Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Simulation of cometary magnetic tails

  • Published:
Astrophysics and Space Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In order to simulate a cometary tail in a laboratory the flow of hydrogen collisionless supersonic plasma with the magnetic field frozen in was used. The wax ball served as a model of the cometary nucleus. The experimental conditions met the principle of limiting simulation. Field lines enveloped the nucleus at the day side and stretched along the flow at the night side. Tension of field lines in the magnetic tail provided the acceleration of ionized products of wax evaporation up to about 106 cm s−1. The control experiments showed that the magnetic tail is caused by currents due to the Lorentz electric field.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alfvén, H.: 1957,Tellus 9, 92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biermann, L.: 1951,Zeit. Astrophys. 29, 274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Danielson, L. R.: 1966,Appl. Phys. Lett. 9, 339.

    Google Scholar 

  • Danielson, L. R.: 1973,Astrophys. Space Sci. 24, 459.

    Google Scholar 

  • Danielson, L. R. and Kasai, J. H.: 1968,J. Geophys. Res. 73, 254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dubinin, E. M., Podgorny, I. M., Potanin, Yu. N., and Sonett, C. P.: 1977,Geophys. Res. Lett. 3, 391.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dubinin, E. M. and Podgorny, I. M.: 1973,Geomagnetizm i Aeronomiya 15, 532.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dubinin, E. M., Podgorny, I. M. and Potanin, Yu. N.: 1978,Kosmicheskiye Issledovaniya 16, 87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kristoferson, L. and Fredga, Kerstin: 1977,Astrophys. Space Sci. 50, 105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mendis, D. A. and Ip, W.-H.: 1977,Space Sci. Rev. 20, 145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ip, W.-H. and Mendis, D. A.: 1975,Astrophys. Space Sci. 35, L1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kubo, H., Kawashima, N., and Itom, T.: 1971,Plasma Phys. 13, 131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Podgorny, I. M.: 1976, in D. Williams (ed.),Physics of Solar Planetary Environments, p. 241.

  • Podgorny, I. M., and Andrijanov, Yu. W.,Planet. Space Sci. 26, 99.

  • Podgorny, I. M., Dubinin, E. M., and Potanin, Yu. N.: 1978,Geophys. Res. Lett. 4, 207.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Research Institute, Academy of Sciences, Moscow, USSR

    I. M. Podgorny, E. M. Dubinin, Yu. N. Potanin & S. I. Shkolnikova

Authors
  1. I. M. Podgorny
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. E. M. Dubinin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yu. N. Potanin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. S. I. Shkolnikova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Podgorny, I.M., Dubinin, E.M., Potanin, Y.N. et al. Simulation of cometary magnetic tails. Astrophys Space Sci 61, 369–374 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00640538

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00640538

Keywords

Search

Navigation