Voyager 1 and 2 Observations of the Local Interstellar Magnetic Field and Heliosheath

Abstract:

Voyager 1 (V1) observed compressive interstellar turbulence in the local interstellar medium (LISM) with a Kolmogorov spectrum from 2013.36 to 2014.64. Observations of the magnetic field by V1 during 2015 will be presented. Preliminary heliosheath observations by Voyager 2 (V2) indicate that the magnetic field strength (B) began to increase in mid-2011, possibly reaching 0.3 nT during mid-2012. A similar increase in B was observed by V1 shortly before it crossed the heliopause. However, it is possible that the strong magnetic fields observed by V2, if confirmed, were associated with increasing solar activity. The plasma speed was lowest during the middle of 2012, but there was no clear relationship between V and B. The magnetic flux continued to be conserved by V2 during 2011 and 2012, whereas the magnetic flux at V1 decreased in the heliosheath with increasing distance. At least 30 magnetic holes, magnetic humps and other microscale features were observed in the heliosheath by V2 during 2012. Such features were not observed by V1 in the LISM.