RPC: The Rosetta Plasma Consortium

Lee, C.G.Y.; Beek, T. J.; Dunford, Charlotte; Mīchau, J. L.; Nilsson, Hans; Lundin, Kersti; Barabash, S.; Borg, H.; Norberg, O.; Fedorov, A.; Sauvaud, J. A.; Koskinen, H.; Kallio, Esa; Riihelä, P.; Burch, J. L.; Goldstein, R.; Cravens, T. E.; Gibson, William C.; Lundin, R.; Pollock, C. J.; Winningham, J. D.; Young, D. T.; Gill, Reine; Wahlund, Jan‐Erik; André, Mats; Mälkki, Anssi; Lybekk, B.; Pedersen, A.; Holtet, J. A.; Blomberg, Lars G.; Edberg, Niklas J. T.; Glaßmeier, Karl‐Heinz; Richter, Ingo; Musmann, G.; Auster, H. U.; Motschmann, U.; Balogh, A.; Carr, Chris; Cupido, E.; Coates, A. J.; Rother, M.; Schwingenschuh, K.; Stoll, B.; Szegö, K.; Tsurutani, B. T.; Trotignon, J. G.; Lagoutte, D.; Vallières, Xavier; Lebreton, J. P.; Eriksson, Anders; Laakso, H.; Mazelle, C.

doi:10.1007/978-0-387-77518-0_15

Cited by 20 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 86 publications

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“…There are further interesting and exciting observations made by the Rosetta Plasma Consortium [51] in the innermost interaction region of 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. For example, multiple entries into a magnetic cavity have been observed in the interaction region [52].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interaction of the solar wind with comets: a Rosetta perspective

Glaßmeier¹

2017

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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The Rosetta mission provides an unprecedented possibility to study the interaction of comets with the solar wind. As the spacecraft accompanies comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko from its very low-activity stage through its perihelion phase, the physics of mass loading is witnessed for various activity levels of the nucleus. While observations at other comets provided snapshots of the interaction region and its various plasma boundaries, Rosetta observations allow a detailed study of the temporal evolution of the innermost cometary magnetosphere. Owing to the short passage time of the solar wind through the interaction region, plasma instabilities such as ring--beam and non-gyrotropic instabilities are of less importance during the early life of the magnetosphere. Large-amplitude ultra-low-frequency (ULF) waves, the ‘singing’ of the comet, is probably due to a modified ion Weibel instability. This instability drives a cross-field current of implanted cometary ions unstable. The initial pick-up of these ions causes a major deflection of the solar wind protons. Proton deflection, cross-field current and the instability induce a threefold structure of the innermost interaction region with the characteristic Mach cone and Whistler wings as stationary interaction signatures as well as the ULF waves representing the dynamic aspect of the interaction.This article is part of the themed issue ‘Cometary science after Rosetta’.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interaction of the solar wind with comets: a Rosetta perspective

Glaßmeier¹

2017

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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“…For the present analysis only data from the outboard sensor were used. Further instrument details are described in Glassmeier et al (2007b) and Carr et al (2007). Although the magnetometer sensors are mounted on a short boom, they are still influenced by magnetic fields generated by the spacecraft itself.…”

Section: Rosetta Magnetic Field Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Magnetic field investigations during ROSETTA's 2867 Šteins flyby

Auster

Richter

Glaßmeier

et al. 2010

Planetary and Space Science

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“…The Rosetta spacecraft carries five instruments for measuring plasma properties as well as magnetic and electric fields around the comet. These form the Rosetta Plasma Consortium (RPC) [ Carr et al , ]. In this paper we will present a combined data set from all instruments.…”

Section: Instrumentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solar wind interaction with comet 67P: Impacts of corotating interaction regions

et al. 2016

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We present observations from the Rosetta Plasma Consortium of the effects of stormy solar wind on comet 67P/Churyumov‐Gerasimenko. Four corotating interaction regions (CIRs), where the first event has possibly merged with a coronal mass ejection, are traced from Earth via Mars (using Mars Express and Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN mission) to comet 67P from October to December 2014. When the comet is 3.1–2.7 AU from the Sun and the neutral outgassing rate ∼1025–1026 s−1, the CIRs significantly influence the cometary plasma environment at altitudes down to 10–30 km. The ionospheric low‐energy (∼5 eV) plasma density increases significantly in all events, by a factor of >2 in events 1 and 2 but less in events 3 and 4. The spacecraft potential drops below −20 V upon impact when the flux of electrons increases. The increased density is likely caused by compression of the plasma environment, increased particle impact ionization, and possibly charge exchange processes and acceleration of mass‐loaded plasma back to the comet ionosphere. During all events, the fluxes of suprathermal (∼10–100 eV) electrons increase significantly, suggesting that the heating mechanism of these electrons is coupled to the solar wind energy input. At impact the magnetic field strength in the coma increases by a factor of 2–5 as more interplanetary magnetic field piles up around the comet. During two CIR impact events, we observe possible plasma boundaries forming, or moving past Rosetta, as the strong solar wind compresses the cometary plasma environment. We also discuss the possibility of seeing some signatures of the ionospheric response to tail disconnection events.

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RPC: The Rosetta Plasma Consortium

Cited by 20 publications

References 86 publications

Interaction of the solar wind with comets: a Rosetta perspective

Interaction of the solar wind with comets: a Rosetta perspective

Magnetic field investigations during ROSETTA's 2867 Šteins flyby

Solar wind interaction with comet 67P: Impacts of corotating interaction regions

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