SPACE AND COSMIC RAY PHYSICS SEMINAR

University of Maryland
Atlantic Building, Room 2400 4:30 PM Monday, December 10, 2012
Coffee, Tea & Snacks 4:15-4:30 PM

Matthew E. Hill
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

The Voyager 1 Transition to Interstellar Space

Once again we have dramatic measurements from the Voyager 1 spacecraft that we do not understand. Beginning in May 2012 Voyager 1 began a transition into a region unlike any previously encountered in space. I will summarize the latest observations, which include the disappearance of heliosheath ions and most of the anomalous cosmic rays, abrupt increases in the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) ion intensity and anisotropy, increase in GCR electrons intensities coinciding with a complete loss of electrons from inside the heliosphere, and striking magnetic field strength increases. I will place these observations in context of earlier heliosheath observations from Voyager 1 and 2 and discuss some potential explanations.