Observations of the plasma flow in Comet P/Swift-Tuttle

Details Observations of the plasma flow in Comet P/Swift-Tuttle Observations of the plasma flow in Comet P/Swift-Tuttle

Jun 1993

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1993georl..20.1003b&link_type=abstract

Geophysical Research Letters (ISSN 0094-8276), vol. 20, no. 11, p. 1003-1006.

Physics

7

Comet Tails, Magnetohydrodynamic Flow, Plasma Spectra, Space Observations (From Earth), Spatial Resolution, Velocity Distribution, Comets, Periodic Comets, Swift-Tuttle, Plasma, Earth-Based Observations, Flow, Comae, Comet Tail, Water, Emissions, Cometopause, Acceleration, Comet Nuclei, Ions, Velocity, Spectra, Distance, Techniques, Models, Comparison, Theoretical Studies

Scientific paper

We present direct ground based observations of the plasma flow sunward and tailward of the nucleus of Comet P/Swift-Tuttle. The observations are long-slit high resolution spectra of the H2O(+) emission centered at 6199 A with a velocity resolution of about 7 km/s FWHM and a spatial resolution of about 10 exp 4 km at the comet. Emission is visible from just inside the predicted position of the cometopause on the sunward side of the nucleus out to 5 x 10 exp 5 km on the tailward side. The deceleration of the solar plasma on the sunward side is clearly observed as is the acceleration of cometary ions into the tail. These observations show the effectiveness of ground based methods for the systematic study of cometary plasmas and point to the need for a better theoretical understanding of their acceleration mechanisms.

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