The composition and radial dependence of cometary ions in the coma of comet P/Halley

Details The composition and radial dependence of cometary ions in the coma of comet P/Halley The composition and radial dependence of cometary ions in the coma of comet P/Halley

Nov 1987

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1987a%26a...187..149k&link_type=abstract

Astronomy and Astrophysics (ISSN 0004-6361), vol. 187, no. 1-2, Nov. 1987, p. 149-152. Research supported by the Max-Planck-Gese

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

25

Abundance, Cometary Atmospheres, Heavy Ions, Ion Concentration, Radial Distribution, Atomic Weights, Comet Nuclei, Giotto Mission, Ion Temperature, Plasma Diagnostics

Scientific paper

The heavy ion analyzer, RPA2-PICCA, on board the Giotto spacecraft detected an increase in the densities of cometary ions within a cometocentric distance of 150,000 km. The composition of cometary ions changed dramatically as the comet's nucleus was approached, but it was clearly dominated by the water group. The second and third most abundant ions identified were associated with the CO- or S-group and the CO2-group, respectively. Ions of larger atomic mass units were also present closer to the comet, and they possibly correspond to sulphur compounds and/or various hydrocarbons. Radial profiles of various groups of heavy ions and certain abundance ratios are presented. The peak density for all mass groups was detected at a cometocentric distance of 11,000 km. A distinct boundary, where the ion velocity and temperature dropped significantly, was identified at about 27,000 km.

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