C. Koenders

Birth of a comet magnetosphere: A spring of water ions

The Rosetta mission shall accompany comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from a heliocentric distance of >3.6 astronomical units through perihelion passage at 1.25 astronomical units, spanning low and maximum activity levels. Initially, the solar wind permeates the thin comet atmosphere formed from sublimation, until the size and plasma pressure of the ionized atmosphere define its boundaries: A magnetosphere is born. Using the Rosetta Plasma Consortium ion composition analyzer, we trace the evolution from the first detection of water ions to when the atmosphere begins repelling the solar wind (~3.3 astronomical units), and we report the spatial structure of this early interaction. The near-comet water population comprises accelerated ions (<800 electron volts), produced upstream of Rosetta, and lower energy locally produced ions; we estimate the fluxes of both ion species and energetic neutral atoms.

Evolution of the ion environment of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko - Observations between 3.6 and 2.0 AU

Context. The Rosetta spacecraft is escorting comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from a heliocentric distance of >3.6 AU, where the comet activity was low, until perihelion at 1.24 AU. Initially, the solar wind permeates the thin comet atmosphere formed from sublimation. Aims. Using the Rosetta Plasma Consortium Ion Composition Analyzer (RPC-ICA), we study the gradual evolution of the comet ion environment, from the first detectable traces of water ions to the stage where cometary water ions accelerated to about 1 keV energy are abundant. We compare ion fluxes of solar wind and cometary origin. Methods. RPC-ICA is an ion mass spectrometer measuring ions of solar wind and cometary origins in the 10 eV–40 keV energy range. Results. We show how the flux of accelerated water ions with energies above 120 eV increases between 3.6 and 2.0 AU. The 24 h average increases by 4 orders of magnitude, mainly because high-flux periods become more common. The water ion energy spectra also become broader with time. This may indicate a larger and more uniform source region. At 2.0 AU the accelerated water ion flux is frequently of the same order as the solar wind proton flux. Water ions of 120 eV–few keV energy may thus constitute a significant part of the ions sputtering the nucleus surface. The ion density and mass in the comet vicinity is dominated by ions of cometary origin. The solar wind is deflected and the energy spectra broadened compared to an undisturbed solar wind. Conclusions. The flux of accelerated water ions moving from the upstream direction back toward the nucleus is a strongly nonlinear function of the heliocentric distance.

Spatial distribution of low-energy plasma around comet 67P/CG from Rosetta measurements

We use measurements from the Rosetta plasma consortium (RPC) Langmuir probe (LAP) and mutual impedance probe (MIP) to study the spatial distribution of low-energy plasma in the near-nucleus coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The spatial distribution is highly structured with the highest density in the summer hemisphere and above the region connecting the two main lobes of the comet, i.e. the neck region. There is a clear correlation with the neutral density and the plasma to neutral density ratio is found to be ∼1-2·10 −6 , at a cometocentric distance of 10 km and at 3.1 AU from the sun. A clear 6.2 h modulation of the plasma is seen as the neck is exposed twice per rotation. The electron density of the collisonless plasma within 260 km from the nucleus falls of with radial distance as ∼1/r. The spatial structure indicates that local ionization of neutral gas is the dominant source of low-energy plasma around the comet.

First detection of a diamagnetic cavity at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Context: The Rosetta magnetometer RPC-MAG has been exploring the plasma environment of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko since August 2014. The first months were dominated by low-frequency waves which evolved into more complex features. However, at the end of July 2015, close to perihelion, the magnetometer detected a region that did not contain any magnetic field at all. Aims: These signatures match the appearance of a diamagnetic cavity as was observed at comet 1P/Halley in 1986. The cavity here is more extended than previously predicted by models and features unusual magnetic field configurations, which need to be explained Methods: The onboard magnetometer data were analyzed in detail and used to estimate the outgassing rate. A minimum variance analysis was used to determine boundary normals. Results. Our analysis of the data acquired by the Rosetta Plasma Consortium instrumentation confirms the existence of a diamagnetic cavity. The size is larger than predicted by simulations, however. One possible explanation are instabilities that are propagating along the cavity boundary and possibly a low magnetic pressure in the solar wind. This conclusion is supported by a change in sign of the Sun-pointing component of the magnetic field. Evidence also indicates that the cavity boundary is moving with variable velocities ranging from 230−500 m/s.

Observation of a new type of low-frequency waves at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Abstract. We report on magnetic field measurements made in the innermost coma of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in its low-activity state. Quasi-coherent, large-amplitude (δ B/B ~ 1), compressional magnetic field oscillations at ~ 40 mHz dominate the immediate plasma environment of the nucleus. This differs from previously studied cometary interaction regions where waves at the cometary ion gyro-frequencies are the main feature. Thus classical pickup-ion-driven instabilities are unable to explain the observations. We propose a cross-field current instability associated with newborn cometary ion currents as a possible source mechanism.

Rosetta observations of solar wind interaction with the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Context. The Rosetta spacecraft arrived at the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on August 6, 2014, which has made it possible to perform the first study of the solar wind interacting with the coma of a weakly outgassing comet. Aims. It is shown that the solar wind experiences large deflections (>45 ) in the weak coma. The average ion velocity slows from the mass loading of newborn cometary ions, which also slows the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) relative to the solar wind ions and subsequently creates a Lorentz force in the frame of the solar wind. The Lorentz force in the solar wind frame accelerates ions in the opposite direction of cometary pickup ion flow, and is necessary to conserve momentum. Methods. Data from the Ion and Electron Sensor are studied over several intervals of interest when significant solar wind deflection was observed. The deflections for protons and for He ++ were compared with the flow of cometary pickup ions using the instrument’s frame of reference. We then fit the data with a three-dimensional Maxwellian, and rotated the flow vectors into the Comet Sun Equatorial coordinate system, and compared the flow to the spacecraft’s position and to the local IMF conditions. Results. Our observations show that the solar wind may be deflected in excess of 45 from the anti-sunward direction. Furthermore, the deflections change direction on a variable timescale. Solar wind protons are consistently more deflected than the He ++ . The deflections are not ordered by the spacecraft’s position relative to the comet, but large changes in deflection are related to changes in the orthogonal IMF components.

Solar wind interaction with comet 67P: Impacts of corotating interaction regions

We present observations from the Rosetta Plasma Consortium of the effects of stormy solar wind on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Four corotating interaction regions (CIRs), where the first event has possibly merged with a coronal mass ejection, are traced from Earth via Mars (using Mars Express and Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN mission) to comet 67P from October to December 2014. When the comet is 3.1–2.7 AU from the Sun and the neutral outgassing rate ∼1025–1026 s−1, the CIRs significantly influence the cometary plasma environment at altitudes down to 10–30 km. The ionospheric low-energy (∼5 eV) plasma density increases significantly in all events, by a factor of >2 in events 1 and 2 but less in events 3 and 4. The spacecraft potential drops below −20 V upon impact when the flux of electrons increases. The increased density is likely caused by compression of the plasma environment, increased particle impact ionization, and possibly charge exchange processes and acceleration of mass-loaded plasma back to the comet ionosphere. During all events, the fluxes of suprathermal (∼10–100 eV) electrons increase significantly, suggesting that the heating mechanism of these electrons is coupled to the solar wind energy input. At impact the magnetic field strength in the coma increases by a factor of 2–5 as more interplanetary magnetic field piles up around the comet. During two CIR impact events, we observe possible plasma boundaries forming, or moving past Rosetta, as the strong solar wind compresses the cometary plasma environment. We also discuss the possibility of seeing some signatures of the ionospheric response to tail disconnection events.

CME impact on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

We present Rosetta observations from comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko during the impact of a coronal mass ejection (CME). The CME impacted on 5-6 Oct 2015, when Rosetta was about 800 km from the comet nucleus, and 1.4 AU from the Sun. Upon impact, the plasma environment is compressed to the level that solar wind ions, not seen a few days earlier when at 1500 km, now reach Rosetta. In response to the compression, the flux of suprathermal electrons increases by a factor of 5-10 and the background magnetic field strength increases by a factor of ∼2.5. The plasma density increases by a factor of 10 and reaches 600 cm −3 , due to increased particle impact ionisation, charge exchange and the adiabatic compression of the plasma environment. We also observe unprecedentedly large magnetic field spikes at 800 km, reaching above 200 nT, which are interpreted as magnetic flux ropes. We suggest that these could possibly be formed by magnetic reconnection processes in the coma as the magnetic field across the CME changes polarity, or as a consequence of strong shears causing Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities in the plasma flow. Due to the limited orbit of Rosetta, we are not able to observe if a tail disconnection occurs during the CME impact, which could be expected based on previous remote observations of other CME-comet interactions.

Interplanetary coronal mass ejection observed at STEREO-A, Mars, comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Saturn, and New Horizons en route to Pluto: Comparison of its Forbush decreases at 1.4, 3.1, and 9.9 AU

We discuss observations of the journey throughout the Solar System of a large interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) that was ejected at the Sun on 14 October 2014. The ICME hit Mars on 17 October, as observed by the Mars Express, MAVEN, Mars Odyssey and MSL missions, 44 hours before the encounter of the planet with the Siding-Spring comet, for which the space weather context is provided. It reached comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which was perfectly aligned with the Sun and Mars at 3.1 AU, as observed by Rosetta on 22 October. The ICME was also detected by STEREO-A on 16 October at 1 AU, and by Cassini in the solar wind around Saturn on the 12 November at 9.9 AU. Fortuitously, the New Horizons spacecraft was also aligned with the direction of the ICME at 31.6 AU. We investigate whether this ICME has a non-ambiguous signature at New Horizons. A potential detection of this ICME by Voyager-2 at 110-111 AU is also discussed. The multi-spacecraft observations allow the derivation of certain properties of the ICME, such as its large angular extension of at least 116°, its speed as a function of distance, and its magnetic field structure at four locations from 1 to 10 AU. Observations of the speed data allow two different solar wind propagation models to be validated. Finally, we compare the Forbush decreases (transient decreases followed by gradual recoveries in the galactic cosmic ray intensity) due to the passage of this ICME at Mars, comet 67P and Saturn.

Low-frequency waves at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko - Observations compared to numerical simulations

Context. A new type of low-frequency wave was detected by the magnetometer of the Rosetta Plasma Consortium at the comet during the initial months after the arrival of the Rosetta spacecraft at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. This large-amplitude, nearly continuous wave activity is observed in the frequency range from 30 mHz to 80 mHz where 40 mHz to 50 mHz is the dominant frequency. This type of low frequency is not closely related to the gyrofrequency of newborn cometary ions, which differs from previous wave activity observed in the interaction region of comets with the solar wind. Aims. This work aims to reveal a global view on the wave activity region using simulations of the comet-solar wind interaction region. Parameters, such as wavelength, propagation direction, and propagation patterns, are within the focus of this study. While the Rosetta observations only provide local information, numerical simulations provide further information on the global wave properties. Methods. Standard hybrid simulations were applied to the comet-solar wind interaction scenario. In the model, the ions were described as particles, which allows us to describe kinetic processes of the ions. The electrons were described as a fluid. Results. The simulations exhibit a threefold wave structure of the interaction region. A Mach cone and a Whistler wing are observed downstream of the comet. The third kind of wave activity found are low-frequency waves at 97 mHz, which corresponds to the waves observed by (2015, Ann. Geophys., 33, 1031). These waves are caused by the initial pick-up of the cometary ions that are perpendicular to the solar wind flow and in the interplanetary magnetic field direction. The associated electric current becomes unstable. The simulations show that wave activity is only detectable in the + E hemisphere and that the Mach cone and whistler wings need to be distinguished from the newly found instability driven wave activity.