Connecting the interstellar magnetic field at the heliosphere to the Loop I superbubble




P C Frisch, A Berdyugin, H O Funsten, A M Magalhaes, D J McComas, V Piirola, N A Schwadron, D B Seriacopi, S J Wiktorowicz

2015

Journal of Physics: Conference Series

13TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL ASTROPHYSICS CONFERENCE: VOYAGER, IBEX, AND THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

J PHYS CONF SER

ARTN 012010

577

10

1742-6588

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/577/1/012010



The local interstellar magnetic field affects both the heliosphere and the surrounding cluster of interstellar clouds (CLIC). Measurements of linearly polarized starlight provide the only test of the magnetic field threading the CLIC. Polarization measurements of the CLIC magnetic field show multiple local magnetic structures, one of which is aligned with the magnetic field traced by the center of the "ribbon" of energetic neutral atoms discovered by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). Comparisons between the bulk motion of the CLIC through the local standard of rest, the magnetic field direction, the geometric center of Loop I, and the polarized dust bridge extending from the heliosphere toward the North Polar Spur direction all suggest that the CLIC is part of the rim region of the Loop I superbubble.




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