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Heat flux observations and the location of the transition region boundary of Giacobini‐Zinner
Author(s) -
Fuselier S. A.,
Feldman W. C.,
Bame S. J.,
Smith E. J.,
Scarf F. L.
Publication year - 1986
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/gl013i003p00247
Subject(s) - physics , comet , magnetosheath , flux (metallurgy) , heat flux , upstream (networking) , transition zone , plasma , geophysics , astrophysics , solar wind , mechanics , magnetopause , nuclear physics , heat transfer , chemistry , computer network , computer science , organic chemistry
Electron heat flux observations and associated plasma phenomena upstream from comet Giacobini‐Zinner show many similarities to observations upstream from the Earth's magnetosheath. Two similarities are discussed. Heat flux events are used to compute the transition region boundary location. The computed subsolar standoff distance of 4×10 4 km is commensurate with a comet gas production rate, G, of 3×10 28 molecules/s (mol/s), in accord with ground‐based determinations of G.