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Detailed Reference Information |
Gary, S.P., Miller, R.H. and Winske, D. (1991). Pitch-angle scattering of cometary ions: Computer simulations. Geophysical Research Letters 18: doi: 10.1029/91GL01331. issn: 0094-8276. |
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Pitch-angle evolution of newborn cometary ions is studied by means of one-dimensional electromagnetic hybrid computer simulations of homogeneous plasmas. Newborn ions are injected into the simulations at a constant rate, with a velocity relative to the solar wind which makes an angle &agr; with respect to the ambient magnetic field. The simulations are done with relatively weak ion injection rates commensurate with those in the distant environment of comet Halley. In response to the linear temporal growth of the fluctuating magnetic field energy, the injected ions pitch-angle scatter toward isotropy in both the quasiparallel (0¿≤&agr;≲60¿) and quasiperpendicular (60¿<&agr;≤90¿) regimes. For the injection of cometary oxygen ions the simulations show pitch angle scattering rates that are essentially independent of the solar wind ion/cometary ion relative speed, and increase as the square root of the injection rate. Furthermore, the oxygen ion pitch angle scattering rate at perpendicular injection is approximately twice that in the quasiparallel regime, in qualitative agreement with observations at comet Halley. ¿American Geophysical Union 1991 |
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Abstract |
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Keywords
Planetology, Comets and Small Bodies, Interactions with solar wind plasma and fields, Planetology, Comets and Small Bodies, Plasma and MHD instabilities, Space Plasma Physics, Wave-particle interactions |
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Publisher
American Geophysical Union 2000 Florida Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20009-1277 USA 1-202-462-6900 1-202-328-0566 service@agu.org |
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