Stability of a cometary ionosphere/ionopause determined by ion-neutral friction
Journal Article
·
· Astrophysical Journal; (USA)
- Max-Planck-Institut fuer Aeronomie, Katlenburg-Lindau (Germany, F.R.)
The linear MHD stability of the magnetic field structure discovered in the ionosphere of Comet Halley during the Giotto mission encounter is analyzed in terms of the hydromagnetic counterpart of the bounce frequency for a stratified atmosphere. The structure resulting from the balance between the Lorentz body force and the ion-neutral friction, as suggested by Cravens (1986) and by Ip and Axford (1982) turns out to be unstable. If, however, effects of the mass-loading (due to photoionization) and dissociative recombination are taken into account, the ionosphere becomes stabilized except for the Halley ionopause and adjacent ionosphere layer (of thickness 100 km) which remain unstable. 16 refs.
- OSTI ID:
- 5355186
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (USA) Vol. 344; ISSN ASJOA; ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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