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Three dimensional energetic ion bulk flows at comet P/Giacobini‐Zinner
Author(s) -
Richardson I. G.,
Cowley S. W. H.,
Hynds R. J.,
Sanderson T. R.,
Wenzel KP.,
Daly P. W.
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/gl013i004p00415
Subject(s) - comet , solar wind , physics , comet tail , ion , pickup , spacecraft , acceleration , astrophysics , plasma , astronomy , nuclear physics , classical mechanics , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , computer science , image (mathematics)
Using energetic ion data obtained by the EPAS experiment on the ICE spacecraft we investigate the three dimensional ion bulk flow in the mass loading region around the comet P/Giacobini‐Zinner. We find relatively abrupt changes in flow speed (∼ 100 km s −1 ) at the boundaries between the pickup and mass loading regions. Flow deflections away from the comet tail of ∼15° are observed at the boundaries with peaks upto ∼30° inside the mass loading region. Ion energies of ∼300 keV are found inside the mass loading region which suggest the need to consider other ion acceleration mechanisms in addition to solar wind pickup.