Faltering Steps into the Galaxy par Gary Zank

The space mission Voyager 1 has left our heliospheric system after almost 40 years of an extraordinary space odyssey, and now enters a new and remarkable phase as it begins the exploration of the interstellar medium.

This newest epoch in the space adventure of Voyager 1 is a moment of great historical import. During this colloquium, we will describe the in-situ Voyager magnetic field and energetic particle observations, the initial uncertainty surrounding a possible crossing of the heliopause (the frontier between interstellar wind and solar wind where they are in equilibrium), and the eventual clarification by the Plasma waves analyzer on board of Voyager 1. We present a general and accessible overview of the status of theory, models and numerical simulations, describing the highly non-equilibrated interaction and the underlying physical processes. If time allows, we will conclude by presenting briefly related interactions of stellar winds with their local environments.