NASA To Reveal New Data On Conditions At Edge Of Solar System

reply to post by XPLodER

No. Neutral atoms are not affected by magnetic fields.
That would seem to be one of the puzzles.

reply to post by Phage

In a neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons.

Electrons occupy certain regions of an atom call Shells or Energy Levels.

The first energy level is full when it contains 2 electrons.
The second can hold 8 electrons.
The third an also hold 8 electrons.

link

so the relative charge of the atom is either positive neutral or negitive
and the helio sheath redirects the positive and negitivly charged atoms but the neutral ones are allowed to pass through

i wounder if this happens at the center of the direction of movement of the helo-sphere very interesting

xp

i found this it sounds like the ribbon is acociated with the helosphere interaction

Variations in the spatial configuration of the interstellar magnetic field (ISMF) near the Sun can be constrained by comparing the ISMF direction at the heliosphere found from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer spacecraft (IBEX) observations of a 'Ribbon' of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs), with the ISMF direction derived from optical polarization data for stars within ~40 pc. Using interstellar polarization observations towards ~30 nearby stars within 90 deg of the heliosphere nose, we find that the best fits to the polarization position angles are obtained for a magnetic pole directed towards ecliptic coordinates of lambda, beta 263 deg, 37 deg (or galactic coordinates of L,B 38 deg, 23deg), with uncertainties of +/- 35 deg, based on the broad minimum of the best fits and the range of data quality. This magnetic pole is 33 deg from the magnetic pole that is defined by the center of the arc of the ENA Ribbon. The IBEX ENA ribbon is seen in sightlines that are perpendicular to the ISMF as it drapes over the heliosphere. The similarity of the polarization and Ribbon directions for the local ISMF suggest that the local field is coherent over scale sizes of tens of parsecs. The ISMF vector direction is nearly perpendicular to the flow of local ISM through the local standard of rest, supporting a possible local ISM origin related to an evolved expanding magnetized shell. The local ISMF direction is found to have a curious geometry with respect to the cosmic microwave background dipole moment.

link to info

sounds like it runs parallel to the general direction at the heliosphere found from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer

is there a polerization of positive and negitivly charged particals to the poles of the helio sphere?

xploder

here is a galaxy that looks like a double helix




link to info
www.sciencedaily.com...

i wounder if this ribbon effect is a fundamental effect in nature
like spirals and spiral galaxys
helix and ribbons ect

xploder

I haven't had time to look at this material yet... will do so tonight

But to put it in here... Remember the two little Voyager spacecraft? Well seems they crossed the terminator shock a while back and are now exploring the heliosphere

In a new report dated MAY 2010 NASA says:

Passage through the termination shock ended the termination shock phase and began the heliosheath exploration phase. Voyager 1 crossed the termination shock at 94 AU in December 2004 and Voyager 2 crossed at 84 AU in August 2007. Since passage through the termination shock, the spacecraft has beenoperating in the heliosheath environment which is still dominated by the Sun's magnetic field and particles contained in the solar wind.

The heliosheath exploration phase ends with passage through the heliopause which is the outer extent of the Sun's magnetic field and solar wind. The thickness of the heliosheath is uncertain and could be tens of AU thick taking several years to traverse. Passage through the heliopause begins the interstellar exploration phase with the spacecraft operating in an interstellar wind dominated environment. This interstellar exploration is the ultimate goal of the Voyager Interstellar Mission.

Both Voyagers are headed towards the outer boundary of the solar system in search of the heliopause, the region where the Sun's influence wanes and the beginning of interstellar space can be sensed. The heliopause has never been reached by any spacecraft; the Voyagers may be the first to pass through this region, which is thought to exist somewhere from 8 to 14 billion miles from the Sun. This is where the million-mile-per-hour solar winds slows to about 250,000 miles per hour—the first indication that the wind is nearing the heliopause. The Voyagers should cross the heliopause 10 to 20 years after reaching the termination shock.

voyager.jpl.nasa.gov...

Don't know if its related... but worth checking out

On a side note Pioneer is still out there, but its more of an FYI

www.spacetoday.org...