On the 3D Transport of Low-energy Galactic Cosmic-ray and Jovian Electrons in the Inner Heliosphere in the Presence of a Fisk-type Heliospheric Magnetic Field

Abstract

Modeling the transport of low-energy (1−10 MeV) cosmic-ray electrons can lead to valuable insights as to the behavior of the heliospheric magnetic field (HMF), due to the fact that the mean free path (MFP) of these particles parallel to the HMF is significantly larger than their perpendicular MFP, and that these particles experience little in the way of drift due to gradients/curvatures in the HMF and along the heliospheric current sheet. Jovian electrons are particularly suitable for such an endeavour, as they originate from a decentral source in the inner heliosphere. To this end, the transport of these electrons is studied using a 3D, ab initio particle transport code that incorporates theoretical expressions for electron diffusion coefficients, and utilizes as inputs for these transport coefficients turbulence quantities calculated using a two-component turbulence transport model. The effects of a novel Fisk-type field on the transport of these Jovian electrons are investigated and compared with the effects of a standard Parker field.

Keywords

• Heliosphere
• Interplanetary turbulence
• Cosmic rays