Remarks about factors shaping the heliosphere

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to give a brief description of the new topic introduced for the first time at the EASN Conferences. Design/methodology/approach The topic concerns the heliosphere, the nearest surrounding of the Sun and thus the nearest vicinity of the Earth. The heliosphere is created due to the interaction between the solar wind and the local interstellar medium. Findings This paper does not include any new information about the heliosphere and only introduces a new topic to this journal. It is briefly shown how heliospheric structures are formed, what factors affect a shape of the heliosphere, what measurements are made by Ulysses, Voyager and IBEX space missions (important for the heliosphere modeling) and how obtained data are used to validate theoretical results. Practical implications To categorize the paper under one of these classifications, research paper, viewpoint, technical paper, conceptual paper, case study, literature review or general review, the authors chose a paper type, general review, as the closest category to this paper. However, it is not a purpose of this paper to provide an extensive review of the community efforts to investigate the physical processes in the vicinity of the heliosphere interface. This is mostly a status report. Originality/value As the new topic in this journal, the article introduces in detail only a small number of aspects connected with heliosphere models. Interplanetary and interstellar magnetic field structures are primarily described. Other factors are only mentioned.