Origin of the differential fluxes of low-energy electrons in the inner heliosheath

View/ Open
Date
2017Author
Fahr, H.J.
Ferreira, S.E.S.
Potgieter, M.S.
Krimigis, S.M.
Fichtner, H.
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The study addresses the question of the origin of low-energy electrons measured by Voyager 1 in the multi-keV
range in the inner heliosheath. It intends to demonstrate that the observed keV-fluxes of electrons are consistent
with their transmission through the termination shock under the influence of the associated electrostatic field. A
power-law representation of the electron velocity distribution just downstream of the solar wind termination shock
is motivated and formulated in terms of a so-called κ-distribution function. From this initial function spectral
electron fluxes in the range 40–70 keV are derived and compared to the data. It is shown that with κ-values
between 7 and 8 the data can be satisfactorily explained. Given these comparatively high κ-values, it is concluded
that the electron distribution just downstream of the termination shock relaxes toward but does not reach a
Maxwellian shape in the inner heliosheath
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10394/25967https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aa8def
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/aa8def