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Three spacecraft measurements of an unusual disturbance in the solar wind: Further evidence for a cometary encounter
Author(s) -
Russell C. T.,
Schwingenschuh K.,
Phillips J. L.,
Arghavani M. R.
Publication year - 1985
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/gl012i007p00476
Subject(s) - venus , disturbance (geology) , solar wind , orbiter , interplanetary spaceflight , spacecraft , astrobiology , atmosphere of venus , interplanetary medium , interplanetary magnetic field , astronomy , physics , geology , geophysics , plasma , paleontology , quantum mechanics
On February 11, 1982 the Pioneer Venus orbiter detected an unusual disturbance of the interplanetary magnetic field and solar wind plasma. While this disturbance was being detected at Venus, Venera 13 and 14 were making measurements of the interplanetary magnetic field about 6 million km away. These spacecraft observed at most a very weak disturbance several hours after the peak of the event at Pioneer Venus. Had the event been a solar initiated disturbance it should have been seen almost unaltered by the Venera spacecraft. Thus the Venera 13 and 14 data provide further evidence for the cometary nature of this event.