ISSN:
1573-0794
Quelle:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Thema:
Geologie und Paläontologie
,
Physik
Notizen:
Abstract The cometary images taken on 1986 January 8.590 and 8.638 UT (R-0.9 AU, δ ~ 1.29 AU) at Gurushikhar, Mt. Abu, India (24 °39′ N, 72 °43′ E alt: 1700 m) show distinct condensation region in the tail direction. The size of the condensation region is 4 × 103 km. The condensation region showed up strongly in the blue emission, implying the abundance of CO+. It was inferred to be moving with a velocity of 37 ± 3 km/s relative to the comet at a distance of 2.3 × 105 km from the nucleus in the tailward direction. The analysis show that the condensation was a result of rapid ionization mechanism, with a time scale of \~103 to 104 sec. The most probable mechanism for producing the ionization region was found to be the discharge of cross tail electric current passing through the neutral sheet in the near nucleus region followed by an outburst observed in IR wavelengths at 8.1 UT. It was accelerated by J × B drift at a rate of ~24 cm/sec2 to the position observed by us. This feature, most probably is the precursor of the first dramatic Disconnection Event (DE) observed in Halley's Comet at Jan.10.375 UT. This supports the conjecture that the tail features originate in the coma with a velocity of ~20–40 km/s.
Materialart:
Digitale Medien
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00140876
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