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The interaction of the solar wind with a comet

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Abstract

The flow of plasma on the sunward side of a comet is investigated by means of an axialsymmetric model based on hydrodynamics modified by source terms. The model assumes a given curvature of the isobaric surfaces, which corresponds to paraboloids around the nucleus of the comet. The flow on the axis can be represented by a solution of a system of seven ordinary differential equations (respectively five in case of pure photo-ionization). The flow pattern always contains a widely detached bow shock and a contact discontinuity separating a cavity with purely cometary plasma from the transition region containing also solar wind ions. The model is applied to the special case where the cometary gas is ionized by the solar UV radiation only. Numerical solutions are integrated for five levels of production of neutral gas by the comet and for seven typical situations in the undisturbed solar wind. The results imply standoff distances of the stagnation point from the nucleus of the order of 10 000 km or more, and distances of the bow shock of the order of 106–107 km.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Physik und Astrophysik, München, Germany

    L. Biermann, B. Brosowski & H. U. Schmidt

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  1. L. Biermann
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  2. B. Brosowski
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  3. H. U. Schmidt
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Biermann, L., Brosowski, B. & Schmidt, H.U. The interaction of the solar wind with a comet. Sol Phys 1, 254–284 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00150860

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