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Goldstein et al. 1994
Goldstein, R., Altwegg, K., Fuselier, S.A., Goldstein, B.E., Balsiger, H., Jost, F., Coates, A., Neubauer, F.M. and Rosenbauer, H. (1994). Giotto ion mass spectrometer measurements at comet P/Grigg-Skjellerup. Journal of Geophysical Research 99: doi: 10.1029/94JA01746. issn: 0148-0227.

The Giotto ion mass spectrometer high-intensity spectrometer (IMS-HIS) measured fluxes of ions from about 260,000 km before (1008:36 UT spacecraft time) to about 86,000 km after (1701:33 UT spacecraft time) closest approach to comet P/Grigg-Skjellerup during the encounter on July 10, 1992. Although the HIS sensor was not designed to measure protons, these ions were measured far from the comet. Close in to the comet, the ions observed were probably also protons, although heavier ions cannot be completely ruled out. Considerable temporal structure appears in the data, well-correlated with the data of other instruments onboard, especially those of the magnetometer. In particular, the ion count rate correlates with the direction of the magnetic field. This strong modulation at the water group ion cyclotron period (~90 s) inside the inbound bow wave indicates a very narrow ion pitch angle distribution. Hence at Grigg-Skjellerup the ions appear to experience very little pitch angle scattering. This may result from strong compression in the rapidly increasing magnetic field. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1994

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Planetology, Comets and Small Bodies, Interactions with solar wind plasma and fields, Magnetospheric Physics, Solar wind interactions with unmagnetized bodies, Planetology, Comets and Small Bodies, Plasma and MHD instabilities, Planetology, Comets and Small Bodies, Magnetic fields
Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research
http://www.agu.org/journals/jb/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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