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Ion energetics in the inner coma of comet Halley
Author(s) -
Cravens T. E.
Publication year - 1987
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/gl014i010p00983
Subject(s) - halley's comet , comet , ion , physics , comet tail , diamagnetism , atomic physics , plasma , drag , astrobiology , magnetic field , solar wind , mechanics , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics
The cometary plasma in the magnetic barrier just outside the diamagnetic cavity which surrounds the nucleus of comet Halley is virtually stagnant. The outflowing neutral gas exerts an outward ion‐neutral drag force on this plasma, which balances the inward magnetic pressure gradient force in the vicinity of the contact surface. The cometary ions are frictionally heated due to the relative motion of the ion and neutral gases. The ion flow velocity must have a few km/s non‐radial component in order to explain the ion temperatures measured by the ion mass spectrometer on Giotto.