Solar wind interaction with Comet Bennett (1969i)

Abstract

This paper examines the relations between the solar-wind and Comet Bennett during the period March 23 to April 5, 1970. A large kink was observed in the ion tail of the comet on April 4, but no solarwind stream was observed in the ecliptic plane which could have caused the kink. Thus, either there was no correlation between the solar wind at the earth and and that at Comet Bennett (which was 40 0 above the ecliptic) or the kink was caused by something other than a high-speed stream.The fine structure visible in photographs of the kink favors the second of these alternatives. It is shown that a shock probably passed through Comet Bennett on March 31, but no effect was seen in ph~tographs of the comet.A stream preceded by another shock and a large ab~upt change in momentum flux might have intercepted the comet between March 24 and March 28, but again no effect was seen in photogr~ph~of the Comet. In view of these results, one must seriously consider the possibility that a large, abrupt change in momentum flux of the solar-wind is neither necessary nor sufficient to cause a large kink in a comet tail.

15. Physical Study of Comets

“…Similar results are reported by Burlaga et al (1972) in a very detailed study made at Goddard. In view of these results, one must seriously consider the possibility that a large abrupt change in momentum flux of the solar wind is neither necessary nor sufficient to cause a large disturbance in a comet tail.…”

Near‐tail reconnection as the cause of cometary tail disconnections

“…This process is thought to be responsible for the shock triggering of terrestrial substorms. While initial studies of comet Bennett suggested that solar wind changes had little effect on comets [Burlaga et al, 1973], subsequent work has indicated that shocks do induce changes in the ion tail [Jockers and Lust, 1973]. In fact the shock-induced kink in the tail of comet Bennett could well be a tail disconnection event.…”