Highly collisional regions determined by interplanetary magnetic field structures

Abstract

Submicron debris released in interplanetary collisions gets charged in the solar wind and generates disturbances to the magnetic field environment. The unique magnetic field disturbances, named interplanetary field enhancements (IFEs) are recorded by many spacecraft. In this study, we have developed a novel model to trace the IFEs to their origins. By employing this model, we can pinout regions with highly collision frequencies, thereby identifying regions of intense collisional activity. We can also determine the long-term variation of these highly collisional regions with interplanetary magnetic field observations over decades. The model can help constrain interplanetary magnetic disturbances and our results can be used to guide part of the interplanetary-object survey.