A three-dimensional MHD simulation of the interaction of the solar wind with Comet Halley

The interaction between the solar wind and cometary plasmas is simulated using a three-dimensional time-dependent MHD simulation model, and the results are compared with the recent satellite observations of Comet Halley. The model, which includes cometary mass loading, reproduces many of the features observed by the Suisei probe and the Giottot, including the weak bow shock, the enhancement of the magnetic field in front of the contact surface, and the plasma temperature increase across the bow shock (while it decreased near the comet).