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Pickup water group ions at comet Grigg‐Skjellerup
Author(s) -
Coates A. J.,
Johnstone A. D.,
Huddleston D. E.,
Wilken B.,
Jockers K.,
Borg H.,
Amata E.,
Formisano V.,
BavassanoCattaneo M. B.,
Winningham J. D.,
Gurgiolo C.,
Neubauer F. M.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/93gl00174
Subject(s) - comet , ion , physics , spacecraft , bow wave , bow shock (aerodynamics) , shock (circulatory) , diffusion , pitch angle , group (periodic table) , shock wave , atomic physics , solar wind , astrophysics , plasma , astrobiology , astronomy , nuclear physics , mechanics , medicine , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics
The density and velocity distribution of cometary water group ions was measured by the Giotto spacecraft in the regions upstream and downstream of the ‘bow shock’ at comet Grigg‐Skjellerup. The results show that the distributions of ions are ring‐like until quite close to the shock, the timescales for pitch angle and energy diffusion appear similar and the ion density follows a r −2 dependence.