Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

First results from the Giotto magnetometer experiment at comet Halley

  • Comet Halley
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

The Giotto magnetometer experiment at comet Halley has for the first time provided magnetic field measurements in all the important spatial regions characterizing the front-side interaction between the solar-wind magnetoplasma and a cometary atmosphere. Upstream waves of cometary origin have been observed at distances of >2×106 km from the comet, both inbound and outbound. A cometary bow shock has been identified at 1.15×106 km inbound on the dawn side and a thick quasi-parallel cometary bow shock outbound. A turbulent magnetosheath has been observed further inside. A magnetic pile-up region has been identified inside 1.35×105 km, inbound, and 2.63×105 km, outbound, with fields up to 57 and 65 nT, respectively. A cavity region with essentially zero magnetic field has been discovered, with a width of 8,500 km along the trajectory around closest approach.

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

References

  1. Reinhard, R. Nature 321, 313–318 (1986).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Neubauer, F. M. et al. Eur. Space Ag. spec. Publ. 1077, 1–14 (1986).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Smith, E. J. et al. Science 232, 382–385 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Newburn, R. L. & Reinhard, R. Eur. Space Ag. spec. Publ. 174, 19–24 (1981).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Schmidt, H. U. & Wegmann, R. in Comets (ed. Wilkening, L. L.) 538–560 (University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 1982).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Ness, N. F. & Donn, B. D. in Extr. Mém. Soc. R. Sci. Liège Ser. 5 12, 343–362 (1966).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Biermann, L., Brosowski, B. & Schmidt, H. U. Sol. Phys. 1, 254–284 (1967).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Brace, L. H. et al. J. geophys. Res. 85, 7663–7678 (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Lühr, H. et al. J. geophys. Res. 91, 1261–1270 (1986).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Scudder, J. D., Burlaga, L. F. & Greenstadt, E. W. J. geophys. Res. 89, 7545–7550 (1984).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Greenstadt, E. W. et al. Cosmic Electrodyn. 1, 279 (1970).

  12. Marochnik, L. S. Soviet Astr. 6, 828–832 (1963).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Wallis, M. Planet. Space Sci. 21, 1647–1660 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Bame, S. J. et al. Science 232, 356–361 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Slavin, J. A. et al. Geophys. Res. Lett. (in the press).

  16. Elphic, R. C., Russell, C. T., Slavin, J. A., Brace, L. H. & Nagy, A. F. Geophys. Res. Lett. 7, 561–564 (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Brosowski, B. & Wegmann, R. Meth. Verf. Math. Phys. 8, 125–145 (1973).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Geophysik und Meteorologie der Universität zu Köln, 5000, Köln, 41, FRG

    F. M. Neubauer, K. H. Glassmeier, M. Pohl & J. Raeder

  2. Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 20771, USA

    M. H. Acuna, L. F. Burlaga & N. F. Ness

  3. Institut für Geophysik und Meteorologie der Technischen Universität Braunschweig, 3300, Braunschweig, FRG

    G. Musmann

  4. Dipartimento di Fisica, II Universita di Roma, 00173, Roma, Italy

    F. Mariani

  5. University College, Cardiff, CF1 1XL, UK

    M. K. Wallis

  6. Danish Space Research Institute, 2800, Lyngby, Denmark

    E. Ungstrup

  7. Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, 8046, Garching, FRG

    H. U. Schmidt

Authors
  1. F. M. Neubauer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. H. Glassmeier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Pohl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. Raeder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. M. H. Acuna
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. L. F. Burlaga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. N. F. Ness
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. G. Musmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. F. Mariani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. M. K. Wallis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. E. Ungstrup
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. H. U. Schmidt
    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

Neubauer, F., Glassmeier, K., Pohl, M. et al. First results from the Giotto magnetometer experiment at comet Halley. Nature 321 (Suppl 6067), 352–355 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/321352a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/321352a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation