Articles | Volume 33, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-33-1031-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-33-1031-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
ANGEO Communicates
| Highlight paper
| 
19 Aug 2015
ANGEO Communicates | Highlight paper |
| 19 Aug 2015
Observation of a new type of low-frequency waves at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, TU Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 3, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
C. Koenders
Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, TU Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 3, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
H.-U. Auster
Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, TU Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 3, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
D. Frühauff
Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, TU Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 3, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, TU Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 3, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
P. Heinisch
Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, TU Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 3, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
C. Perschke
Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, TU Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 3, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
Institut für Theoretische Physik, TU Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 3, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
U. Motschmann
Institut für Theoretische Physik, TU Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 3, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Planetary Research, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
B. Stoll
Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, TU Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 3, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
K. Altwegg
Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
J. Burch
Southwest Research Institute, P.O. Drawer 28510, San Antonio, TX 78228-0510, USA
C. Carr
Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK
E. Cupido
Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK
A. Eriksson
Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Ångström Laboratory, Lägerhyddsvägen 1, Uppsala, Sweden
Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace, UMR 7328 CNRS – Université d'Orléans, Orléans, France
R. Goldstein
Southwest Research Institute, P.O. Drawer 28510, San Antonio, TX 78228-0510, USA
J.-P. Lebreton
Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace, UMR 7328 CNRS – Université d'Orléans, Orléans, France
P. Mokashi
Southwest Research Institute, P.O. Drawer 28510, San Antonio, TX 78228-0510, USA
Z. Nemeth
Wigner Research Centre for Physics, 1121 Konkoly Thege Street 29–33, Budapest, Hungary
H. Nilsson
Swedish Institute of Space Physics, P.O. Box 812, 981 28 Kiruna, Sweden
Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Wigner Research Centre for Physics, 1121 Konkoly Thege Street 29–33, Budapest, Hungary
B. T. Tsurutani
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
C. Vallat
Rosetta Science Ground Segment, European Space Astronomy Centre, 28691 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain
M. Volwerk
Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Schmiedlstraße 6, 8042 Graz, Austria
K.-H. Glassmeier
Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, TU Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 3, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
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.
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How to cite. Richter, I., Koenders, C., Auster, H.-U., Frühauff, D., Götz, C., Heinisch, P., Perschke, C., Motschmann, U., Stoll, B., Altwegg, K., Burch, J., Carr, C., Cupido, E., Eriksson, A., Henri, P., Goldstein, R., Lebreton, J.-P., Mokashi, P., Nemeth, Z., Nilsson, H., Rubin, M., Szegö, K., Tsurutani, B. T., Vallat, C., Volwerk, M., and Glassmeier, K.-H.: Observation of a new type of low-frequency waves at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Ann. Geophys., 33, 1031–1036, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-33-1031-2015, 2015.
Short summary
We present a first report on magnetic field measurements made in the coma of comet 67P/C-G in its low-activity state. The plasma environment is dominated by quasi-coherent, large-amplitude, compressional magnetic field oscillations around 40mHz, differing from the observations at strongly active comets where waves at the cometary ion gyro-frequencies are the main feature. We propose a cross-field current instability associated with the newborn cometary ions as a possible source mechanism.
We present a first report on magnetic field measurements made in the coma of comet 67P/C-G in...