Electron distributions upstream of the Comet Halley bow shock - Evidence for adiabatic heating

Details Electron distributions upstream of the Comet Halley bow shock - Evidence for adiabatic heating Electron distributions upstream of the Comet Halley bow shock - Evidence for adiabatic heating

Mar 1992

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1992jgr....97.2907l&link_type=abstract

Journal of Geophysical Research (ISSN 0148-0227), vol. 97, no. A3, March 1, 1992, p. 2907-2916.

Physics

5

Bow Waves, Electron Distribution, Electron Plasma, Giotto Mission, Halley'S Comet, Adiabatic Conditions, Distribution Functions, Electron Density (Concentration), Magnetohydrodynamics, Magnetosheath, Solar Wind

Scientific paper

Three-dimensional plasma electron (22 eV to 30 keV) observations upstream of Comet Halley bow shock, obtained by the RPA-1 COPERNIC (Reme Plasma Analyzer - Complete Positive Ion, Electron and Ram Negative Ion Measurements near Comet Halley) experiment on the Giotto spacecraft are reported. Besides electron distributions typical of the undisturbed solar wind and backstreaming electrons observed when the magnetic field line intersects the cometary bow shock, a new type of distribution, characterized by enhanced low energy (less than 100 eV) flux which peaks at 90-deg pitch angles is found. These are most prominent when the spacecraft is on field lines which pass close to but are not connected to the bow shock. The 90-deg pitch angle electrons appear to have been adiabatically heated by the increase in the magnetic field strength resulting from the compression of the upstream solar wind plasma by the cometary mass loading. A model calculation of this effect which agrees qualitatively with the observed 90-deg flux enhancements is presented.

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