Structure and evolution of the diamagnetic cavity at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The long duration of the Rosetta mission allows us to study the evolution of the diamagnetic cavity at comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko in detail. From 2015 April to 2016 February 665 intervals could be identified where Rosetta was located in a zero-magnetic-field region. We study the temporal and spatial distribution of this cavity and its boundary and conclude that the cavity properties depend on the long-term trend of the outgassing rate, but do not respond to transient events at the spacecraft location, such as outbursts or high neutral densities. Using an empirical model of the outgassing rate, we find a functional relationship between the outgassing rate and the distance of the cavity to the nucleus. There is also no indication that this unexpectedly large distance is related to unusual solar wind conditions. Because the deduced shape of the cavity boundary is roughly elliptical on small scales and the distances of the boundary from the nucleus are much larger than expected we conclude that the events observed by Rosetta are due to a moving instability of the cavity boundary itself.
Date Issued
2016-12-07
Date Acceptance
2016-12-01
Citation
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2016, 462 (Issue Supplement 1), pp.S459-S467
ISSN
0035-8711
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Start Page
S459
End Page
S467
Journal / Book Title
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume
462
Issue
Issue Supplement 1
Copyright Statement
© 2016 The Authors. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version C. Goetz, C. Koenders, K. C. Hansen, J. Burch, C. Carr, A. Eriksson, D. Frühauff, C. Güttler, P. Henri, H. Nilsson, I. Richter, M. Rubin, H. Sierks, B. Tsurutani, M. Volwerk, K. H. Glassmeier; Structure and evolution of the diamagnetic cavity at comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 462, Issue Suppl_1, 16 November 2016, Pages S459–S467, https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw3148 is available online at: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw3148
Sponsor
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000403172000040&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
ST/K001051/1
ST/K001698/1
ST/P002250/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Astronomy & Astrophysics
magnetic fields
plasmas
methods: data analysis
comets: individual: 67P
ROSETTA PLASMA CONSORTIUM
MAGNETIC CAVITY
SOLAR-WIND
HALLEY
MAGNETOMETER
PERIHELION
REGION
ROSINA
PROBE
ION
0201 Astronomical And Space Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
Leiden, NETHERLANDS