journal of food measurement and characterization2015Vol. 33pp. 1031-1036
72
richter2015annalesobservation
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.