The root of a comet tail: Rosetta ion observations at comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko

E. Behar 1 H. Nilsson 2 Pierre Henri 3 L. Berčič 2 G. Nicolaou 2, 4 G. Wieser 2 M. Wieser 2 B. Tabone 5 M. Saillenfest 6 C. Goetz 7
1 IRF - Swedish Institute of Space Physics [Kiruna]
2 IRF - Swedish Institute of Space Physics [Uppsala]
3 LPC2E - Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace
4 MSSL - Mullard Space Science Laboratory
5 LERMA (UMR_8112) - Laboratoire d'Etude du Rayonnement et de la Matière en Astrophysique
6 IMCCE - Institut de Mécanique Céleste et de Calcul des Ephémérides
7 IGEP - Institut für Geophysik und Extraterrestrische Physik [Braunschweig]
Abstract : Context. The first 1000 km of the ion tail of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko were explored by the European Rosetta spacecraft, 2.7 au away from the Sun. Aims. We characterised the dynamics of both the solar wind and the cometary ions on the night-side of the comet’s atmosphere. Methods. We analysed in situ ion and magnetic field measurements and compared the data to a semi-analytical model. Results. The cometary ions are observed flowing close to radially away from the nucleus during the entire excursion. The solar wind is deflected by its interaction with the new-born cometary ions. Two concentric regions appear, an inner region dominated by the expanding cometary ions and an outer region dominated by the solar wind particles. Conclusions. The single night-side excursion operated by Rosetta revealed that the near radial flow of the cometary ions can be explained by the combined action of three different electric field components, resulting from the ion motion, the electron pressure gradients, and the magnetic field draping. The observed solar wind deflection is governed mostly by the motional electric field −uion × B.
Keywords : comets: general comets: individual: 67P plasmas methods: observational space vehicles: instruments
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E. Behar, H. Nilsson, Pierre Henri, L. Berčič, G. Nicolaou, et al.. The root of a comet tail: Rosetta ion observations at comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. Astronomy and Astrophysics - A&A, EDP Sciences, 2018, 616, pp.A21. ⟨10.1051/0004-6361/201832842⟩. ⟨insu-01897296⟩

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