Voyager 2 in Interstellar Space

[pendell]

From CNN

There’s a boundary where hot solar wind meets cold interstellar space, and it’s called the heliopause. Mission scientists compared data from instruments on Voyager 2 to determine that the actual date of the crossing was November 5, when the solar wind particles around the probe dipped greatly, meaning it left the heliosphere – the sun’s bubble-shaped boundary created by solar wind being released from the star.

The new studies confirm this date and reveal that the crossing happened in less than a day and more than 11 billion miles from the sun. Voyager 2 pushed across the heliopause from the hot, lower-density plasma of the solar wind into the cool, higher-density plasma of interstellar space.

Somehow, there is balance between these two very different regions, and astronomers believe it’s the density that helps even out the pressure differences.

Voyager 1 also crossed into interstellar space in 2012, but its damaged plasma instrument couldn’t provide complete data about the crossing.

...

The scientists learned through Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 data of their crossings that particles of solar wind and of the interstellar space wind actually spill across the boundary. The wind from interstellar space is created by stars that went supernova millions of years ago. The mixing of these particles actually creates a layer between the heliopause and interstellar space.


Based on Voyager 2’s crossing, the astronomers learned that the heliosphere has a smooth but defined boundary between the two types of plasma. They also noted a strong interstellar magnetic field, stronger than what Voyager 1 detected. The interstellar magnetic field originates from stars that exploded, expelling not only material but their magnetic fields as well.

“In a historical sense, the old idea that the solar wind will just be gradually whittled away as you go further into interstellar space is simply not true,” said Don Gurnett, author of one of the studies at the University of Iowa. “We show with Voyager 2 – and previously with Voyager 1 – that there’s a distinct boundary out there. It’s just astonishing how fluids, including plasmas, form boundaries.”

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[DavidSh]

That's an article from 2019, about an event in 2018. What do you want to say about it now?

[pendell]

That's an article from 2019, about an event in 2018. What do you want to say about it now?

It crossed my feed today, thought it was new. Still think it's interesting.

Double checked to see if there's any current news , and there is from yesterday . Evidently V-2 is picking up a 'persistent hum' , which is apparently the science teams' nickname for the activity of plasma waves.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Yora]

I wonder how many of the people who got these things into space are still alive today.

The Voyager program certainly deserves its place among The Longest Running Science Experiments.

[Sermil]

I wonder how many of the people who got these things into space are still alive today.

The Voyager program certainly deserves its place among The Longest Running Science Experiments.

Yep. It's no https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/21/s...xperiment.html but it's doing pretty well for itself.

[Ravens_cry]

I wonder how many of the people who got these things into space are still alive today.

The Voyager program certainly deserves its place among The Longest Running Science Experiments.

As well as being among humanity's most noteworthy achievements, I'd say, one that will not be possible again for over 120 years. Though hopefully propulsion tech will have advanced enough that we can do it again before then.

[Lord Torath]

Here's a list of some old ones: Atlas Obscura.