Comet tail formation: Giotto observations
Abstract
The process of mass loading of the solar wind by cometary ions, which forms comet tails, has been observed throughout the coma of comet Halley. Three distinct regimes were found where the nature of the energy and momentum coupling between solar wind and cometary ions is different. Outside the bow shock, where there is little angular scattering of the freshly ionized particles, the coupling is described by the simple pickup trajectory and the energy is controlled by the angle between the flow and the magnetic field. Just inside the bow shock, there is considerable scattering accompanied by another acceleration process which raises some particle energies well above the straightforward pickup value. Finally, closer to the nucleus, the amount of scattering decreases and the coupling is once more controlled by the magnetic field direction. 4 refs., 3 figs.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Max-Planck-Institut fuer Aeronomie, Katlenburg-Lindau (Germany, F.R.); Mullard Space Science Lab., Dorking (UK); ENEA, Frascati (Italy). Ist. di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario; Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX (United States); Rutherford Appleton Lab., Chilton (UK)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 5147075
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-86-3369; CONF-8606145-6
Journal ID: ISSN 0273-1177; ON: DE87000168
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- Resource Type:
- Conference
- Resource Relation:
- Journal Volume: 6; Journal Issue: 1; Conference: 26. Committee on Space Research meeting, Toulouse, France, 30 Jun 1986; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; HALLEY COMET; IONS; MAGNETIC FIELDS; SHOCK WAVES; SOLAR WIND; CHARGED PARTICLES; COMETS; SOLAR ACTIVITY; 640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena
Citation Formats
Wilken, B, Jockers, K, Johnstone, A, Coates, A, Heath, J, Formisano, V, Amata, E, Winningham, J D, Thomsen, M, and Bryant, D A. Comet tail formation: Giotto observations. United States: N. p., 1986.
Web. doi:10.1016/0273-1177(86)90049-9.
Wilken, B, Jockers, K, Johnstone, A, Coates, A, Heath, J, Formisano, V, Amata, E, Winningham, J D, Thomsen, M, & Bryant, D A. Comet tail formation: Giotto observations. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/0273-1177(86)90049-9
Wilken, B, Jockers, K, Johnstone, A, Coates, A, Heath, J, Formisano, V, Amata, E, Winningham, J D, Thomsen, M, and Bryant, D A. 1986.
"Comet tail formation: Giotto observations". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/0273-1177(86)90049-9. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5147075.
@article{osti_5147075,
title = {Comet tail formation: Giotto observations},
author = {Wilken, B and Jockers, K and Johnstone, A and Coates, A and Heath, J and Formisano, V and Amata, E and Winningham, J D and Thomsen, M and Bryant, D A},
abstractNote = {The process of mass loading of the solar wind by cometary ions, which forms comet tails, has been observed throughout the coma of comet Halley. Three distinct regimes were found where the nature of the energy and momentum coupling between solar wind and cometary ions is different. Outside the bow shock, where there is little angular scattering of the freshly ionized particles, the coupling is described by the simple pickup trajectory and the energy is controlled by the angle between the flow and the magnetic field. Just inside the bow shock, there is considerable scattering accompanied by another acceleration process which raises some particle energies well above the straightforward pickup value. Finally, closer to the nucleus, the amount of scattering decreases and the coupling is once more controlled by the magnetic field direction. 4 refs., 3 figs.},
doi = {10.1016/0273-1177(86)90049-9},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5147075},
journal = {},
issn = {0273-1177},
number = 1,
volume = 6,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986},
month = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986}
}