ISSI #24-613
In-person Agenda
First In-person Meeting: June 10-13, 2025
Overall Goals of Team:
- Identify observational signatures related to potential turbulence and magnetic reconnection in the heliotail through ENAs and interstellar Lyman-alpha through comparison of models and observations
- Pin down drivers of turbulence and implications for particle acceleration in the heliosheath
- Set a foundation for data interpretation of upcoming IMAP mission
Goals of First In-person Meeting:
- Facilitate a discussion on possible drivers for the turbulence in the heliotail
- Discuss implications for particle acceleration from magnetic reconnection
- Discuss the initial conditions needed in kinetic modeling to capture the dynamic physics of the heliosheath
- Discuss methods for implementing the resultant distributions from these acceleration mechanisms in ENA and Lyα modeling
Goals of Second In-person Meeting:
- Follow-up to the initial meeting
- Discuss the obtained results
- Determine any further avenues of improvement necessary for progress, such as the temporal aspects of the solar wind
Day 1 (Tuesday, June 10):
Start time: 9 am
Overview of ISSI (9 am; 15-30 minutes)
Introductions
Overview of Proposal Objectives/Goals (Marc)
Morning: MHD Models
Overview of BU MHD Model – Tail (Merav)
Overview of Moscow MHD Model – Tail (Vlad)
Afternoon: Observations
Overview of kglobal (Jim)
Low-energy ENA capabilities and limitations with IBEX-Lo and IMAP-Lo for observing the heliotail (Andre)
IMAP Capabilities for All Energies (Eric Z.)
Welcome Drinks (Time: 5 pm)
Day 2 (Wednesday, June 11):
Start time: 9 am
High-energy ENA capabilities and limitations with INCA for observing the heliotail (Kostas)
Morning: Differences Between MHD Models: Instabilities
Comparison of Overall BU and Moscow Heliospheres (Marc)
Review of Instabilities and Shocks in BU Model (Merav/Xiaohan)
Instabilities in the Moscow Model (Sergey)
Afternoon: ENAs and Lyman-alpha
Methods for observing Interstellar Lyman-alpha absorption and feasibility for studying the heliotail (Brian)
Modeling Lyman-alpha in the heliotail as a tool for investigating instabilities (Erick P.)
ENA variations due to solar cycle and energy in terms of morphology and time-delays (Justyna)
Global ENA Modeling (Marc)
Discussion Topic: What levels of ENA flux (and variation) would we expect for ENAs resulting from accelerated ions in instabilities vs. GDF and solar cycle variations? What levels of Lyman-alpha variation would we expect? Similar orders of magnitude?
ISSI Team Dinner at Trem Depot (Time: 8 pm)
Day 3 (Thursday, June 12):
Start time: 9 am
Morning: Turbulence
Global Effects of Ion Acceleration in the Heliosheath on ENAs (Igor)
Turbulence in Voyager heliosheath and VLISM observations: Comparisons in different regimes (Vladimir)
Mechanisms for Particle Acceleration from Turbulence (Vladimir/Marc)
Discussion Topic: Turbulence drivers – what type of diagnostics do we want to do and comparison of nose vs. tail
Afternoon: Reconnection
Global ENA Modeling (Eric)
Reconnection-driven particle acceleration (Jim)
Reconnection in the Inner Heliosphere and Heliosheath (Zhiyu)
Reconnection effect on ENAs (Marc)
Discussion Topic: How would resultant spectra from different energization mechanisms (turbulence and reconnection) compare to capabilities of desired observables?
Day 4 (Friday, June 13): “Project Design”
Start time: 9 am
Methods for Solar Lyman-alpha capabilities and feasibility for studying the heliotail
(Eric Q.)
Recap Topics/Discussions
Discuss implications for particle acceleration from magnetic reconnection
Discuss the initial conditions needed in kinetic modeling to capture the dynamic physics of the heliosheath
Discuss methods for implementing the resultant distributions from these acceleration mechanisms in ENA and Lyα modeling
Paper discussion on first-step comparison (preliminary work to goals of project)