005) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  48. E.C. Stone, A.C. Cummings, F.B. McDonald, B.C. Heikkila, N. Lal, W.R. Webber, An asymmetric solar wind termination shock. Nature 454, 71 (2008) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  49. V.M. Vasyliunas, G.L. Siscoe, On the flux and the energy spectrum of interstellar ions in the solar system. J. Geophys. Res. 81, 1247 (1976) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  50. P. Wurz, A. Galli, S. Barabash, A. Grigoriev, Energetic neutral atoms from the heliosheath. Astrophys. J. 683, 248–254 (2008) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  51. P. Wurz, J. Scheer, L. Saul, M. Wieser, S.A. Fuselier, A.G. Ghielmetti, E. Hertzberg, E. Moebius, H. Kucharek, P. Brandt, D. McComas, F. Allegrini, H. Funsten, IBEX Backgrounds and signal to noise ratio. Space Sci. Rev. (2009, this issue) Google Scholar
  52. G.P. Zank, Interaction of the solar wind with the local interstellar medium: A theoretical perspective. Space Sci. Rev. 89, 413 (1999) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  53. G.P. Zank, H.L. Pauls, L.L. Williams, D.T. Hall, Interaction of the solar wind with the local interstellar medium: A multifluid approach. J. Geophys. Res. 101, 21639 (1996) CrossRefADSGoogle Scholar
  54. G.P. Zank, N. Pogorelov, J. Heerikhuisen, H. Washimi, V. Florinski, S. Borovikov, I. Krykov, Physics of the solar wind-Local interstellar medium interaction: Role of magnetic fields. Space Sci. Rev. (2009, this issue) Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009

Authors and Affiliations

  • D. J. McComas
    • 1
  • F. Allegrini
    • 1
  • P. Bochsler
    • 2
  • M. Bzowski
    • 3
  • M. Collier
    • 4
  • H. Fahr
    • 5
  • H. Fichtner
    • 6
  • P. Frisch
    • 7
  • H. O. Funsten
    • 8
  • S. A. Fuselier
    • 9
  • G. Gloeckler
    • 10
  • M. Gruntman
    • 11
  • V. Izmodenov
    • 12
  • P. Knappenberger
    • 13
  • M. Lee
    • 14
  • S. Livi
    • 1
  • D. Mitchell
    • 15
  • E. Möbius
    • 14
  • T. Moore
    • 4
  • S. Pope
    • 1
  • D. Reisenfeld
    • 8
  • E. Roelof
    • 15
  • J. Scherrer
    • 1
  • N. Schwadron
    • 16
  • R. Tyler
    • 17
  • M. Wieser
    • 2
  • M. Witte
    • 18
  • P. Wurz
    • 2
  • G. Zank
    • 19
  1. 1.Southwest Research InstituteSan AntonioUSA
  2. 2.University of BernPhysikalisches InstitutBernSwitzerland
  3. 3.Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of SciencesWarsawPoland
  4. 4.NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbeltUSA
  5. 5.University of BonnBonnGermany
  6. 6.Ruhr-Universität BochumBochumGermany
  7. 7.University of ChicagoChicagoUSA
  8. 8.Los Alamos National LaboratoryLos AlamosUSA
  9. 9.Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology CenterPalo AltoUSA
  10. 10.University of MichiganAnn ArborUSA
  11. 11.University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUSA
  12. 12.Moscow State UniversityMoscowRussia
  13. 13.Adler PlanetariumChicagoUSA
  14. 14.University of New HampshireSpace Science CenterDurhamUSA
  15. 15.Applied Physics LaboratoryJohns Hopkins UniversityLaurelUSA
  16. 16.Boston UniversityBostonUSA
  17. 17.Orbital Sciences CorporationDullesUSA
  18. 18.Max Planck Institute AeronomieKatlenburg LindauGermany
  19. 19.University of AlabamaHuntsvilleUSA

Personalised recommendations