MODEL-OBSERVATION COMPARISONS OF ELECTRON NUMBER DENSITIES IN THE COMA OF 67P/CHURYUMOV–GERASIMENKO DURING 2015 JANUARY
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Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
During 2015 January 9–11, at a heliocentric distance of ~2.58–2.57 au, the ESA Rosetta spacecraft resided at a cometocentric distance of ~28 km from the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, sweeping the terminator at northern latitudes of 43°N–58°N. Measurements by the Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis/Comet Pressure Sensor (ROSINA/COPS) provided neutral number densities. We have computed modeled electron number densities using the neutral number densities as input into a Field Free Chemistry Free model, assuming H2O dominance and ion-electron pair formation by photoionization only. A good agreement (typically within 25%) is found between the modeled electron number densities and those observed from measurements by the Mutual Impedance Probe (RPC/MIP) and the Langmuir Probe (RPC/LAP), both being subsystems of the Rosetta Plasma Consortium. This indicates that ions along the nucleus-spacecraft line were strongly coupled to the neutrals, moving radially outward with about the same speed. Such a statement, we propose, can be further tested by observations of H3O+/H2O+ number density ratios and associated comparisons with model results.
Date Issued
2016-08-18
Date Acceptance
2016-06-03
Citation
Astronomical Journal, 2016, 152 (3)
ISSN
1538-3881
Publisher
American Astronomical Society
Journal / Book Title
Astronomical Journal
Volume
152
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
© 2016. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.
Subjects
Astronomy & Astrophysics
0201 Astronomical And Space Sciences
Notes
journal_title: The Astronomical Journal article_type: paper article_title: MODEL-OBSERVATION COMPARISONS OF ELECTRON NUMBER DENSITIES IN THE COMA OF 67P/CHURYUMOV–GERASIMENKO DURING 2015 JANUARY copyright_information: © 2016. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. date_received: 2016-03-28 date_accepted: 2016-06-03 date_epub: 2016-08-18
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
59