A Re-interpretation of the STEREO/STE Observations and it's Consequences

TL;DR

This paper reinterprets STEREO/STE observations, suggesting they are due to X-ray emissions from Sco X-1 rather than energetic neutral atoms, challenging previous assumptions about the heliosheath.

Contribution

It offers a new interpretation of the STEREO/STE data, linking observed signals to X-ray sources instead of ENA, impacting understanding of solar wind interactions.

Findings

Observed peak aligns with Sco X-1's position

Energy spectrum matches X-ray emissions from Sco X-1

Challenges previous ENA-based explanations for the data

Abstract

We present an alternate interpretation of recent STEREO/STE observations that were originally attributed to energetic neutral atoms (ENA) from the heliosheath. The signal attributed to the diffuse ENA source instead shows the characteristics of a point source. We point out that the peak intensity seen by STEREO/STE is centered at the ecliptic longitude of the bright X-ray source Sco X-1. The observed energy spectrum and intensity are also consistent with the X-rays from Sco X-1. The problem of energy dissipation at the solar wind termination shock remains unsolved while current understanding of the interaction between the solar wind and interstellar wind awaits future observations.