First Direct Observation of the Interaction between a Comet and a Coronal Mass Ejection Leading to a Complete Plasma Tail Disconnection
First Direct Observation of the Interaction between a Comet and a Coronal Mass Ejection Leading to a Complete Plasma Tail Disconnection
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DOI：
10.1086/522587
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发表时间：
2007-10
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
A. Vourlidas;Chris J. Davis;C. Eyles;S. Crothers;R. A. Harrison;Russell A. Howard;J. Daniel Moses;D. Socker
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
A. Vourlidas;Chris J. Davis;C. Eyles;S. Crothers;R. A. Harrison;Russell A. Howard;J. Daniel Moses;D. Socker
这是第一个直接成像的发现报告，彗星与日冕物质抛射（CME）的相互作用，在日光层内部，具有高的时间和空间分辨率。观测结果是由STEREO使命上的日地连接日冕和日光层调查日光层成像仪-1（HI-1）获得的。它们揭示了彗星2 P/Encke的等离子体尾巴的长度达到前所未有的程度，并使我们能够研究壮观的尾部断开事件背后的机制。我们的初步分析表明，断开是由CME中夹带的磁场与彗星周围的行星际磁场之间的磁重联驱动的，而不是由压力效应驱动的。在我们得出结论之前，还需要进一步的分析，重新连接是否发生在彗星的白天一侧或尾部一侧。然而，这些观测结果为大规模的尾部断开是磁性起源的观点提供了强有力的支持。在线电影揭示了太阳风结构和等离子体尾部之间的大量相互作用，超越了与CME的碰撞。今后对这一数据集的分析应能提供关于日光层内部结构的重要见解。
This a discovery report of the first direct imaging of the interaction a comet with a coronal mass ejection (CME) in the inner heliosphere with high temporal and spatial resolution. The observations were obtained by the Sun-Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) Heliospheric Imager-1 (HI-1) aboard the STEREO mission. They reveal the extent of the plasma tail of comet 2P/Encke to unprecedented lengths and allow us to examine the mechanism behind a spectacular tail disconnection event. Our preliminary analysis suggests that the disconnection is driven by magnetic reconnection between the magnetic field entrained in the CME and the interplanetary field draped around the comet and not by pressure effects. Further analysis is required before we can conclude whether the reconnection occurs on the day side or on the tail side of the comet. However, the observations offer strong support to the idea that large-scale tail disconnections are magnetic in origin. The online movie reveals a wealth of interactions between solar wind structures and the plasma tail beyond the collision with the CME. Future analyses of this data set should provide critical insights on the structure of the inner heliosphere.