Plasma parameters near the comet Halley bow shock
Coates, A. J.; Neubauer, F. M.; Rème, H.; Wilken, B.; Kessel, R. L.; Jockers, K.; Johnstone, A. D.; Huddleston, D. E.
United Kingdom
Abstract
We analyse the available plasma data from the JPA, MAG and RPA instruments on Giotto for the inbound bow shock crossing at comet Halley. Proton, cometary heavy ion, electron and magnetic field data are combined on the inbound pass to yield the pressures of all the plasma components, and hence the characteristic plasma speeds and the Mach number of the flow. The normal component of the solar wind velocity is observed to change from supersonic to subsonic, adding (for the inbound case) to the evidence presented by Coates et al. /1/ that the bow shock structures are consistent with the occurrence of a shock between the upstream and downstream intervals used.