On small-scale turbulence in cometary tails

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (9) References (26) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS On small-scale turbulence in cometary tails. Lee, L. C. ; Wu, C. S. Abstract Fluctuations in the intensity of radio waves during occultation by cometary tails indicate the existence of small-scale turbulence with wavenumber of approximately 12.5 nanokaysers in the comet's tail. It is suggested that the turbulence may be attributed to the hydromagnetic Kelvin-Helmholtz instability due to a strong velocity shear. The excited waves are, in general, a mixture of Alfven waves and fast magnetosonic waves. It is found that the instability may generate a turbulence spectrum with a peak at approximately 12.5 nanokaysers, which is consistent with observation. It is shown that the observed turbulence may scatter solar-wind protons, transfer momentum from the solar wind to the plasma in the comet's tail, and give an acceleration of about 30 to 300 cm/sec per sec for the cometary ions. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: March 1979 DOI: 10.1086/156921 Bibcode: 1979ApJ...228..935L Keywords: Comet Tails; Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability; Magnetohydrodynamic Stability; Plasma Acceleration; Plasma Turbulence; Radio Sources (Astronomy); Magnetohydrodynamic Waves; Plasma Density; Plasma Temperature; Power Spectra; Radio Waves; Solar Wind Velocity; Astrophysics; Cometary Tails:Plasma; Cometary Tails:Turbulence full text sources ADS |