Premium
Energetic neutral atoms from the Earth's subsolar magnetopause
Author(s) -
Fuselier S. A.,
Funsten H. O.,
Heirtzler D.,
Janzen P.,
Kucharek H.,
McComas D. J.,
Möbius E.,
Moore T. E.,
Petrinec S. M.,
Reisenfeld D. B.,
Schwadron N. A.,
Trattner K. J.,
Wurz P.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2010gl044140
Subject(s) - magnetopause , astrobiology , earth (classical element) , magnetosheath , physics , geophysics , energetic neutral atom , solar wind , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , astronomy , ion , plasma , quantum mechanics
The shocked solar wind in the Earth's magnetosheath becomes nearly stationary at the subsolar magnetopause. At this location, solar wind protons are neutralized by charge exchange with neutral hydrogen atoms at the extreme limits of the Earth's tenuous exosphere. The resulting Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENAs) propagate away from the subsolar region in nearly all directions. Simultaneous observations of hydrogen ENAs from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) and proton distributions in the magnetosheath from the Cluster spacecraft are used to quantify this charge exchange process. By combining these observations with a relatively simple model, estimates are obtained for the ratio of ENA to shocked solar wind flux (about 10 −4 ) and the exospheric density at distances greater than 10 Earth Radii (R E ) upstream from the Earth (about 8 cm −3 ).