RPC observation of the development and evolution of plasma interaction boundaries at 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

K. E. Mandt; A. Eriksson; N. J. T. Edberg; C. Koenders; T. Broiles; S. A. Fuselier; P. Henri; Z. Nemeth; M. Alho; N. Biver; A. Beth; J. Burch; C. Carr; K. Chae; A. J. Coates; E. Cupido; M. Galand; K. -H. Glassmeier; C. Goetz; R. Goldstein; K. C. Hansen; J. Haiducek; E. Kallio; J. P. Lebreton; A. Luspay-Kuti; P. Mokashi; H. Nilsson; A. Opitz; I. Richter; M. Samara; K. Szego; C. Y. Tzou; M. Volwerk; C. Simon Wedlund; G. Stenberg Wieser

doi:10.1093/mnras/stw1736

RPC observation of the development and evolution of plasma interaction boundaries at 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

K. E. Mandt^*, A. Eriksson, N. J. T. Edberg, C. Koenders, T. Broiles^*, S. A. Fuselier, P. Henri, Z. Nemeth, M. Alho, N. Biver, A. Beth, J. Burch, C. Carr, K. Chae, A. J. Coates, E. Cupido, M. Galand, K. -H. Glassmeier, C. Goetz, R. GoldsteinK. C. Hansen, J. Haiducek, E. Kallio, J. P. Lebreton, A. Luspay-Kuti, P. Mokashi, H. Nilsson, A. Opitz, I. Richter, M. Samara, K. Szego, C. Y. Tzou, M. Volwerk, C. Simon Wedlund, G. Stenberg Wieser

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

70 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

One of the primary objectives of the Rosetta Plasma Consortium, a suite of five plasma instruments on-board the Rosetta spacecraft, is to observe the formation and evolution of plasma interaction regions at the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/CG). Observations made between 2015 April and 2016 February show that solar wind–cometary plasma interaction boundaries and regions formed around 2015 mid-April and lasted through early 2016 January. At least two regions were observed, separated by an ion-neutral collisionopause boundary. The inner region was located on the nucleus side of the boundary and was characterized by low-energy water-group ions, reduced magnetic field pileup and enhanced electron densities. The outer region was located outside of the boundary and was characterized by reduced electron densities, water-group ions that are accelerated to energies above 100 eV and enhanced magnetic field pileup compared to the inner region. The boundary discussed here is outside of the diamagnetic cavity and shows characteristics similar to observations made on-board the Giotto spacecraft in the ion pileup region at 1P/Halley. We find that the boundary is likely to be related to ion-neutral collisions and that its location is influenced by variability in the neutral density and the solar wind dynamic pressure.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	S9-S22
Number of pages	14
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	462
Issue number	Suppl 1
Early online date	7 Sept 2016
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw1736
Publication status	Published - 1 Nov 2016
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

plasmas
solar wind
comets: general

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1093/mnras/stw1736

Cite this

Mandt, K. E., Eriksson, A., Edberg, N. J. T., Koenders, C., Broiles, T., Fuselier, S. A., Henri, P., Nemeth, Z., Alho, M., Biver, N., Beth, A., Burch, J., Carr, C., Chae, K., Coates, A. J., Cupido, E., Galand, M., Glassmeier, K. .-H., Goetz, C., ... Stenberg Wieser, G. (2016). RPC observation of the development and evolution of plasma interaction boundaries at 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 462(Suppl 1), S9-S22. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw1736

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title = "RPC observation of the development and evolution of plasma interaction boundaries at 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko",

abstract = "One of the primary objectives of the Rosetta Plasma Consortium, a suite of five plasma instruments on-board the Rosetta spacecraft, is to observe the formation and evolution of plasma interaction regions at the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/CG). Observations made between 2015 April and 2016 February show that solar wind–cometary plasma interaction boundaries and regions formed around 2015 mid-April and lasted through early 2016 January. At least two regions were observed, separated by an ion-neutral collisionopause boundary. The inner region was located on the nucleus side of the boundary and was characterized by low-energy water-group ions, reduced magnetic field pileup and enhanced electron densities. The outer region was located outside of the boundary and was characterized by reduced electron densities, water-group ions that are accelerated to energies above 100 eV and enhanced magnetic field pileup compared to the inner region. The boundary discussed here is outside of the diamagnetic cavity and shows characteristics similar to observations made on-board the Giotto spacecraft in the ion pileup region at 1P/Halley. We find that the boundary is likely to be related to ion-neutral collisions and that its location is influenced by variability in the neutral density and the solar wind dynamic pressure.",

keywords = "plasmas, solar wind, comets: general",

author = "Mandt, {K. E.} and A. Eriksson and Edberg, {N. J. T.} and C. Koenders and T. Broiles and Fuselier, {S. A.} and P. Henri and Z. Nemeth and M. Alho and N. Biver and A. Beth and J. Burch and C. Carr and K. Chae and Coates, {A. J.} and E. Cupido and M. Galand and Glassmeier, {K. -H.} and C. Goetz and R. Goldstein and Hansen, {K. C.} and J. Haiducek and E. Kallio and Lebreton, {J. P.} and A. Luspay-Kuti and P. Mokashi and H. Nilsson and A. Opitz and I. Richter and M. Samara and K. Szego and Tzou, {C. Y.} and M. Volwerk and {Simon Wedlund}, C. and {Stenberg Wieser}, G.",

year = "2016",

month = nov,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1093/mnras/stw1736",

language = "English",

volume = "462",

pages = "S9--S22",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

issn = "0035-8711",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

number = "Suppl 1",

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Mandt, KE, Eriksson, A, Edberg, NJT, Koenders, C, Broiles, T, Fuselier, SA, Henri, P, Nemeth, Z, Alho, M, Biver, N, Beth, A, Burch, J, Carr, C, Chae, K, Coates, AJ, Cupido, E, Galand, M, Glassmeier, K-H, Goetz, C, Goldstein, R, Hansen, KC, Haiducek, J, Kallio, E, Lebreton, JP, Luspay-Kuti, A, Mokashi, P, Nilsson, H, Opitz, A, Richter, I, Samara, M, Szego, K, Tzou, CY, Volwerk, M, Simon Wedlund, C & Stenberg Wieser, G 2016, 'RPC observation of the development and evolution of plasma interaction boundaries at 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 462, no. Suppl 1, pp. S9-S22. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw1736

TY - JOUR

T1 - RPC observation of the development and evolution of plasma interaction boundaries at 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

AU - Mandt, K. E.

AU - Eriksson, A.

AU - Edberg, N. J. T.

AU - Koenders, C.

AU - Broiles, T.

AU - Fuselier, S. A.

AU - Henri, P.

AU - Nemeth, Z.

AU - Alho, M.

AU - Biver, N.

AU - Beth, A.

AU - Burch, J.

AU - Carr, C.

AU - Chae, K.

AU - Coates, A. J.

AU - Cupido, E.

AU - Galand, M.

AU - Glassmeier, K. -H.

AU - Goetz, C.

AU - Goldstein, R.

AU - Hansen, K. C.

AU - Haiducek, J.

AU - Kallio, E.

AU - Lebreton, J. P.

AU - Luspay-Kuti, A.

AU - Mokashi, P.

AU - Nilsson, H.

AU - Opitz, A.

AU - Richter, I.

AU - Samara, M.

AU - Szego, K.

AU - Tzou, C. Y.

AU - Volwerk, M.

AU - Simon Wedlund, C.

AU - Stenberg Wieser, G.

PY - 2016/11/1

Y1 - 2016/11/1

N2 - One of the primary objectives of the Rosetta Plasma Consortium, a suite of five plasma instruments on-board the Rosetta spacecraft, is to observe the formation and evolution of plasma interaction regions at the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/CG). Observations made between 2015 April and 2016 February show that solar wind–cometary plasma interaction boundaries and regions formed around 2015 mid-April and lasted through early 2016 January. At least two regions were observed, separated by an ion-neutral collisionopause boundary. The inner region was located on the nucleus side of the boundary and was characterized by low-energy water-group ions, reduced magnetic field pileup and enhanced electron densities. The outer region was located outside of the boundary and was characterized by reduced electron densities, water-group ions that are accelerated to energies above 100 eV and enhanced magnetic field pileup compared to the inner region. The boundary discussed here is outside of the diamagnetic cavity and shows characteristics similar to observations made on-board the Giotto spacecraft in the ion pileup region at 1P/Halley. We find that the boundary is likely to be related to ion-neutral collisions and that its location is influenced by variability in the neutral density and the solar wind dynamic pressure.

AB - One of the primary objectives of the Rosetta Plasma Consortium, a suite of five plasma instruments on-board the Rosetta spacecraft, is to observe the formation and evolution of plasma interaction regions at the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/CG). Observations made between 2015 April and 2016 February show that solar wind–cometary plasma interaction boundaries and regions formed around 2015 mid-April and lasted through early 2016 January. At least two regions were observed, separated by an ion-neutral collisionopause boundary. The inner region was located on the nucleus side of the boundary and was characterized by low-energy water-group ions, reduced magnetic field pileup and enhanced electron densities. The outer region was located outside of the boundary and was characterized by reduced electron densities, water-group ions that are accelerated to energies above 100 eV and enhanced magnetic field pileup compared to the inner region. The boundary discussed here is outside of the diamagnetic cavity and shows characteristics similar to observations made on-board the Giotto spacecraft in the ion pileup region at 1P/Halley. We find that the boundary is likely to be related to ion-neutral collisions and that its location is influenced by variability in the neutral density and the solar wind dynamic pressure.

KW - plasmas

KW - solar wind

KW - comets: general

U2 - 10.1093/mnras/stw1736

DO - 10.1093/mnras/stw1736

M3 - Article

SN - 0035-8711

VL - 462

SP - S9-S22

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - Suppl 1

ER -