TY - JOUR
T1 - The interstellar heliopause probe
T2 - Heliospheric boundary explorer mission to the interstellar medium
AU - the IHP/HEX Team
AU - Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert F.
AU - McNutt, Ralph
AU - Fahr, H.
AU - Fichtner, H.
AU - Heber, B.
AU - Mall, U.
AU - Mann, I.
AU - Marsch, E.
AU - Glassmeier, K. H.
AU - Kunow, H.
AU - Klecker, B.
AU - Woch, J.
AU - Srama, R.
AU - Scherer, K.
AU - Witte, M.
AU - Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.
AU - Droege, W.
AU - Leipold, M.
AU - Mannheim, K.
AU - Schlickeiser, R.
AU - Wurz, P.
AU - Bochsler, P.
AU - Steiger, R. V.
AU - Geiss, J.
AU - Lallement, R.
AU - Bougeret, J. L.
AU - Quemerais, E.
AU - Maksimovic, M.
AU - Briand, C.
AU - Bruno, R.
AU - Bavassano, B.
AU - Zimbardo, G.
AU - Velli, M.
AU - Sorriso-Valvo, L.
AU - Casolino, M.
AU - Rucker, Helmut
AU - Breitschwerdt, D.
AU - Hansteen, V.
AU - Lie-Svendsen, O.
AU - Horbury, T.
AU - Balogh, A.
AU - Forsyth, R.
AU - Krimigis, S.
AU - Torsti, J.
AU - Kocharov, L.
AU - Valtonen, E.
AU - Kyrölä, E.
AU - Janhunen, P.
AU - Laitinen, T.
AU - McComas, D.
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - The Sun, driving a supersonic solar wind, cuts out of the local interstellar medium a giant plasma bubble, the heliosphere. ESA, jointly with NASA, has had an important role in the development of our current understanding of the Suns' immediate neighborhood. Ulysses is the only spacecraft exploring the third, out-of-ecliptic dimension, while SOHO has allowed us to better understand the influence of the Sun and to image the glow of interstellar matter in the heliosphere. Voyager 1 has recently encountered the innermost boundary of this plasma bubble, the termination shock, and is returning exciting yet puzzling data of this remote region. The next logical step is to leave the heliosphere and to thereby map out in unprecedented detail the structure of the outer heliosphere and its boundaries, the termination shock, the heliosheath, the heliopause, and, after leaving the heliosphere, to discover the true nature of the hydrogen wall, the bow shock, and the local interstellar medium beyond. This will greatly advance our understanding of the heliosphere that is the best-known example for astrospheres as found around other stars. Thus, IHP/HEX will allow us to discover, explore, and understand fundamental astrophysical processes in the largest accessible plasma laboratory, the heliosphere.
AB - The Sun, driving a supersonic solar wind, cuts out of the local interstellar medium a giant plasma bubble, the heliosphere. ESA, jointly with NASA, has had an important role in the development of our current understanding of the Suns' immediate neighborhood. Ulysses is the only spacecraft exploring the third, out-of-ecliptic dimension, while SOHO has allowed us to better understand the influence of the Sun and to image the glow of interstellar matter in the heliosphere. Voyager 1 has recently encountered the innermost boundary of this plasma bubble, the termination shock, and is returning exciting yet puzzling data of this remote region. The next logical step is to leave the heliosphere and to thereby map out in unprecedented detail the structure of the outer heliosphere and its boundaries, the termination shock, the heliosheath, the heliopause, and, after leaving the heliosphere, to discover the true nature of the hydrogen wall, the bow shock, and the local interstellar medium beyond. This will greatly advance our understanding of the heliosphere that is the best-known example for astrospheres as found around other stars. Thus, IHP/HEX will allow us to discover, explore, and understand fundamental astrophysical processes in the largest accessible plasma laboratory, the heliosphere.
KW - Cosmic vision 2015-2025
KW - Heliopause
KW - Heliosphere
KW - Interstellar medium
KW - Interstellar probe
KW - Termination shock
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=62149108635&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=62149108635&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11038-008-9249-8
DO - 10.1007/s11038-008-9249-8
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:62149108635
SN - 0167-9295
VL - 104
SP - 17
EP - 24
JO - Earth, Moon and Planets
JF - Earth, Moon and Planets
IS - 1-4
ER -