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Detailed Reference Information |
Bhardwaj, A. (2003). On the Solar EUV Deposition in the Inner Comae of Comets with Large Gas Production Rates. Geophysical Research Letters 30: doi: 10.1029/2003GL018495. issn: 0094-8276. |
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In this letter we have made a comparative study of degradation of solar EUV radiation and EUV-generated photoelectrons in the inner comae of comets having different gas production rates, Q, with values 1 ¿ 1028, 7 ¿ 1029, 1 ¿ 1031, and 1 ¿ 1032 s-1. We found that in higher-Q comets the radial profile of H2O+ photo-production rate depicts a double-peak structure and that the differences in sunward and anti-sunward photoionization rates are pronounced. We show that photoelectron impact ionization is an order of magnitude larger than photoionization rate near the lower photoionization peak in comets with Q > ~1 ¿ 1031 s-1. The present study reveals the importance of photoelectrons relative to solar EUV as the ionization source in the inner coma of high-Q comets. |
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Abstract |
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Keywords
Atmospheric Composition and Structure, Airglow and aurora, Planetology, Comets and Small Bodies, Atmospheres--composition and chemistry, Planetology, Comets and Small Bodies, Ionospheres--composition and chemistry, Planetology, Solar System Objects, Comets |
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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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