A three-dimensional axisymmetric photochemical flow model of the cometary 'inner' shock layer

Details A three-dimensional axisymmetric photochemical flow model of the cometary 'inner' shock layer A three-dimensional axisymmetric photochemical flow model of the cometary 'inner' shock layer

Sep 1992

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1992apj...396..704d&link_type=abstract

Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 396, no. 2, Sept. 10, 1992, p. 704-710. Research supported by University of

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

6

Cometary Atmospheres, Halley'S Comet, Magnetohydrodynamic Flow, Shock Layers, Three Dimensional Flow, Flow Distribution, Giotto Mission, Ionopause, Magnetoacoustic Waves, Newtonian Fluids

Scientific paper

Assuming the Newtonian thin layer approximation to describe the structure of the shock layer between the cometary 'ionopause' and the inner shock, a 3D axisymmetric photochemical flow model of this layer is constructed. While sources of ions in this layer are the flow across the inner shock and photoionization of neutrals within it, the sinks are the flow into the flanks and dissociative recombination, the latter being the dominant one. For Halley's comet at the time of the Giotto encounter, the calculated thickness of the layer is very small, typically about 100 km for expected values of the dissociative-recombination coefficient. This is not inconsistent with the observations. The lateral flow speed near the point of encounter (inbound) is about 0.9 km/s, while the sonic line is at an angle of about 50 deg to the sun-comet line. Testing the validity of this model will have to await a cometary rendezvous mission such as the proposed CRAF/Cassini mission.

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