Context. Strong electron cooling on the neutral gas in cometary comae has been predicted for a long time, but actual measurements of low electron temperature are scarce. Aims. Our aim is to ...demonstrate the existence of cold electrons in the inner coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and show filamentation of this plasma. Methods. In situ measurements of plasma density, electron temperature and spacecraft potential were carried out by the Rosetta Langmuir probe instrument, LAP. We also performed analytical modelling of the expanding two-temperature electron gas. Results. LAP data acquired within a few hundred km from the nucleus are dominated by a warm component with electron temperature typically 5–10 eV at all heliocentric distances covered (1.25 to 3.83 AU). A cold component, with temperature no higher than about 0.1 eV, appears in the data as short (few to few tens of seconds) pulses of high probe current, indicating local enhancement of plasma density as well as a decrease in electron temperature. These pulses first appeared around 3 AU and were seen for longer periods close to perihelion. The general pattern of pulse appearance follows that of neutral gas and plasma density. We have not identified any periods with only cold electrons present. The electron flux to Rosetta was always dominated by higher energies, driving the spacecraft potential to order − 10 V. Conclusions. The warm (5–10 eV) electron population observed throughout the mission is interpreted as electrons retaining the energy they obtained when released in the ionisation process. The sometimes observed cold populations with electron temperatures below 0.1 eV verify collisional cooling in the coma. The cold electrons were only observed together with the warm population. The general appearance of the cold population appears to be consistent with a Haser-like model, implicitly supporting also the coupling of ions to the neutral gas. The expanding cold plasma is unstable, forming filaments that we observe as pulses.
Comets hold the key to the understanding of our Solar System, its formation and its evolution, and to the fundamental plasma processes at work both in it and beyond it. A comet nucleus emits gas as ...it is heated by the sunlight. The gas forms the coma, where it is ionised, becomes a plasma, and eventually interacts with the solar wind. Besides these neutral and ionised gases, the coma also contains dust grains, released from the comet nucleus. As a cometary atmosphere develops when the comet travels through the Solar System, large-scale structures, such as the plasma boundaries, develop and disappear, while at planets such large-scale structures are only accessible in their fully grown, quasi-steady state. In situ measurements at comets enable us to learn both how such large-scale structures are formed or reformed and how small-scale processes in the plasma affect the formation and properties of these large scale structures. Furthermore, a comet goes through a wide range of parameter regimes during its life cycle, where either collisional processes, involving neutrals and charged particles, or collisionless processes are at play, and might even compete in complicated transitional regimes. Thus a comet presents a unique opportunity to study this parameter space, from an asteroid-like to a Mars- and Venus-like interaction. The Rosetta mission and previous fast flybys of comets have together made many new discoveries, but the most important breakthroughs in the understanding of cometary plasmas are yet to come. The Comet Interceptor mission will provide a sample of multi-point measurements at a comet, setting the stage for a multi-spacecraft mission to accompany a comet on its journey through the Solar System. This White Paper, submitted in response to the European Space Agency’s Voyage 2050 call, reviews the present-day knowledge of cometary plasmas, discusses the many questions that remain unanswered, and outlines a multi-spacecraft European Space Agency mission to accompany a comet that will answer these questions by combining both multi-spacecraft observations and a rendezvous mission, and at the same time advance our understanding of fundamental plasma physics and its role in planetary systems.
The Planeterrella is a space plasma simulator, based on Kristian Birkeland's historical experiment, the "Terrella." This device not only makes it possible to simulate interactions between an ...electrode and a magnetized sphere in many different geometries but also to simulate interactions between two magnetized spheres. Such configurations allow the visualization of phenomena unknown to Birkeland, such as an emitting body (Io) immersed in a magnetosphere (Jupiter) or the aurora on the night side of a planet where one magnetic pole points toward the Sun (Uranus).
The polarisation of the atomic oxygen red line in the Earth's thermosphere is observed in different configurations with respect to the magnetic field line at high latitude during several coordinated ...Incoherent Scatter radar/optical experiment campaigns. When pointing northward with a line-of-sight nearly perpendicular to the magnetic field, we show that, as expected, the polarisation is due to precipitated electrons with characteristic energies of a few hundreds of electron Volts. When pointing toward the zenith or southward with a line-of-sight more parallel to the magnetic field, we show that the polarisation practically disappears. This confirms experimentally the predictions deduced from the recent discovery of the red line polarisation. We show that the polarisation direction is parallel to the magnetic field line during geomagnetic activity intensification and that these results are in agreement with theoretical work.
Context. The ESA/Rosetta mission made it possible to monitor the plasma environment of a comet, from near aphelion to perihelion conditions. To understand the complex dynamics and plasma structures ...found at the comet, a modelling effort must be carried out in parallel. Aims. Firstly, we present a 3D hybrid model of the cometary plasma environment including photoionisation, solar wind charge exchange, and electron ionisation reactions; this model is used in stationary and dynamic conditions (mimicking the solar wind variations), and is thus especially adapted to a weakly outgassing comet such as 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the target of the ESA/Rosetta mission. Secondly, we use the model to study the respective effects of ionisation processes on the formation of the dayside macroscopic magnetic and density boundaries upstream of comet 67P in perihelion conditions at 1.3 AU. Thirdly, we explore and discuss the effects of these processes on the magnetic field line draping, ionisation rates, and composition in the context of the Rosetta mission. Methods. We used a new quasi-neutral hybrid model, originally designed for weakly magnetised planetary bodies, such as Venus, Mars, and Titan, and adapted here to comets. Ionisation processes were monitored individually and together following a probabilistic interaction scheme. Three-dimensional paraboloid fits of the bow shock surface, identified for a magnetosonic Mach number equal to 2, and of the cometopause surface, were performed for a more quantitative analysis. Results. We show that charge exchange and electron ionisation play a major role in the formation of a bow shock-like structure far upstream, while photoionisation is the main driver at and below the cometopause boundary, within 1000 km cometocentric distance. Charge exchange contributes to 42% of the total production rate in the simulation box, whereas production rates from electron ionisation and photoionisation reach 33% and 25%, respectively. We also discuss implications for Rosetta’s observations, regarding the detection of the bow shock and the cometopause.
Context.
The ESA Rosetta probe has not seen direct evidence of a fully formed bow shock at comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (67P). Ion spectrometer measurements of cometary pickup ions measured in the ...vicinity of the nucleus of 67P are available and may contain signatures of the large-scale plasma environment.
Aims.
The aim is to investigate the possibility of using pickup ion signatures to infer the existence or nonexistence of a bow shock-like structure and possibly other large-scale plasma environment features.
Methods.
A numerical plasma model in the hybrid plasma description was used to model the plasma environment of a comet. Simulated pickup ion spectra were generated for different interplanetary magnetic field conditions. The results were interpreted through test particle tracing in the hybrid simulation solutions.
Results.
Features of the observed pickup ion energy spectrum were reproduced, and the model was used to interpret the observation to be consistent with a shock-like structure. We identify (1) a spectral break related to the bow shock, (2) a mechanism for generating the spectral break, and (3) a dependency of the energy of the spectral break on the interplanetary magnetic field magnitude and bow shock standoff distance.
Aims.
We wish to investigate the energy conversion between particles and electromagnetic fields and determine the location where it occurs in the plasma environment of comets.
Methods.
We used a ...hybrid plasma model that included photoionization, and we considered two cases of the solar extreme ultraviolet flux. Other parameters corresponded to the conditions of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko at a heliocentric distance of 1.5 AU.
Results.
We find that a shock-like structure is formed upstream of the comet and acts as an electromagnetic generator, similar to the bow shock at Earth that slows down the solar wind. The Poynting flux transports electromagnetic energy toward the inner coma, where newly born cometary ions are accelerated. Upstream of the shock-like structure, we find local energy transfer from solar wind ions to cometary ions. We show that mass loading can be a local process with a direct transfer of energy, but also part of a dynamo system with electromagnetic generators and loads.
Conclusions.
The energization of cometary ions is governed by a dynamo system for weak ionization, but changes into a large conversion region with local transfer of energy directly from solar wind protons for high ionization.
Context . Juno, which studies the Jovian system, continues to expand our knowledge of Jupiter’s magnetosphere and its environment. Thanks to onboard instruments such as Jupiter Energetic Particle ...Detector Instrument (JEDI) and Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment (JADE), in situ measurements have allowed us to derive a realistic representation of charged particle energy distributions precipitating in the auroral regions. Because of the distance between Juno’s measurement location and the position of impact of the charged particles, where auroral emissions are produced, these energetic distributions of magnetospheric particles are likely to be affected by various phenomena such as wave-particle interactions on their way from Juno to the atmosphere. These processes can accelerate or decelerate the particles, changing their average energies. Hence, the energy distributions of particles measured at Juno’s altitude are likely different from those at auroral altitudes. Aims . In this study we develop a UV emission model, combined with an electron transport model, that allows us to relate the auroral emission spectra of H2 molecules with the energy distribution of impinging electrons. Methods . Thanks to observations of the Jovian aurora by the Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) on board Juno, we determined the characteristic energies of electrons precipitating in auroral regions during perijove 32. We modeled the relationship between color ratio (CR) and the characteristic energy of precipitating electrons. Initially, we considered mono-energetic electron fluxes. In a second step, we considered fluxes governed by a kappa distribution. Results . We derived characteristic energy maps for electrons precipitating in Jupiter’s auroral regions. In comparison with similar previous studies based on Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on board Hubble Space Telescope (HST/STIS) observations, we find that modeling the CR with a mono-energetic distribution leads to a systematic underestimation of the average energy of electrons precipitating in the auroral regions by a factor of 3–5. Conclusions . In this study we show that it is possible to derive a more realistic estimate of electron energy flux distributions at auroral altitudes.
Context. Juno, which studies the Jovian system, continues to expand our knowledge of Jupitera s magnetosphere and its environment. Thanks to onboard instruments such as Jupiter Energetic Particle ...Detector Instrument (JEDI) and Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment (JADE), in situ measurements have allowed us to derive a realistic representation of charged particle energy distributions precipitating in the auroral regions. Because of the distance between Junoa s measurement location and the position of impact of the charged particles, where auroral emissions are produced, these energetic distributions of magnetospheric particles are likely to be affected by various phenomena such as wave-particle interactions on their way from Juno to the atmosphere. These processes can accelerate or decelerate the particles, changing their average energies. Hence, the energy distributions of particles measured at Junoa s altitude are likely different from those at auroral altitudes. Aims. In this study we develop a UV emission model, combined with an electron transport model, that allows us to relate the auroral emission spectra of H2 molecules with the energy distribution of impinging electrons. Methods. Thanks to observations of the Jovian aurora by the Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) on board Juno, we determined the characteristic energies of electrons precipitating in auroral regions during perijove 32. We modeled the relationship between color ratio (CR) and the characteristic energy of precipitating electrons. Initially, we considered mono-energetic electron fluxes. In a second step, we considered fluxes governed by a kappa distribution. Results. We derived characteristic energy maps for electrons precipitating in Jupitera s auroral regions. In comparison with similar previous studies based on Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on board Hubble Space Telescope (HST/STIS) observations, we find that modeling the CR with a mono-energetic distribution leads to a systematic underestimation of the average energy of electrons precipitating in the auroral regions by a factor of 3a "5. Conclusions. In this study we show that it is possible to derive a more realistic estimate of electron energy flux distributions at auroral altitudes.
The Magnetospheric Multiscale mission (MMS1) data for 8 months in the winter periods of 2017–2018 and 2018–2019, when MMS had its apogee in the upstream solar wind of the Earth's bow shock, are used ...to study linear magnetic holes (LMHs). These LMHs are characterized by a magnetic depression of more than 50 % and a rotation of the background magnetic field of less then 10∘. A total of 406 LMHs are found and, based on their magnetoplasma characteristics, are split into three categories: cold (increase in density, little change in ion temperature), hot (increase in ion temperature, decrease in density) and sign change (at least one magnetic field component changes sign). The occurrence rate of LMHs is 2.3 per day. All LMHs are basically in pressure balance with the ambient plasma. Most of the linear magnetic holes are found in ambient plasmas that are stable against the mirror-mode generation, but only half of the holes are mirror-mode-stable inside.
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