Abstract
The two Voyager spacecraft have been exploring the interstellar medium beyond the heliopause since 2012 (Voyager 1) and 2018 (Voyager 2). Electron plasma oscillations and a quasi-thermal noise line at the electron plasma frequency have enabled the determination of the electron density in this region, revealing a radial density gradient convolved with shocks and pressure fronts. Voyager 1 has a functioning wideband receiver that provides high-spectral-resolution observations allowing the detection of the quasi-thermal noise line and has now provided electron densities to 161.4 au. Since a pressure pulse observed in 2020 around day 146 at about 149 au, the density has remained relatively constant at 0.147 cm−3 based on the most recent observations from 2023, suggesting that Voyager 1 has reached a broad density peak and possibly a new regime.
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