Variations in the spatial configuration of the interstellar magnetic field
(ISMF) near the Sun can be constrained by comparing the ISMF direction at the
heliosphere found from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer spacecraft (IBEX)
observations of a 'Ribbon' of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs), with the ISMF
direction derived from optical polarization data for stars within ~40 pc. Using
interstellar polarization observations towards ~30 nearby stars within 90 deg
of the heliosphere nose, we find that the best fits to the polarization
position angles are obtained for a magnetic pole directed towards ecliptic
coordinates of lambda, beta 263 deg, 37 deg (or galactic coordinates of L,B 38
deg, 23deg), with uncertainties of +/- 35 deg, based on the broad minimum of
the best fits and the range of data quality. This magnetic pole is 33 deg from
the magnetic pole that is defined by the center of the arc of the ENA Ribbon.
The IBEX ENA ribbon is seen in sightlines that are perpendicular to the ISMF as
it drapes over the heliosphere. The similarity of the polarization and Ribbon
directions for the local ISMF suggest that the local field is coherent over
scale sizes of tens of parsecs. The ISMF vector direction is nearly
perpendicular to the flow of local ISM through the local standard of rest,
supporting a possible local ISM origin related to an evolved expanding
magnetized shell. The local ISMF direction is found to have a curious geometry
with respect to the cosmic microwave background dipole moment.
