Probing the Solar Magnetic Field with a Sun-Grazing Comet

被引：58

作者：

Downs, Cooper ^{[1
]}

Linker, Jon A. ^{[1
]}

Mikic, Zoran ^{[1
]}

Riley, Pete ^{[1
]}

Schrijver, Carolus J. ^{[2
]}

Saint-Hilaire, Pascal ^{[3
]}

机构：

[1] Predict Sci Inc, San Diego, CA 92121 USA

[2] Lockheed Martin Adv Technol Ctr, Palo Alto, CA 94304 USA

[3] Univ Calif Berkeley, Space Sci Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA

来源：

SCIENCE | 2013年 / 340卷 / 6137期

关键词：

EMISSION; MODEL;

D O I：

10.1126/science.1236550

中图分类号：

O [数理科学和化学]; P [天文学、地球科学]; Q [生物科学]; N [自然科学总论];

学科分类号：

07 ; 0710 ; 09 ;

摘要：

On 15 and 16 December 2011, Sun-grazing comet C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy) passed deep within the solar corona, effectively probing a region that has never been visited by spacecraft. Imaged from multiple perspectives, extreme ultraviolet observations of Lovejoy's tail showed substantial changes in direction, intensity, magnitude, and persistence. To understand this unique signature, we combined a state-of-the-art magnetohydrodynamic model of the solar corona and a model for the motion of emitting cometary tail ions in an embedded plasma. The observed tail motions reveal the inhomogeneous magnetic field of the solar corona. We show how these motions constrain field and plasma properties along the trajectory, and how they can be used to meaningfully distinguish between two classes of magnetic field models.

引用

页码：1196 / 1199

页数：4

共 12 条

[1]

[Anonymous], 2008, NASATM2008214161

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