Decay of the cometary bow shock

Details Decay of the cometary bow shock Decay of the cometary bow shock

Dec 1985

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1985natur.318..646w&link_type=abstract

Nature (ISSN 0028-0836), vol. 318, Dec. 26, 1985, p. 646, 647.

Computer Science

17

Bow Waves, Comets, Cooling, Shock Wave Propagation, Solar Wind, Chemical Reactions, Ion Motion, Particle Acceleration, Plasma Interactions, Supersonic Flow, Comets, Bow Shock, Decay, Cooling, Solar Wind, Comae, Ions, Plasma, Acceleration, Calculations, Diagrams, Ice Mission, Giacobini-Zinner, Flows, Patterns, Dynamics, Hypotheses, Spacecraft Observations

Scientific paper

Cooling processes will weaken the bow shock that is expected to form when the solar wind plasma encounters a gassy comet. As the supersonic wind penetrates the comet's outer coma, accreting freshly ionized cometary atoms and molecules, it needs a shock to adjust to the inner subsonic conditions. The cometary ions, implanted in the plasma stream, are accelerated by the associated fields and take up much of the decrease in streaming energy. The subsonic flow in comets is distinguished by strong cooling, effected primarily through ion-molecule reactions between the energetic implanted ions and the neutral gas coma. It is argued here that such cooling can cause complete decay of the shock's flanks, as probed by the International Cometary Explorer spacecraft at comet Giacobini-Zinner.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Decay of the cometary bow shock does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Decay of the cometary bow shock, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Decay of the cometary bow shock will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1163488