Interaction of Inner Heliosheath Ions with Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Waves

Abstract

Inner heliosheath (IHS) ions are expected to be exposed to various waves, shocks, and turbulence, which can affect ion distributions and thus their charge-exchange rates with interstellar neutral atoms. This work addresses the potential significance of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves under expected IHS conditions. From a kinetic dispersion relation, we find the possibility of frequent triggering of EMIC instability in the IHS. The threshold anisotropy of proton temperatures required for the instability is small, ( T _⊥ – T _∣∣ )/ T _∣∣ ≈ 0.1 or less, mainly due to high plasma β (ratio of the plasma to magnetic pressures). Numerical calculations on the scattering of ions (protons, He ^+ , and He ^2+ with energy of 0.01–50 keV) based on two models for EMIC waves with a moderate intensity indicate significant scattering in the pitch angle (mostly a few tens of degrees) and energy (mostly a few tens of percent) although details depend on the energy and pitch angle of each species and adopted EMIC wave models. This occurs on a short timescale (<100 times the gyro-period of each ion species). Resonant scattering in a few to a few tens of keV (corresponding to the expected pickup ion energy in the IHS) is easily expected unless the wavenumber is too large. The scattering effect is distinguished among different species such that for lower gyrofrequency ions (He ^+ versus He ^2+ and He ^2+ versus protons), the main scattering effect moves toward a lower energy domain. All these results imply continuous disturbance of ion distributions by possibly prevailing EMIC waves in the IHS.

Keywords

• Heliosheath
• Termination shock
• Solar wind