A model of the reconnection pattern at the heliopause

Plasma mixing between the solar wind (sw) and the ambient ionized component of the local interstellar medium (LISM) at the heliopause, the boundary separating both media, is discussed here. By analogy with the case of planetary magnetospheres it is argued that field reconnection processes may play an important role for the plasma mixing at the heliopause. The reconnection areas at the frontal heliopause. The reconnection areas at the frontal heliopause as viewed from the Sun sepending on the assumed direction of the external LISM magnetic field are computed. (author). 5 refs.; 2 figs.; 1 tab