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We provide analysis of a coronal mass ejection (CME) that passed over Parker Solar Probe (PSP) on January 20, 2020 when the spacecraft was at just 0.32 AU. The Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun instrument suite measures energetic particle populations associated with the CME before, during, and after its passage over the spacecraft. We observe a complex evolution of energetic particles, including a brief ~2 h period where the energetic particle fluxes are enhanced and the nominal orientation of the energetic particle streaming outward from the Sun (from 30 to 100 keV nuc−1 ) abruptly reverses inward toward the Sun. This transient and punctuated evolution highlights the importance of magnetic field structures that connect the spacecraft to different acceleration sites, one of which is likely more distant from the Sun than PSP during the evolution of the CME. We discuss these characteristics and what they tell us about the source of the energetic particles. During this period, PSP was radially aligned with the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory A (STEREO-A), which measured the same CME when it passed 1 AU. The magnetic field measurements at both spacecraft are remarkably similar, indicating that the spacecraft are likely encountering the same portion of the magnetic structure that has not evolved significantly in transit. The energetic particle observations on the other hand, are quite different at STEREO-A, showing how transport effects have acted on the energetic particle populations and obscured the detailed properties present earlier in the development of the CME. This event provides a unique case study in how energetic particle populations evolve as CMEs propagate through the heliosphere.

We analyze an energetic proton event associated with a stream interaction region (SIR) that was observed at Parker Solar Probe on day 320 of 2018 when the spacecraft was just 0.34 AU from the Sun. Using the Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun instrument suite, we perform a spectral analysis of the event and show how the observed spectra evolve over the course of the event. We find that the spectra from the first day of the event are much more consistent with local acceleration at a weak compression, while spectra from later on are more typical of SIR-related events in which particles accelerated at distant shocks dominate. After the first day, the spectra remain approximately constant, which indicates that the modulation of energetic particles during transit from the presumed source region is weaker than previously thought. We argue that these observations can be explained by a sub-Parker spiral magnetic field structure connecting the spacecraft to a source region in the SIR that is relatively close to the Sun. We further propose that acceleration at weak, pre-shock compressions likely plays an important role in observations of SIR-related events in the inner heliosphere and that future modelling of such events should consider acceleration all along the compression region, not just at the distant shock region.

Early observations from the first orbit of Parker Solar Probe (PSP) show recurrent stream interaction regions that form close to the Sun. Energetic particle enhancements were observed on the 320th–326th day of the year 2018, which corresponds to ~1–7 days after the passage of the stream interface between faster and slower solar wind. Energetic particles stream into the inner heliosphere to the PSP spacecraft near 0.33 au (71 solar radii) where they are measured by the Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun (IS⊙IS). The large 6-day time interval over which energetic particles are observed after the stream passage provides a unique perspective on the development of stream interactions within the heliosphere. The long duration of energetic particle enhancements suggests that particles stream in through the inner heliosphere more directly along magnetic field lines that form a sub-Parker spiral structure due to magnetic footpoint motion at the Sun and shearing of the magnetic field in the rarefaction region behind the stream interface. The strong build-up of energetic particle fluxes in the first 3 days after the passage of the stream interface indicates that suprathermal populations are enhanced near the interaction region through compression or other acceleration processes in addition to being diffusively accelerated. The early increases in energetic particle fluxes (in the first 3 days) in the formation of these events allows for the characterization of the acceleration associated with these suprathermal seed populations. Thus, we show that the time history of energetic particle fluxes observed by IS⊙IS provides a new view of particle acceleration at stream interaction regions throughout the inner heliosphere.

Context. Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs) with energy in the GeV range can propagate to Earth from their acceleration region near the Sun and produce Ground Level Enhancements (GLEs). The traditional approach to interpreting and modelling GLE observations assumes particle propagation only parallel to the magnetic field lines of interplanetary space, i.e. it is spatially 1D. Recent measurements by PAMELA have characterised SEP properties at 1 AU for the ~100 MeV-1 GeV range at high spectral resolution. Aims. We model the transport of GLE-energy solar protons through the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) using a 3D approach, to assess the effect of the Heliospheric Current Sheet (HCS) and drifts associated to the gradient and curvature of the Parker spiral. The latter are influenced by the IMF polarity. We derive 1 AU observables and compare the simulation results with data from PAMELA. Methods. We use a 3D test particle model including a HCS. Monoenergetic populations are studied first to obtain a qualitative picture of propagation patterns and numbers of crossings of the 1 AU sphere. Simulations for power law injection are used to derive intensity profiles and fluence spectra at 1 AU. A simulation for a specific event, GLE 71, is used to compare with PAMELA data. Results. Spatial patterns of 1 AU crossings and the average number of crossings are strongly influenced by 3D effects, with significant differences between periods of A+ and A- polarities. The decay time constant of 1 AU intensity profiles varies depending on the polarity and position of the observer, and it is not a simple function of the mean free path as in 1D models. Energy dependent leakage from the injection flux tube is particularly important for GLE energy particles, in many cases resulting in a roll-over in the fluence spectrum., Comment: Accepted by A&A (revised version, 9 pages, 6 figures)

The Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun (IS⊙IS) suite on board NASA’s Parker Solar Probe (PSP) observed six distinct enhancements in the intensities of suprathermal-through-energetic (∼0.03–3 MeV nucleon−1) He ions associated with corotating or stream interaction regions (CIR or SIR) during its first two orbits. Our results from a survey of the time histories of the He intensities, spectral slopes, and anisotropies and the event-averaged energy spectra during these events show the following: (1) In the two strongest enhancements, seen at 0.35 and 0.85 au, the higher-energy ions arrive and maximize later than those at lower energies. In the event seen at 0.35 au, the He ions arrive when PSP was away from the SIR trailing edge and entered the rarefaction region in the high-speed stream. (2) The He intensities either are isotropic or show sunward anisotropies in the spacecraft frame. (3) In all events, the energy spectra between ∼0.2 and 1 MeV nucleon−1 are power laws of the form ∝E −2. In the two strongest events, the energy spectra are well represented by flat power laws between ∼0.03 and 0.4 MeV nucleon−1 modulated by exponential rollovers between ∼0.4 and 3 MeV nucleon−1. We conclude that the SIR-associated He ions originate from sources or shocks beyond PSP’s location rather than from acceleration processes occurring at nearby portions of local compression regions. Our results also suggest that rarefaction regions that typically follow the SIRs facilitate easier particle transport throughout the inner heliosphere such that low-energy ions do not undergo significant energy loss due to adiabatic deceleration, contrary to predictions of existing models.

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe mission1 recently plunged through the inner heliosphere of the Sun to its perihelia, about 24 million kilometres from the Sun. Previous studies farther from the Sun (performed mostly at a distance of 1 astronomical unit) indicate that solar energetic particles are accelerated from a few kiloelectronvolts up to near-relativistic energies via at least two processes: ‘impulsive’ events, which are usually associated with magnetic reconnection in solar flares and are typically enriched in electrons, helium-3 and heavier ions2, and ‘gradual’ events3,4, which are typically associated with large coronal-mass-ejection-driven shocks and compressions moving through the corona and inner solar wind and are the dominant source of protons with energies between 1 and 10 megaelectronvolts. However, some events show aspects of both processes and the electron–proton ratio is not bimodally distributed, as would be expected if there were only two possible processes5. These processes have been very difficult to resolve from prior observations, owing to the various transport effects that affect the energetic particle population en route to more distant spacecraft6. Here we report observations of the near-Sun energetic particle radiation environment over the first two orbits of the probe. We find a variety of energetic particle events accelerated both locally and remotely including by corotating interaction regions, impulsive events driven by acceleration near the Sun, and an event related to a coronal mass ejection. We provide direct observations of the energetic particle radiation environment in the region just above the corona of the Sun and directly explore the physics of particle acceleration and transport. The Parker Solar Probe mission has reached the inner heliosphere of the Sun and made measurements of energetic particle events in the near-Sun radiation environment.

The effects of turbulence in the very local interstellar medium (VLISM) have been proposed by Giacalone & Jokipii (2015) to be important in determining the structure of the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) ribbon via particle trapping by magnetic mirroring. We further explore this effect by simulating the motion of charged particles in a turbulent magnetic field superposed on a large-scale mean field, which we have considered to be either spatially-uniform or a mean field derived from a 3D MHD simulation. We find that the ribbon is not double-peaked, in contrast to Giacalone & Jokipii (2015). However, the magnetic mirror force still plays an important role in trapping particles. Furthermore, the ribbon$'$s thickness is considerably larger if the large-scale mean field is draped around the heliosphere. Voyager 1 observations in the VLISM show a turbulent field component that is stronger than previously thought, which we test in our simulation. We find that the inclusion of turbulent fluctuations at scales ${\gtrsim}$100 au and power consistent with Voyager 1 observations produces a ribbon whose large-scale structure is inconsistent with IBEX observations. However, restricting the fluctuations to ${\sim}$10 au or smaller produces a smoother ribbon structure similar to IBEX observations. Different turbulence realizations produce different small-scale features ${\lesssim}10��$ in the ribbon, but its large-scale structure is robust if the maximum fluctuation size is ${\sim}$10 au. This suggests that the magnetic field structure at scales ${\lesssim}$10 au is determined by the heliosphere$'$s interaction with the VLISM and cannot entirely be represented by homogeneous interstellar turbulence., Submitted to the Astrophysical Journal

Aims. The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) orbit provides an opportunity to study the inner heliosphere at distances closer to the Sun than previously possible. Due to the solar minimum conditions, the initial orbits of PSP yielded only a few solar energetic particle (SEP) events for study. Recently during the fifth orbit, at distances from 0.45 to 0.3 au, the energetic particle suite on PSP, Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun (IS⊙IS), observed a series of six SEP events, adding to the limited number of SEP events studied inside of 0.5 au. Variations in the H and He spectra and the He/H abundance ratio are examined and discussed in relation to the identified solar source regions and activity. Methods. IS⊙IS measures the energetic particle environment from ~20 keV to >100 MeV/nuc. Six events were selected using the ~1 MeV proton intensities, and while small, they were sufficient to calculate proton and helium spectra from ~1 to ~10 MeV/nuc. For the three larger events, the He/H ratio as a function of energy was determined. Using the timing of the associated radio bursts, solar sources were identified for each event and the eruptions were examined in extreme ultraviolet emission. Results. The largest of the selected events has peak ~1 MeV proton intensities of 3.75 (cm2 sr s MeV)−1. Within uncertainties, the He and H spectra have similar power law forms with indices ranging from −2.3 to −3.3. For the three largest events, the He/H ratios are found to be relatively energy independent; however, the ratios differ substantially with values of 0.0033 ± 0.0013, 0.177 ± 0.047, and 0.016 ± 0.009. An additional compositional variation is evident in both the 3He and electron signatures. These variations are particularly interesting as the three larger events are likely a result of similar eruptions from the same active region.

We estimate the intensity of interstellar pickup protons accelerated to ∼50 keV at various locations along the solar-wind termination shock, using two-dimensional hybrid simulations. Parameters for the solar wind, interstellar pickup ions (PUIs), and magnetic field just upstream of the termination shock at one flank of the heliosphere, and at the location in the downwind (or tail-ward) direction are based on a solar-wind/pickup-ion/turbulence model. The parameters upstream of the shock where Voyager 2 crossed are based on observations. The simulation is limited in size, and therefore cannot accurately model the distribution to energies much beyond ∼50 keV. This is sufficient to study the origin of the high-energy tail of the distribution, which is the low-energy portion of the anomalous cosmic-ray spectrum. We also extrapolate our results to other locations along the termination shock, such as the other flank, and the poles of the heliosphere. We find that the intensity of ∼10–50 keV accelerated pickup protons is remarkably similar at all three locations we simulated, suggesting that particles in this energy range are relatively uniformly distributed along the termination shock, and are likely quite uniform throughout the entire heliosheath. In addition, we find significant differences in the distribution in the 0.5–1 keV energy range for energetic neutral atoms coming from the tail region of the heliosphere compared to that at the nose or flank look directions. This is because the peak in the PUI distribution is at a higher energy there.

Nonthermal loop-top sources in solar flares are the most prominent observational signature that suggests energy release and particle acceleration in the solar corona. Although several scenarios for particle acceleration have been proposed, the origin of the loop-top sources remains unclear. Here we present a model that combines a large-scale magnetohydrodynamic simulation of a two-ribbon flare with a particle acceleration and transport model for investigating electron acceleration by a fast-mode termination shock at the looptop. Our model provides spatially resolved electron distribution that evolves in response to the dynamic flare geometry. We find a concave-downward magnetic structure located below the flare termination shock, induced by the fast reconnection downflows. It acts as a magnetic trap to confine the electrons at the looptop for an extended period of time. The electrons are energized significantly as they cross the shock front, and eventually build up a power-law energy spectrum extending to hundreds of keV. We suggest that this particle acceleration and transport scenario driven by a flare termination shock is a viable interpretation for the observed nonthermal loop-top sources., Comment: submitted to ApJL

The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) is a revolutionary mission that simultaneously investigates two of the most important overarching issues in Heliophysics today: the acceleration of energetic particles and interaction of the solar wind with the local interstellar medium. While seemingly disparate, these are intimately coupled because particles accelerated in the inner heliosphere play critical roles in the outer heliospheric interaction. Selected by NASA in 2018, IMAP is planned to launch in 2024. The IMAP spacecraft is a simple sun-pointed spinner in orbit about the Sun-Earth L1 point. IMAP’s ten instruments provide a complete and synergistic set of observations to simultaneously dissect the particle injection and acceleration processes at 1 AU while remotely probing the global heliospheric interaction and its response to particle populations generated by these processes. In situ at 1 AU, IMAP provides detailed observations of solar wind electrons and ions; suprathermal, pickup, and energetic ions; and the interplanetary magnetic field. For the outer heliosphere interaction, IMAP provides advanced global observations of the remote plasma and energetic ions over a broad energy range via energetic neutral atom imaging, and precise observations of interstellar neutral atoms penetrating the heliosphere. Complementary observations of interstellar dust and the ultraviolet glow of interstellar neutrals further deepen the physical understanding from IMAP. IMAP also continuously broadcasts vital real-time space weather observations. Finally, IMAP engages the broader Heliophysics community through a variety of innovative opportunities. This paper summarizes the IMAP mission at the start of Phase A development. Keywords: Heliosphere, Interstellar medium, IBEX, IMAP, ENA, Energetic particle

We investigate the spatial distribution of charged particles accelerated by non-relativistic oblique fast collisionless shocks using three-dimensional test-particle simulations. We find that the density of low-energy particles exhibit a localised enhancement at the shock, resembling the "spike" measured at interplanetary shocks. In contrast to previous results based on numerical solutions to the focused transport equation, we find a shock spike for any magnetic obliquity, from quasi-perpendicular to parallel. We compare the pitch-angle distribution with respect to the local magnetic field and the momentum distribution far downstream and very near the shock within the spike; our findings are compatible with predictions from the scatter-free shock drift acceleration (SDA) limit in these regions. The enhancement of low-energy particles measured by Voyager 1 at solar termination shock is comparable with our profiles. Our simulations allow for predictions of supra-thermal protons at interplanetary shocks within ten solar radii to be tested by Solar Probe Mission. They also have implications for the interpretation of ions accelerated at supernova remnant shocks., 13 pages, 11 figures, MNRAS in press

Energetic particles constitute an important component of the heliospheric plasma environment. They range from solar energetic particles in the inner heliosphere to the anomalous cosmic rays accelerated at the interface of the heliosphere with the local interstellar medium. Although stochastic acceleration by fluctuating electric fields and processes associated with magnetic reconnection may account for some of the particle populations, the majority are accelerated by the variety of shock waves present in the solar wind. This review focuses on “gradual” solar energetic particle (SEP) events including their energetic storm particle (ESP) phase, which is observed if and when an associated shock wave passes Earth. Gradual SEP events are the intense long-duration events responsible for most space weather disturbances of Earth’s magnetosphere and upper atmosphere. The major characteristics of gradual SEP events are first described including their association with shocks and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), their ion composition, and their energy spectra. In the context of acceleration mechanisms in general, the acceleration mechanism responsible for SEP events, diffusive shock acceleration, is then described in some detail including its predictions for a planar stationary shock, shock modification by the energetic particles, and wave excitation by the accelerating ions. Finally, some complexities of shock acceleration are addressed, which affect the predictive ability of the theory. These include the role of temporal and spatial variations, the distinction between the plasma and wave compression ratios at the shock, the injection of thermal plasma at the shock into the process of shock acceleration, and the nonlinear evolution of ion-excited waves in the vicinity of the shock.

This paper reviews our current understanding of the acceleration mechanism of anomalous cosmic rays (ACRs). ACRs were first discovered in the early 1970s and soon afterwards it was recognized that they were accelerated interstellar pickup ions that obtained most of their energization in the outer heliosphere. Their observed composition and charge state suggest they are accelerated to over 200 MeV total energy in about a year. Diffusive shock acceleration at the solar-wind termination shock, which provided a natural explanation for spacecraft observations prior to the Voyager crossings of the termination shock in 2004 and 2007, was the long-held paradigm for the acceleration mechanism. But when both Voyagers crossed the shock, the ACR energy spectrum remained modulated, suggesting a source more distant than the shock. While shock acceleration remains a popular mechanism, other ideas have emerged recently to explain the observations. This review focuses on three main acceleration mechanisms that have been proposed: (a) acceleration at the termination shock including new effects such as the global blunt-shape of the shock and large-scale turbulence, (b) acceleration by magnetic reconnection in the heliosheath, and (c) acceleration by diffusive compression acceleration in the heliosheath.

Using results of remote sensing by energetic neutral atoms from IBEX, SOHO/HSTOF, and Cassini/INCA, in situ measurements of ~40-4000 keV protons in the heliosheath (HS) from Low Energy Charged Particle on Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, and outputs from numerical modeling of the termination shock, we estimate L, the characteristic thickness of the HS in the "upwind" direction (±45° in ecliptic longitude of the Nose at λ = 255°). A simple steady-state, internally consistent model gives L = 21 ± 6 AU for Voyager 1, L = 28 ± 8 AU for Voyager 2, and L = 25 ± 8 AU assuming that the same L value is valid for both spacecraft. We recognize that this is a very coarse cut at a very dynamic region of the heliosphere; but if the lower value L = 21 AU applies, one could expect Voyager 1 to cross the heliopause as early as late 2010.

We address the origin of the enhancement of ~40 keV to 5 MeV ions at the solar wind termination shock. Using self-consistent two-dimensional hybrid simulations (kinetic proton, fluid electron) of a shock moving through a plasma similar to that observed in the outer heliosphere, we conclude that the observed ion enhancements are consistent with accelerated "core" interstellar pickup ions (those that have not previously undergone any significant energization) by the termination shock via a combination of shock drift acceleration and particle scattering in meandering magnetic fields in the vicinity of the shock. In addition to the consequences for our understanding of anomalous cosmic rays, this work is also relevant to the more-general long-standing problem of accelerating low-energy particles by shocks that move nearly normal to a mean magnetic field.

Cosmic rays are ubiquitous in space, and the essential similarity of their energy spectra in many different regions places significant general constraints on the mechanisms for their acceleration and confinement. Diffusive shock acceleration is at present the most successful acceleration mechanism proposed, and, together with transport in Kolmogorov turbulence, can account for the universal specta. A unique laboratory for studying the acceleration and transport of charged particles is the outer heliosphere, including the solar wind termination shock and heliosheath. A widely accepted paradigm for the transport and acceleration of energetic particles in the heliosphere has evolved over the last few decades. This picture has successfully explained many features of the modulation of galactic cosmic rays and the transport and acceleration of anomalous cosmic rays at the solar-wind termination shock. Recent Voyager observations near and beyond the termination shock have revealed new, and in some cases, unexpected phenomena which have led to questions concerning the established paradigm. The physical interpretation of the observations requires a blunt termination shock, rapid inward motion of the shock and temporal variations over time scales ranging from hours to 22 years. Incorporation of these into the physics has promise of explaining most, if not, all of the observed phenomena while retaining the advantages of the termination shock paradigm for both galactic and anomalous cosmic rays.

We address the physics of intensity and anisotropy variations in energetic particles near the solar wind termination shock. We show that rapid, large-amplitude, and highly anisotropic particle events seen upstream of the shock can be understood in terms of the passage across the spacecraft of different filled and unfilled magnetic flux tubes. These are created by large-scale magnetic irregularities that are advected passed the spacecraft and compress as they cross the termination shock. We find significant streaming anisotropies of 50 keV-1 MeV protons in the unshocked solar wind, with front-to-back intensity ratios exceeding a factor of 2, for 5 day averaged values. In contrast, downstream of the shock, our results indicate that the particle distributions are much more uniform and isotropic. However, there is a large-scale, nonzero azimuthal particle anisotropy downstream of the shock. This is caused by the nonradial heliosheath plasma flow necessitated by the nonspherical shock. Our results are consistent with recent Voyager 1 observations.

We show that two widely used but apparently different models of the turbulent interplanetary magnetic field are closely related. One of these is the so-called quasi-static turbulence model, in which interplanetary magnetic field fluctuations are generated at a source surface near the Sun by random transverse plasma motions (such as supergranulation at the solar photosphere or perhaps reconnection) and are thereafter carried outward at a uniform constant speed in a radial solar wind. The other model of heliospheric magnetic turbulence is known as the two-component model, in which the random part of the field is decomposed into components along the field (slab fluctuations) and normal to it. Both models have provided us with useful simplified parameterizations of interplanetary fluctuations, and both enter into calculations that show good agreement with observations. Here we show that by properly choosing the temporal and spatial dependence of the transverse velocity field at the solar source surface in the quasi-static model, we can generate a two-component model (as well as many others). In particular, the anisotropy observed in the turbulence can be incorporated into both models. This study provides us with important insights that increase our understanding of turbulence and energetic particle transport in the heliosphere.

We discuss the physics associated with the motion of the radial magnetic field footpoints at the Sun and its relation to the heliospheric magnetic field. Using the observed photospheric convection spectrum, we construct a model for the heliospheric magnetic field and relate it to observations made by Ulysses in the outer heliosphere in the fast solar wind during solar minimum. We find excellent agreement between both the magnitude and the radial variation of the large-scale transverse magnetic variance observed by Ulysses compared to the model calculations using the observed supergranulation velocity spectrum. This suggests that the model represents the physics well. We then calculate the spatial diffusion coefficient associated with the observed magnetic footpoint motion at the solar photosphere. The calculations are based on the motion of passive additives embedded within the transverse photospheric flows. Two different models for the temporal evolution of the transverse velocity are considered. We find that the diffusion coefficient associated with these motions is in the range κ ≈ 1500-1920 km2 s-1. This is approximately 3 times larger than is commonly used in models of the long-term solar magnetic field. It is also larger than is inferred from actual measurements of the dispersion of magnetic features on the Sun. The cause of this discrepancy is not yet clear.

We present the results of a theoretical investigation of the acceleration of charged particles in regions of gradual solar wind compression. The mechanism we describe is similar to diffusive shock acceleration, except that it invokes a gradual compression of the plasma over many gyroradii rather than a shock. Recent observations of energetic particles associated with corotating interaction regions (CIRs) at 1 AU suggest that the particles were accelerated within the compression region between the fast and slow solar wind rather than at the associated forward and reverse shocks, which are at larger heliocentric distances. We show that nondiffusive effects such as magnetic mirroring are important in the inner heliosphere, particularly the injection of low-energy particles (e.g., pickup ions and suprathermal solar wind ions). We integrate the trajectories of an ensemble of test particles moving in synthesized electromagnetic fields, which are similar to what is currently known about corotating interaction regions in the inner heliosphere, prior to the formation of the forward and reverse shocks. We show that compression regions associated with CIRs at 1 AU with widths ~0.03 AU can accelerate particles up to ~10 MeV and produce energy spectra which are remarkably similar to recent observations.

We investigate the effect of large-scale magnetic turbulence in the solar wind on the transport of ∼ 1-10-MeV protons associated with corotating interaction regions (CIRs). We develop a quantitative model of the heliospheric magnetic field which is determined by the motions of magnetic foot points near the solar photosphere. The trajectories of many test particles are numerically integrated in this field to examine the variation of the particle distribution function with latitude. The foot points of the magnetic field lines, which extend radially from the source surface, execute a random walk in latitude and longitude. We find that the resulting long-wavelength magnetic fluctuations lead to significant latitudinal field line diffusion which simultaneously leads to significant latitudinal transport of CIR-associated energetic particles. The results from our model are qualitatively consistent with recent Ulysses observations of recurrent energetic particle intensity enhancements at high heliographic latitudes.

We discuss recent observations of energetic particles and cosmic rays lending insight into how these particles are influenced by the interplanetary magnetic field and what can be learned about the field itself by using the energetic particles as probes. Two recent observations on which we focus attention are those by Ulysses at high heliographic latitudes and those by the Advanced Composition Explorer of impulsive solar flare events. The Ulysses observations of low-rigidity energetic particles at high latitudes associated with corotating interaction regions at lower latitudes are consistent with propagation in a stochastic field superimposed on a Parker spiral. These observations indicate that the particles undergo a significant cross-field diffusion. More-recent observation of energetic particles from impulsive solar flare events show structure on a fine scale which seems also to reflect the field-line meandering. Large small-scale gradients normal to the local magnetic field are shown to be completely consistent with significant cross-field diffusion on larger time scales.

We present a new analysis of the transport of cosmic rays in a turbulent magnetic field that varies in all three spatial dimensions. The analysis utilizes a numerical simulation that integrates the trajectories of an ensemble of test particles from which we obtain diffusion coefficients based on the particle motions. We find that the diffusion coefficient parallel to the mean magnetic field is consistent with values deduced from quasi-linear theory, in agreement with earlier work. The more interesting and less understood transport perpendicular to the average magnetic field is found to be enhanced (above the classical scattering result) by the random walk, or braiding, of the magnetic field. The value of κ⊥ obtained is generally larger than the classical scattering value but smaller than the quasi-linear value. The computed values of κ⊥/κ∥, for a representation of the interplanetary magnetic field, are 0.02-0.04; these values are of the same general magnitude as those assumed in recent numerical simulations of cosmic-ray modulation and transport in the heliosphere, and give reasonable agreement with spacecraft observations of cosmic rays. Some consequences of these results for the interpretation of heliospheric observations are discussed.

The transport and acceleration of energetic nuclei associated with corotating interaction regions is discussed with emphasis on its importance relative to global heliospheric phenomena such as anomalous cosmic rays, the distant heliosphere, and propagation to high latitudes. We will discuss aspects of particle acceleration at the forward and reverse shocks bounding CIRs which support the idea that accelerated pickup ions are important contributors to energetic ions in the heliosphere. We will outline our current understanding of the source of CIR-associated energetic nuclei based on multispacecraft observations of the spatial variation of low-energy cosmic rays, as well as that of freshly ionized pickup ions. We will also discuss the propagation of CIR-associated energetic particles to high heliographic latitudes. We will present a model of the interplanetary magnetic field and show results from a numerical simulation which suggest that particles undergo significant latitudinal diffusion.

We review the observed properties of anomalous cosmic rays and the present status of our knowledge of the processes by which they originate. We compiled a comprehensive set of ACR energy spectral data from various spacecraft throughout the heliosphere during the passes of Ulysses over the poles of the Sun and present first results of a detailed modeling effort. In several contributions, we discuss the questions of injection and possible pre-acceleration of pickup ions, summarize new observations on the ionic charge composition, and present new results on the composition of minor ions in ACRs.

Because of the apparent difficulty in accelerating previously unaccelerated pickup ions locally at the solar wind termination shock, a model for anomalous cosmic-ray protons is considered in which the initial acceleration of pickup ions to ~10-20 MeV occurs in the inner heliosphere. These accelerated pickup ions are assumed to be accelerated either by propagating interplanetary shocks or by some other, unspecified process. Voyager 2 Low-Energy Charged Particle (LECP) observations at low energies are used to normalize their spectra. The ions are then transported to the termination shock, where they are further accelerated to anomalous cosmic-ray energies. We use a well-established transport model to simulate this process. In this model, the two-dimensional cosmic-ray transport equation is solved using the assumed (and normalized) source of energetic particles (~0.01-20 MeV) located at 10 AU. We show that the computed spectra at higher energies (100 MeV) are consistent with observed anomalous cosmic-ray fluxes and suggest that interplanetary shocks, especially those in the inner heliosphere, may play an important role in the initial acceleration of pickup ions leading to anomalous cosmic rays.

The spatial distribution of accelerated particles at corotating interaction regions (CIR's) provides constraints on possible acceleration mechanisms. We point out some previously unrecognized aspects of acceleration at the forward and reverse shocks bounding CIRs, which support the idea that acceleration of pickup ions at these shocks is an important contributor to energetic ions in the inner heliosphere. We find that the acceleration of pickup ions is strongly favored at the reverse shock over the forward shock. Also, the scaling of the pickup-ion velocity distribution with respect to local solar wind speed is not necessarily useful within the CIR.

The well-established association of pickup ions with anomalous cosmic rays shows that acceleration of pickup ions to energies above 1 GeV occurs. At present, diffusive shock acceleration of the pickup ions at the termination shock of the solar wind seems to be the best candidate for acceleration to the high energies of anomalous cosmic rays, accounting well for many of their observed properties. However, it is shown that acceleration of pickup ions from their initial energies by this process appears to be difficult at very strong, nearly perpendicular shocks such as the termination shock. This “injection” problem remains without a clear solution. A number of alternatives have been proposed for the initial acceleration of pickup ions to the point where diffusive acceleration at the termination shock can take over, but none of these processes has yet emerged as a clear favorite.

We consider recent Ulysses observations of the large-scale variances in the transverse components of the interplanetary magnetic field. A previously-suggested theory is shown to provide a good fit to the observed spatial variation and level of the fluctuations. The transport of cosmic rays in the heliosphere will be significantly affected by these fluctuations. In addition to impeding the inward, radial diffusive and drift access of cosmic rays over the poles, the magnetic fluctuations imply a large latitudinal diffusion, caused primarily by the field-line mixing, or random walk.

The dynamical equations for a partially ionized plasma are a matter of some recent controversy. Understanding this problem is important in understanding the interaction of the interstellar medium with the heliosphere and for understanding the spectrum of interstellar turbulence. If collision scales are much smaller than the internal interaction scales such as the ion gyroradius, the fluid approximation may be used. The analysis then must deal with at least three fluids (protons, electrons, and neutrals) which are coupled to each other by collisions and/or electromagnetic fields. Often, the proton and electron gyro‐radii are much smaller than the collision length scales, so the electric and magnetic fields dominate the motions of the electrons and protons. In this case, the only important particle‐particle collisions are those of the electrons and protons with the neutral atoms. Since the three species have, in general, different velocities, it is not immediately clear which fluid velocity to use. This ambiguity in the choice of fluid velocity has led to recent confusion regarding the physics of partially ionized plasmas. If the neutrals have a significant fraction of the mass, working in the center‐of‐mass coordinate frame can result in dynamical equations that differ greatly from those of ideal MHD. This is because the magnetic field is not frozen into the frame moving at the center‐of‐mass velocity, which leads to additional effects on the magnetic field that can be difficult to understand intuitively. To the extent that the electron mass is negligible, the magnetic field is actually found to be frozen into the frame moving with the electron bulk velocity. If we then take U to be the bulk velocity of the proton fluid the resulting dynamical equations closely resemble those of ideal MHD with the exception of the Hall term in the induction equation. Similarly, the frequently used Cowling conductivity also depends on the choice of coordinate frame. These conclusions address directly the recent controversy regarding the interaction of the interstellar medium with the heliosphere and also impact our understanding of interstellar turbulence.

[1] Using two-dimensional hybrid simulations we study the interaction between the Heliospheric Current Sheet (HCS) and the solar wind termination shock (TS). Hot flow anomalies (HFA) are regions of hot, deflected and disturbed plasma flow which may form at the intersection of a shock and current sheet. We study the role played by the inclination, θCn, of the current sheet relative to the shock normal. As previously found, low values of θCn are associated with HFA formation. We find that as θCn increases the HFA is modified, until at θCn = 60° it disappears completely. Thus, HFAs are unlikely to be formed near the TS since the HCS is highly inclined relative to the radial direction (θCn > 60°). We also find that some suprathermal particles, particularly interstellar pickup ions, are trapped near the intersection point of the shock and current sheet where they gain considerable energy, and subsequently drift along the current sheet upstream of the shock. This process is more effective for larger values of θCn. Thus, we expect that upstream of the TS there are likely to be high-energy particles (energized pickup ions) associated with crossings of the HCS, but only of the particular magnetic reversal polarity associated with HFAs. This may be relevant to recently reported Voyager observations.

[1] We study the transport of solar energetic particles (SEPs) in the inner heliosphere in order to relate observations made by an observer at 1 AU to the number and total energy content of accelerated particles at the source, assumed to be near the Sun. We use a numerical simulation that integrates the trajectories of a large number of individual particles moving in the interplanetary magnetic field. We model pitch angle scattering and adiabatic cooling of energetic ions with energies from 50 keV nucleon−1 to 100 MeV nucleon−1. Among other things, we determine the number of times that particles of a given energy cross 1 AU and the average energy loss that they suffer because of adiabatic deceleration in the solar wind. We use a number of different forms of the interplanetary spatial diffusion coefficient and a wide range of scattering mean-free paths and consider a number of different ion species in order to generate a wide range of simulation results that can be applied to individual SEP events. We apply our simulation results to observations made at 1 AU of the 20 February 2002 solar energetic particle event, finding the original energy content of several species. We find that estimates of the source energy based on SEP measurements at 1 AU are relatively insensitive to the mean-free path and scattering scheme if adiabatic cooling and multiple crossings are taken into account.

Suprathermal electron heat flux dropouts (HFD) serve as a sensitive test of the magnetic topology of the inner heliosphere. Since the heat flux electron strahl always flows away from the Sun, a heat flux dropout should indicate either that the magnetic field line is completely disconnected from the Sun or that the heat flux strahl is scattered into other pitch angles. We present observations of two suprathermal electron heat flux dropout events observed by the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft which occur simultaneously with impulsive energetic ion events. Since suprathermal electrons encompass the same velocity range as ions with energies of a few MeV/nucleon, the similarities and differences between them as observed at 1 AU probes the sources and transport of these two species. We compare the two events to show the difference between the signatures of a simple disconnection and a more complicated reconnection scenario. Comparing suprathermal electron modulations with energetic ion modulations is a powerful technique for determining the magnetic topology between particle injection at the Sun and observation at 1 AU.

We present an alternate interpretation of recent STEREO/STE observations that were originally attributed to energetic neutral atoms (ENA) from the heliosheath. The signal attributed to the diffuse ENA source instead shows the characteristics of a point source. We point out that the peak intensity seen by STEREO/STE is centered at the ecliptic longitude of the bright X-ray source Sco X-1. The observed energy spectrum and intensity are also consistent with the X-rays from Sco X-1. The problem of energy dissipation at the solar wind termination shock remains unsolved while current understanding of the interaction between the solar wind and interstellar wind awaits future observations., Comment: Accepted by ApJL

[1] The predictions of the “Fisk” model for a peak at the equatorial solar rotation frequency in the spectrum of the latitudinal component of the heliospheric magnetic field were found to give values significantly larger than those observed. The observed values were statistically the same as observed in the ecliptic and were consistent with random fluctuations about the (null) Parker field component. These conclusions are based on spectra of field and plasma quantities using Ulysses data from the first southern and northern polar passes. There was also no evidence for solar photospheric differential rotation in the latitudinal component. A related search for signatures of the differential rotation (not directly part of the Fisk magnetic field model) yielded the strongest evidence for a photospheric influence on the radial component of the solar wind velocity and related “compressive” quantities.

We discuss the physics of particle acceleration by shocks moving in turbulent astrophysical plasmas. We suggest that the observed lack of agreement of energetic particles and shock properties in the heliosphere is likely to be a result of fluctuations and turbulence in the upstream fluid. Shock acceleration takes time, so the observations of particles at any given point and time at a shock reflects some combination of the history prior to the time of observation. Further, since the particles are mobile, there is spatial averaging as well. It follows that the shock properties observed by a spacecraft should not correlate well with the accelerated particles. Additionally, the upstream turbulence, and in particular, the fluctuations in plasma density have a large effect on the downstream magnetic field. These effects may also help to understand the magnetic field observed by Voyager 1 in the heliosheath.

We present a model for the narrow, ribbon-like enhancement in the emission of ~keV energetic neutral atoms (ENA) coming from the outer heliosphere, coinciding roughly with the plane of the very local interstellar magnetic field (LISMF). We show that the pre-existing turbulent LISMF has sufficient amplitude in magnitude fluctuations to efficiently trap ions with initial pitch-angles near 90°, primarily by magnetic mirroring, leading to a narrow region of enhanced pickup-proton intensity. The pickup protons interact with cold interstellar hydrogen to produce ENAs seen at 1 AU. The computed width of the resulting ribbon of emission is consistent with observations. We also present results from a numerical model that are also generally consistent with the observations. Our interpretation relies only on the pre-existing turbulent interstellar magnetic field to trap the pickup protons. This leads to a broader local pitch-angle distribution compared to that of a ring. Our numerical model also predicts that the ribbon is double-peaked with a central depression. This is a further consequence of the (primarily) magnetic mirroring of pickup ions with pitch-angles close to 90° in the pre-existing, turbulent interstellar magnetic field.

[1] At the time of the solar flare on the Bastille Day of 2000, the Ulysses spacecraft was at 3.17 AU from the Sun, 62° south in heliographic latitude, and 116° in longitude east of the Earth. Solar wind and magnetic field measurements by Ulysses indicate that the coronal mass ejection (CME) of this event had a limited size in both latitude and longitude, although it was a halo CME as seen in the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory coronagraph images. The event produced large fluxes of energetic particles up to energies >100 MeV at both Ulysses and the Earth. Enhancements of energetic particles were immediately observed at the Earth, with their onset times consistent with the velocity dispersion due to the streaming of particles along magnetic field lines from the location of particle acceleration in the corona to the Earth. To the contrary, at Ulysses, the energetic particles from the solar event were not detected until 4–11 hours later, and the increases of particle intensity were much more gradual. The onset times of particles in different energy channels were not organized by particle speed; rather they depended on both particle rigidity and speed, indicating that the transport of particles to Ulysses at high latitudes had a diffusive nature. The first-order anisotropy in the 40–90 MeV proton flux was significantly larger than what is expected from the Compton-Getting effect for many hours after the onset. The direction of the first-order anisotropy was not along the projection of local magnetic fields onto the scan plane of the detector and it was not affected by the polarity of the field either, indicating that the particles did not arrive at Ulysses through propagation along magnetic field lines and rather much of the anisotropy was produced by cross-field diffusion in the presence of a cross-field density gradient pointing toward the low latitude direction. All these observations are consistent with easy particles transport across the mean heliospheric magnetic fields. The apparent difficulty for the theory is that the observations require a cross-field diffusion that is too fast to be explained by random walk of field lines due only to supergranulation.

We discuss the physics of the transport of energetic charged particles in the heliosphere. We put this in the context of using fast charged particles as probes of the heliospheric magnetic field. Since these particles move rapidly in the electromagnetic fields within space, they provide information about the global nature of the field itself. Although the magnetic field can be observed at a point in time and space using a magnetometer, the global field is not easily determined. This is where the information from energetic-particle observations, combined with analytic theory and modeling, can be valuable.

The physics of energetic charged-particle transport in the inner heliosphere is discussed in the context of spacecraft observations, and their connection to anomalous cosmic rays and the outer heliosphere. It will be argued that although there may be a variety of sources of energetic nuclei in the inner heliosphere, it is likely that the contribution from interstellar pickup ions dominates in the outer heliosphere. These ions may be further energized by the termination shock and contribute to anomalous cosmic rays. At corotating interaction regions, pickup ions (either of interstellar or inner-source origin) are naturally accelerated to high energies. It will be shown that their acceleration is strongly favored at the reverse shock over the forward shock. The physics of the injection problem (the difficulty in accelerating near thermal-energy particles) will also be discussed. It will be shown that long-wavelength magnetic fluctuations enhances the probability that particles are accelerated to high energies.

Anomalous cosmic rays are a heliospheric phenomenon in which interstellar neutral atoms stream into the heliosphere, are ionized by either solar radiation or the solar wind, and are subsequently accelerated to very high energies, greater than 1 GeV. Current thinking has the hulk of the acceleration to very-high energies taking place, by the mechanism of diffusive shock acceleration, at the termination shock of the solar wind. Detailed two-dimensional numerical simulations and models based on this picture show broad agreement with a number of the observed properties of anomalous cosmic rays. Recent improvements to this picture include the observation of multiply charged cosmic rays and the suggestion that some “preacceleration” of the initially ionized particles occurs in the inner heliosphere.

We analyze observations of energetic charged particles associated with many strong interplanetary shocks seen by Advanced Composition Explorer. We focus primarily on 47-187 keV suprathermal protons and restrict our analysis to strong interplanetary shocks (Alfven Mach number >3 and the shock density compression >2.5). Eighteen shocks meeting this criterion from 1998 to 2003 were analyzed. All 18 had enhancements of the 47-65 keV proton intensity above the intensity seen one day before the shock. In 17 events, the particle intensity either rose to a quasi-plateau or peaked within 10 minutes of the shock. Most had intensities at the shock exceeding 100 times more than that seen the day before the shock arrived. The time-intensity profiles of the energetic proton events in many cases reveal a rise before the shock passage reaching a quasi-plateau or local peak at the shock, followed by a gradual decline. This suggests that the shock itself is the source of energetic particles. Energy spectra behind the shock were fit to an assumed power law over the interval from 46 to 187 keV, and the resulting spectral index was compared to the plasma density jump across each shock. Most events agree with the prediction of diffusive shock acceleration theory to within the observational uncertainties. We also analyzed a few selected events to determine the particle spatial diffusion coefficients and acceleration timescales. We find that the time to accelerate protons to ~50 keV is of the order of an hour.

We investigate the acceleration of charged particles (both electrons and protons) at collisionless shocks predicted to exist in the vicinity of solar flares. The existence of standing termination shocks has been examined by flare models and numerical simulations e.g., Shibata,Forbes. We study electron energization by numerically integrating the equations of motion of a large number of test-particle electrons in the time-dependent two-dimensional electric and magnetic fields generated from hybrid simulations (kinetic ions and fluid electron) using parameters typical of the solar flare plasma environment. The shock is produced by injecting plasma flow toward a rigid piston. Large-scale magnetic fluctuations -- known to exist in plasmas and known to have important effects on the nonthermal electron acceleration at shocks -- are also included in our simulations. For the parameters characteristic of the flaring region, our calculations suggest that the termination shock formed in the reconnection outflow region (above post-flare loops) could accelerate electrons to a kinetic energy of a few MeV within 100 ion cyclotron periods, which is of the order of a millisecond. Given a sufficient turbulence amplitude level ($\delta B^2/B_0^2 \sim 0.3$), about 10% of thermal test-particle electrons are accelerated to more than 15 keV. We find that protons are also accelerated, but not to as high energy in the available time and the energy spectra are considerably steeper than that of the electrons for the parameters used in our simulations. Our results are qualitatively consistent with the observed hard X-ray emissions in solar flares., Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures. Corrected references. ApJ in press