| 1. |
- Behar, Etienne, et al.
(författare)
-
The root of a comet tail : Rosetta ion observations at comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 616
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context.The first 1000 km of the ion tail of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko were explored by the EuropeanRosettaspacecraft,2.7 au away from the Sun.Aims.We characterised the dynamics of both the solar wind and the cometary ions on the night-side of the comet’s atmosphere.Methods.We analysed in situ ion and magnetic field measurements and compared the data to a semi-analytical model.Results.The cometary ions are observed flowing close to radially away from the nucleus during the entire excursion. The solar windis deflected by its interaction with the new-born cometary ions. Two concentric regions appear, an inner region dominated by theexpanding cometary ions and an outer region dominated by the solar wind particles.Conclusions.The single night-side excursion operated byRosettarevealed that the near radial flow of the cometary ions can beexplained by the combined action of three different electric field components, resulting from the ion motion, the electron pressuregradients, and the magnetic field draping. The observed solar wind deflection is governed mostly by the motional electric field−uion×B.
|
|
| 2. |
- Behar, Etienne, et al.
(författare)
-
Solar wind dynamics around a comet : A 2D semi-analytical kinetic model
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 620
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims.We aim at analytically modelling the solar wind proton trajectories during their interaction with a partially ionised cometaryatmosphere, not in terms of bulk properties of the flow but in terms of single particle dynamics.Methods.We first derive a generalised gyromotion, in which the electric field is reduced to its motional component. Steady-stateis assumed, and simplified models of the cometary density and of the electron fluid are used to express the force experienced byindividual solar wind protons during the interaction.Results.A three-dimensional (3D) analytical expression of the gyration of two interacting plasma beams is obtained. Applying it to acomet case, the force on protons is always perpendicular to their velocity and has an amplitude proportional to 1/r2. The solar winddeflection is obtained at any point in space. The resulting picture presents a caustic of intersecting trajectories, and a circular regionis found that is completely free of particles. The particles do not lose any kinetic energy and this absence of deceleration, togetherwith the solar wind deflection pattern and the presence of a solar wind ion cavity, is in good agreement with the general results of theRosettamission.Conclusions.The qualitative match between the model and thein situdata highlights how dominant the motional electric field isthroughout most of the interaction region for the solar wind proton dynamics. The model provides a simple general kinetic descriptionof how momentum is transferred between these two collisionless plasmas. It also shows the potential of this semi-analytical modelfor a systematic quantitative comparison to the data.
|
|
