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Cometary ions detected by the Cassini spacecraft 6.5 au downstream of Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang

Jones, G. H.; McComas, D. J.; Smith, E. J. +5 more

During March-April 2002, while between the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn, the Cassini spacecraft detected a significant enhancement in pickup proton flux. The most likely explanation for this enhancement was the addition of protons to the solar wind by the ionization of neutral hydrogen in the corona of comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang. This comet passed rel…