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Instrumental and environmental effects on RPC-ICA measurements of the cometary ion dynamics at comet 67P/CG

Observations provided from RPC-ICA in combination with the data from RPC-MAG and ROSINA-COPS show that many aspects of the time variability of the detected ions is correlated with the magnetic field or -- to a smaller extent -- with neutral atmosphere density. We also show that not all changes in the cometary ion data reflect the nature of the plasma dynamics, but are a consequence of the instrumental limitations. The main outcome of the article in Appendix 1 is that the cometary ions can be divided into two populations with distinct characteristics. One population we termed the convecting population, is accelerated to higher energies through the interaction with the solar wind. The other population we termed the expanding population is moving radially away from the nucleus in the terminator plane. Both populations exhibit a significant anti-sunward component.In addition we present in this thesis a case with observations day-side of the terminator plane. There we show how the expanding population has a sunward component, consistent with initial radial expansion of the ions from the nucleus which gradually turn into an anti-sunward flow which is then observed in the terminator plane.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:ltu-65531
Date January 2017
CreatorsBerčič, Laura
PublisherLuleå tekniska universitet, Rymdteknik, Swedish Institute of Space Physics
Source SetsDiVA Archive at Upsalla University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeStudent thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text
Formatapplication/pdf
Rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
RelationThesis: Master of Science in Mechanichal Engineering,

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