Abstract
In this work we study the temporal variation of the heliospheric termination shock radius using in-ecliptic combined measurements from different spacecraft at 1 AU near the Earth. The results show that the radius of the heliospheric termination shock varies in time with a period of 11 years. During some 11-year time periods the shock radius anti-correlates with the solar cycle activity, specifically with the sunspot number. The average radius is approximately 115 AU with minimum value ∼ 80 AU and maximum value ∼150 AU. These values are the upper limits since we do not take into account the charge exchange effects of solar wind with the interstellar neutrals. We also compare the results with those from other spacecraft (Helios 1 and Voyager 2). We find that Helios 1 measurements give almost the same result as the one obtained from measurements at 1 AU while Voyager 2 measurements give a heliospheric termination shock radius approximately 15 AU lower.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alksne, A. Y.: 1967, Planetary Space Sci. 15, 239.
Axford, W. I.: 1985, Solar Phys. 100, 575.
Baranov, V. B. and Malama, Y. G.: 1993, J. Geophys. Res. 98, 15157.
Barnes, A.: 1993, J. Geophys. Res. 98, 15137.
Belcher, J.W., Lazarus, A. J., McNutt, R. L., and Gordon, G. S. Jr.: 1993, J. Geophys. Res. 98, 15177.
Bertin, P., Lallement, R., Ferlet, R., and Vidal-Madjar, A.: 1993, J. Geophys. Res. 98, 15193.
Drillia, G. A.: 1997, PhD. Thesis.
Egger, R. J., Freyberg, M. J., and Morfill, G. E.: 1996, Space Sci. Rev. 75, 511.
Frisch, P. C.: 1995, Space Sci. Rev. 72, 499.
Gazis, P. R.: 1994, Geophys. Res. Letters 21, 1743.
Gazis, P. R.: 1995, Geophys. Res. Letters 22, 2441.
Gloeckler, G. and Jokipii, R.: 1967, Astrophys. J. 148, L41.
Grzedzielski, S.: 1993, Adv. Space Res. 13, 147.
Ip, W. H.: 1990, in S. Grezedzielski and D. E. Page (eds.), Physics of the Outer Heliosphere, Vol. 1, Pergamon, New York, p. 207.
Ip, W. H. and Axford, W. I.: 1985, Astron. Astrophys. 149, 7.
Lallement, R., Bertaux, J. L., and Kurt, V. G.: 1985, J. Geophys. Res. 90, 1413.
Lazarus, A. J. and McNutt, R. L.: 1990, in S. Grzedzielski and D. E. Page (eds.), Physics of the Outer Heliosphere, Pergamon, New York, p. 229.
Lazarus, A. J., Belcher, J. W., Paularena, K. I., Richardson, J. D., and Steinberg, J. T.: 1995, Adv.Space Res. 16, 77.
Lee, M. A., in Proceedings of the Sixth International Solar Wind Conference, Tech. Note NCAR/TN-306CProc., p. 635.
Liewer, P. C., Karmesin, S. R., Brackbill, J. U.: 1996, in D. Winterhalter, J. T. Gosling, S. R. Habbal, and M. Neugebauer (eds.), Proceedings of the Eighth International Solar Wind Conference, p. 613.
McNutt, R. L. Jr.,: 1989, Adv. Space Res. 9, 235.
Nerney, S., Suess, S. T., and Schmahl, E. J.: 1993, J. Geophys. Res. 98, 15169.
Parker, E. N.: 1961, Astrophys. J. 134, 20.
Parker, E. N.: 1963, Interplanetary Dynamical Processes, Wiley-Interscience, New York.
Pauls, H. L., Zang, G. P., and Williams, L. L.: 1996, D. Winterhalter, J. T. Gosling, S. R. Habbal and M. Neugebauer (eds.), in Proceedings of the Eighth International Solar Wind Conference, p. 605.
Phillips, J. L., Bame, S. J., Barnes, A., Barraclough, B. L., Feldman, W. C., Goldstein, B. E., Gosling, G. T., Hoogeveen, G. W., McComas, D. J., Neugebauer, M., and Suess, S. T.: 1995, Geophys.Res. Letters 22, 3301.
Press, W. H., Teukolsky, S. A., Vellerling, W. T., Flannery, B. P.: 1986, in Numerical Recipes in Fortran, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2nd edition, p. 631.
Richardson, J. D.: 1997, Geophys. Res. Letters 24, 2885.
Richardson, J. D., Paularena, K. I., Lazarus, A. J., and Belcher, J. W.: 1995, Geophys. Res. Letters 22, 325.
Richardson, J. D., Belcher, J.W., Lazarus, A. J., Paularena, K. I., Gazis, P. R., Barnes, A.: 1996, in D.Winterhalter, J. T. Gosling, S. R. Habbal, and M. Neugebauer (eds.), Proceedings of the Eighth International Solar Wind Conference, p. 586.
Ruendiger, G., and Schultz, M.: 1977, Astron. Astrophys. 319, 718.
Schield, M. A.: 1969, J. Geophys. Res. 74, 1275.
Steinolfson, R. S. and Gurnett, D. A.: 1995, Geophys. Res. Letters 22, 651.
Suess, S. T.: 1993, J. Geophys. Res. 98, 15147.
Suess, S. T. and Nerney, S.: 1990, J. Geophys. Res. 95, 6403.
Suess, S. T., Hathaway, D. H., and Dessler, A. J.: 1987, Geophys. Res. Letters 14, 977.
Webber, W. R.: 1987, Astron. Astrophys. 179, 277.
Webber, W. R. and Lockwood, J. A.: 1987, Astrophys. J. 317, 534.
Whang, Y. C. and Burlaga, L. F.: 1993, J. Geophys. Res. 98, 15221.
Whang, Y. C., Liu, S., and Burlaga, L. F.: 1990, J. Geophys. Res. 95, 18769.
Williams, L. L., Pauls, H. L., Zank, G. P.: 1996, in D. Winterhalter, J. T. Gosling, S. R. Habbal, and M. Neugebauer (eds.), Proceedings of the Eighth International Solar Wind Conference, p. 609.
Witt, N., Blum, P.W., and Ajello, J. M.: 1979, Astron. Astrophys. 73, 272.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Exarhos, G., Moussas, X. Time variations of the Heliospheric Termination Shock Radius. Solar Physics 187, 145–155 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005136615952
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005136615952