Articles | Volume 39, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-39-379-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-39-379-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Regular paper
| 
05 May 2021
Regular paper |
| 05 May 2021
| 05 May 2021
Warm protons at comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko – implications for the infant bow shock
European Space Research and Technology Centre, European Space Agency, Keplerlaan 1, 2201AZ Noordwijk, the Netherlands
Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 3, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
Herbert Gunell
Department of Physics, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Avenue Circulaire 3, 1180 Brussels, Belgium
Fredrik Johansson
Institutet för rymdfysik, Lägerhyddsvägen 1, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden
Kristie LLera
Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78238-5166, USA
Hans Nilsson
Institutet för rymdfysik, Rymdcampus 1, Kiruna, Sweden
Karl-Heinz Glassmeier
Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 3, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
Matthew G. G. T. Taylor
European Space Research and Technology Centre, European Space Agency, Keplerlaan 1, 2201AZ Noordwijk, the Netherlands
Related authors
Rumi Nakamura, Thierry Dudok de Wit, Geraint H. Jones, Matt G. G. T. Taylor, Nicolas C. Andre, Charlotte Goetz, Lina Z. Hadid, Laura A. Hayes, Heli Hietala, Caitriona M. Jackman, Larry Kepko, Aurelie Marchaudon, Adam Masters, Mathew Owens, Noora Partamies, Stefaan Poedts, Jonathan Rae, Yuri Shprits, Manuela Temmer, Daniel Verscharen, and Robert F. Wimmer-Schweingruber
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3814, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3814, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Annales Geophysicae (ANGEO).
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Heliophysics spans a wide range of disciplines covering the study of the Sun and the different Solar System bodies, such as Earth and other planets, moons, comets, and asteroids, and their interactions with the Sun, focusing on plasma and atmospheric processes. A grass-roots effort has been recently started toward establishing a European Heliophysics Community (https://www.heliophysics.eu/). This white paper outlines the motivation, priorities, and a future vision of Heliophysics in Europe.
Ariel Tello Fallau, Charlotte Goetz, Cyril Simon Wedlund, Martin Volwerk, and Anja Moeslinger
Ann. Geophys., 41, 569–587, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-41-569-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-41-569-2023, 2023
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The plasma environment of comet 67P provides a unique laboratory to study plasma phenomena in the solar system. Previous studies have reported the existence of mirror modes at 67P but no further systematic investigation has so far been done. This study aims to learn more about these waves. We investigate the magnetic field measured by Rosetta and find 565 mirror mode signatures. The detected mirror modes are likely generated upstream of the observation and have been modified by the plasma.
Katharina Ostaszewski, Karl-Heinz Glassmeier, Charlotte Goetz, Philip Heinisch, Pierre Henri, Sang A. Park, Hendrik Ranocha, Ingo Richter, Martin Rubin, and Bruce Tsurutani
Ann. Geophys., 39, 721–742, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-39-721-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-39-721-2021, 2021
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Plasma waves are an integral part of cometary physics, as they facilitate the transfer of energy and momentum. From intermediate to strong activity, nonlinear asymmetric plasma and magnetic field enhancements dominate the inner coma of 67P/CG. We present a statistical survey of these structures from December 2014 to June 2016, facilitated by Rosetta's unprecedented long mission duration. Using a 1D MHD model, we show they can be described as a combination of nonlinear and dissipative effects.
Martin Volwerk, David Mautner, Cyril Simon Wedlund, Charlotte Goetz, Ferdinand Plaschke, Tomas Karlsson, Daniel Schmid, Diana Rojas-Castillo, Owen W. Roberts, and Ali Varsani
Ann. Geophys., 39, 239–253, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-39-239-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-39-239-2021, 2021
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The magnetic field in the solar wind is not constant but varies in direction and strength. One of these variations shows a strong local reduction of the magnetic field strength and is called a magnetic hole. These holes are usually an indication that there is, or has been, a temperature difference in the plasma of the solar wind, with the temperature along the magnetic field lower than perpendicular. The MMS spacecraft data have been used to study the characteristics of these holes near Earth.
Herbert Gunell, Charlotte Goetz, Elias Odelstad, Arnaud Beth, Maria Hamrin, Pierre Henri, Fredrik L. Johansson, Hans Nilsson, and Gabriella Stenberg Wieser
Ann. Geophys., 39, 53–68, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-39-53-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-39-53-2021, 2021
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When the magnetised solar wind meets the plasma surrounding a comet, the magnetic field is enhanced in front of the comet, and the field lines are draped around it. This happens because electric currents are induced in the plasma. When these currents flow through the plasma, they can generate waves. In this article we present observations of ion acoustic waves, which is a kind of sound wave in the plasma, detected by instruments on the Rosetta spacecraft near comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.
Rumi Nakamura, Thierry Dudok de Wit, Geraint H. Jones, Matt G. G. T. Taylor, Nicolas C. Andre, Charlotte Goetz, Lina Z. Hadid, Laura A. Hayes, Heli Hietala, Caitriona M. Jackman, Larry Kepko, Aurelie Marchaudon, Adam Masters, Mathew Owens, Noora Partamies, Stefaan Poedts, Jonathan Rae, Yuri Shprits, Manuela Temmer, Daniel Verscharen, and Robert F. Wimmer-Schweingruber
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3814, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3814, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Annales Geophysicae (ANGEO).
Short summary
Short summary
Heliophysics spans a wide range of disciplines covering the study of the Sun and the different Solar System bodies, such as Earth and other planets, moons, comets, and asteroids, and their interactions with the Sun, focusing on plasma and atmospheric processes. A grass-roots effort has been recently started toward establishing a European Heliophysics Community (https://www.heliophysics.eu/). This white paper outlines the motivation, priorities, and a future vision of Heliophysics in Europe.
Ariel Tello Fallau, Charlotte Goetz, Cyril Simon Wedlund, Martin Volwerk, and Anja Moeslinger
Ann. Geophys., 41, 569–587, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-41-569-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-41-569-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The plasma environment of comet 67P provides a unique laboratory to study plasma phenomena in the solar system. Previous studies have reported the existence of mirror modes at 67P but no further systematic investigation has so far been done. This study aims to learn more about these waves. We investigate the magnetic field measured by Rosetta and find 565 mirror mode signatures. The detected mirror modes are likely generated upstream of the observation and have been modified by the plasma.
Tomas Karlsson, Henriette Trollvik, Savvas Raptis, Hans Nilsson, and Hadi Madanian
Ann. Geophys., 40, 687–699, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-40-687-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-40-687-2022, 2022
Short summary
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Magnetic holes are curious localized dropouts of magnetic field strength in the solar wind (the flow of ionized gas continuously streaming out from the sun). In this paper we show that these magnetic holes can cross the bow shock (where the solar wind brake down to subsonic velocity) and enter the region close to Earth’s magnetosphere. These structures may therefore represent a new type of non-uniform solar wind–magnetosphere interaction.
Katharina Ostaszewski, Karl-Heinz Glassmeier, Charlotte Goetz, Philip Heinisch, Pierre Henri, Sang A. Park, Hendrik Ranocha, Ingo Richter, Martin Rubin, and Bruce Tsurutani
Ann. Geophys., 39, 721–742, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-39-721-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-39-721-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Plasma waves are an integral part of cometary physics, as they facilitate the transfer of energy and momentum. From intermediate to strong activity, nonlinear asymmetric plasma and magnetic field enhancements dominate the inner coma of 67P/CG. We present a statistical survey of these structures from December 2014 to June 2016, facilitated by Rosetta's unprecedented long mission duration. Using a 1D MHD model, we show they can be described as a combination of nonlinear and dissipative effects.
Martin Volwerk, David Mautner, Cyril Simon Wedlund, Charlotte Goetz, Ferdinand Plaschke, Tomas Karlsson, Daniel Schmid, Diana Rojas-Castillo, Owen W. Roberts, and Ali Varsani
Ann. Geophys., 39, 239–253, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-39-239-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-39-239-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The magnetic field in the solar wind is not constant but varies in direction and strength. One of these variations shows a strong local reduction of the magnetic field strength and is called a magnetic hole. These holes are usually an indication that there is, or has been, a temperature difference in the plasma of the solar wind, with the temperature along the magnetic field lower than perpendicular. The MMS spacecraft data have been used to study the characteristics of these holes near Earth.
Herbert Gunell, Charlotte Goetz, Elias Odelstad, Arnaud Beth, Maria Hamrin, Pierre Henri, Fredrik L. Johansson, Hans Nilsson, and Gabriella Stenberg Wieser
Ann. Geophys., 39, 53–68, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-39-53-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-39-53-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
When the magnetised solar wind meets the plasma surrounding a comet, the magnetic field is enhanced in front of the comet, and the field lines are draped around it. This happens because electric currents are induced in the plasma. When these currents flow through the plasma, they can generate waves. In this article we present observations of ion acoustic waves, which is a kind of sound wave in the plasma, detected by instruments on the Rosetta spacecraft near comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.
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Short summary
Boundaries in the plasma around comet 67P separate regions with different properties. Many have been identified, including a new boundary called an infant bow shock. Here, we investigate how the plasma and fields behave at this boundary and where it can be found. The main result is that the infant bow shock occurs at intermediate activity and intermediate distances to the comet. Most plasma parameters behave as expected; however, some inconsistencies indicate that the boundary is non-stationary.
Boundaries in the plasma around comet 67P separate regions with different properties. Many have...
