Magnetic field in the coma of Comet Halley

Journal Article · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · Sov. Astron. Lett. (Engl. Transl.); (United States)

OSTI ID:6017683

Riedler, W; Schwingenschuh, K; Eroshenko, E G; Stiazhkin, V A; Russell, C T

Preliminary analysis of the magnetic field measurements by the MISCHA magnetometer aboard Vega 1 indicates weak evidence for crossings of Comet Halley's bow (shock) wave about 1 million km (inbound) and 450,000 km (outbound) from the nucleus. Each Vega spacecraft crossed the diffuse contact surface, or cometopause, at 50,000 to 20,000 km. The enhanced 75-80 nT field measured inside the cometopause suggests that the solar-wind field had penetrated the outer cometary ionosphere. The rotation of the magnetic field vector within the ionosphere could result from detection of a persistent, preexisting interplanetary field. 11 references.

• Research Organization: Institut fuer Weltraumforschung, Graz, Austria; Institut Zemnogo Magnetizma, Ionosfery i Rasprostraneniia Radiovoln, Troitsk, USSR; California Univ., Los Angeles
• OSTI ID: 6017683
• Journal Information: Sov. Astron. Lett. (Engl. Transl.); (United States), Journal Name: Sov. Astron. Lett. (Engl. Transl.); (United States) Vol. 12; ISSN SALED
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640107* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COMETS
HALLEY COMET
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOMETERS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
SHOCK WAVES
SPACE VEHICLES
VEGA SPACE PROBES
VEHICLES