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Electron and Ion Dynamics of the Solar Wind Interaction with a Weakly Outgassing Comet

Jan Deca, Andrey Divin, Pierre Henri, Anders Eriksson, Stefano Markidis, Vyacheslav Olshevsky, and Mihály Horányi
Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 205101 – Published 15 May 2017
Physics logo See Viewpoint: 3D View of a Comet’s Neighborhood

Abstract

Using a 3D fully kinetic approach, we disentangle and explain the ion and electron dynamics of the solar wind interaction with a weakly outgassing comet. We show that, to first order, the dynamical interaction is representative of a four-fluid coupled system. We self-consistently simulate and identify the origin of the warm and suprathermal electron distributions observed by ESA’s Rosetta mission to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and conclude that a detailed kinetic treatment of the electron dynamics is critical to fully capture the complex physics of mass-loading plasmas.

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  • Received 8 February 2017
  • Publisher error corrected 5 June 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.205101

© 2017 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Plasma PhysicsParticles & FieldsAccelerators & BeamsGravitation, Cosmology & AstrophysicsNonlinear Dynamics

Corrections

5 June 2017

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3D View of a Comet’s Neighborhood

Published 15 May 2017

Detailed 3D simulations of a comet’s environment reveal the rich dynamics of ions and electrons observed by the Rosetta spacecraft around comet 67P.

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Authors & Affiliations

Jan Deca1,2,*, Andrey Divin3,4, Pierre Henri5, Anders Eriksson4, Stefano Markidis6, Vyacheslav Olshevsky7, and Mihály Horányi1,2

  • 1Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80303, USA
  • 2Institute for Modeling Plasma, Atmospheres and Cosmic Dust, NASA/SSERVI, Moffett Field, California 94035, USA
  • 3Physics Department, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg 198504, Russia
  • 4Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF), Uppsala 751 21, Sweden
  • 5LPC2E, CNRS, Orléans 45071, France
  • 6KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm 100 44, Sweden
  • 7Centre for mathematical Plasma Astrophysics (CmPA), KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium

  • *jandeca@gmail.com

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Issue

Vol. 118, Iss. 20 — 19 May 2017

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