The cause of two plasma-tail disconnection events in comet P/Haley during the ICE-Halley radial period

Details The cause of two plasma-tail disconnection events in comet P/Haley during the ICE-Halley radial period The cause of two plasma-tail disconnection events in comet P/Haley during the ICE-Halley radial period

Nov 1987

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1987a%26a...187..267b&link_type=abstract

Astronomy and Astrophysics (ISSN 0004-6361), vol. 187, no. 1-2, Nov. 1987, p. 267-275. DOE-sponsored research.

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

22

Comet Tails, Halley'S Comet, International Sun Earth Explorer 3, Magnetic Field Reconnection, Plasma Diagnostics, Plasma Dynamics, Electron Plasma, Interplanetary Magnetic Fields, Plasma-Electromagnetic Interaction

Scientific paper

The causes of two plasma-tail disconnection events (DEs), which occurred in Halley's comet on March 20-22 and April 11-12, 1986, during the ICE-Halley radial period, are analyzed using the ICE magnetometer and electron plasma data. It is concluded that the DE of March 20-22 was most likely caused by an IMF polarity reversal. The DE of April 11-12 on the other hand, is attributed to either a compression region in the solar wind, an IMF polarity reversal, or a combination of the two. Assuming that the two DEs are due to frontside reconnection after an IMF reversal, it was estimated that the time period between the onset of reconnection and the final disconnection of the tail is between 0.1 and 0.6 day, suggesting that the average speed at which reconnection proceeds through the cometary magnetic field pile-up region is between 1 and 6 km/sec, or several tenths of the local Alfven speed.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

The cause of two plasma-tail disconnection events in comet P/Haley during the ICE-Halley radial period 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 The cause of two plasma-tail disconnection events in comet P/Haley during the ICE-Halley radial period, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The cause of two plasma-tail disconnection events in comet P/Haley during the ICE-Halley radial period will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1712576