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Evolution of an unstable shell distribution of pickup cometary ions
Author(s) -
Yoon Peter H.,
Mandt M. E.,
Wu C. S.
Publication year - 1989
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/gl016i012p01473
Subject(s) - shell (structure) , ion , pickup , distribution (mathematics) , solar wind , nonlinear system , stability (learning theory) , physics , linear stability , classical mechanics , materials science , computer science , mathematics , quantum mechanics , mathematical analysis , plasma , image (mathematics) , artificial intelligence , composite material , machine learning
It has been established in recent years based on theoretical discussions and observations that the solar wind can pick up newborn cometary ions, and the pickup ions usually form a shell distribution. A relevant question is what can subsequently happen to such a distribution. To address this problem, two publications have discussed the linear stability of the shell distribution [ Freund and Wu , 1988; Gary and Sinha, 1989]. In the present discussion, both the linear and nonlinear development of the waves and the evolution of the initial shell distribution are investigated by numerical simulations. For this purpose, the linear theory is also generalized so that some additional important effects are incorporated.