The interaction of active comets with the solar wind

Journal Article · Thu Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Earth in Space; (USA)

OSTI ID:5990417

Neugebauer, M ^[1]

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1. JPL, Pasadena, CA (USA)

The interaction of the solar wind with active comets is investigated based on observations of cometary plasma processes and studies of comets using telescopes and photographic plates. Data were also collected when a spacecraft flew through the tail of Comet Giacobini-Zinner in 1985 and five spacecraft encountered Comet Halley in 1986. The solar wind is considered to be supersonic (thermal Mach number 2-10) and to carry a magnetic field twisted into an Archimedean spiral by the rotation of the sun. Since the wind can change its properties during the time a spacecraft is inside the ionosphere or magnetosphere of the body being studied, it is difficult to separate spatial from temporal effects. Photoionization results in addition of plasma to the solar wind. Between the outer and inner edges of the cometosheath, the increasing rate of ion pickup causes the flow to slow down until it stagnates, while the plasma density and the magnetic field strength increase.

• OSTI ID: 5990417
• Journal Information: Earth in Space; (USA), Journal Name: Earth in Space; (USA) Vol. 3; ISSN 1040-3124; ISSN EARSE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640107* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COMETS
DATA ACQUISITION
HALLEY COMET
IMAGES
INTERACTIONS
IONIZATION
IONS
PHOTOIONIZATION
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA DRIFT
SATELLITES
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR SYSTEM
SOLAR WIND
TELESCOPES