Highly nonlinear magnetic pulses at Comet Giacobini-Zinner

Journal Article · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL017i006p00757· OSTI ID:6486002

Tsurutani, B T; Smith, E J; Matsumoto, Hiroshi; Brinca, A L; Omidi, N ^[1]

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1. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (USA) Kyoto Univ. (Japan) Univ. of California at San Diego, La Jolla (USA)

Nonlinear solitary magnetic pulses have been detected near the outbound bow shock/wave of Comet Giacobini-Zinner. The pulses have peak field-to-background compression ratios ranging from 2.3 to 7.0 and full-width half-maximum durations from 12 to 72s, comparable to the H{sub 2}O group ion gyroperiod. The waves are nearly circularly polarized and typically propagate at large angles (55{degree}-75{degree}) relative to the ambient magnetic field. The waves are all right-hand polarized in the spacecraft frame, independent of their direction of propagation relative to the solar wind. Because all of the solitary waves have the same spacecraft-frame polarizations, one interesting hypothesis is that the waves may have phase speeds greater than the solar wind speed. The role that the waves may play with the bow shock is discussed briefly.

• OSTI ID: 6486002
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA) Vol. 17:6; ISSN GPRLA; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640107* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COMETS
FLUID FLOW
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
INSTABILITY
INTERACTIONS
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOACOUSTIC WAVES
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA WAVES
PULSES
SHOCK WAVES
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND
SUBSONIC FLOW
SUPERSONIC FLOW
WAVE PROPAGATION