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RPC observation of the development and evolution of plasma interaction boundaries at 67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko
File(s)
MNRAS-2016-Mandt-S9-S22.pdf (2.91 MB)
Publication version
OA Location
Author(s)
Mandt, KE
Eriksson, A
Edberg, NJT
Koenders, C
Broiles, T
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
One of the primary objectives of the Rosetta Plasma Consortium, a suite of five plasma instruments on-board the Rosetta spacecraft, is to observe the formation and evolution of plasma interaction regions at the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/CG). Observations made between 2015 April and 2016 February show that solar wind–cometary plasma interaction boundaries and regions formed around 2015 mid-April and lasted through early 2016 January. At least two regions were observed, separated by an ion-neutral collisionopause boundary. The inner region was located on the nucleus side of the boundary and was characterized by low-energy water-group ions, reduced magnetic field pileup and enhanced electron densities. The outer region was located outside of the boundary and was characterized by reduced electron densities, water-group ions that are accelerated to energies above 100 eV and enhanced magnetic field pileup compared to the inner region. The boundary discussed here is outside of the diamagnetic cavity and shows characteristics similar to observations made on-board the Giotto spacecraft in the ion pileup region at 1P/Halley. We find that the boundary is likely to be related to ion-neutral collisions and that its location is influenced by variability in the neutral density and the solar wind dynamic pressure.
Date Issued
2016-07-20
Date Acceptance
2016-07-14
Citation
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2016, 462 (Suppl. 1), pp.S9-S22
URI
DOI
ISSN
1365-2966
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Start Page
S9
End Page
S22
Journal / Book Title
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume
462
Issue
Suppl. 1
Copyright Statement
© 2016 The Authors Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Sponsor
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Grant Number
ST/K001051/1
ST/N000692/1
Subjects
Astronomy & Astrophysics
0201 Astronomical And Space Sciences
Publication Status
Published