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The international cometary explorer mission to comet Giacobini-ZinnerThe encounter, on September 11, 1985, between the International Cometary Explorer (ICE) and the comet Giacobini-Zinner, is described in detail. The primary goal of this encounter was to study the interaction between the solar wind and the comet. At the time of the encounter, the spacecraft was approximately 50 times farther from the earth than it was designed to go, making it difficult to recover data. The seven instruments on board ICE which were operational in this mission were the plasma electron, magnetometer, plasma waves, radio waves, plasma composition, low-energy cosmic ray, and energetic proton instruments. The encounter is depicted schematically, showing the times different regions were crossed. The spacecraft velocity vector, measured relative to the comet, made a 93 deg angle with respect to the plasma tail axis. The spacecraft crossed the center of the comet ion tail at approximately 1102 U.T. A cold, dense plasma was found near the center of the tail; at the very center was a temperature reading of only 13,000 K and a density of 670 electrons/cu cm. Alfven's model of comet tail formation was confirmed and it was found that water group ions are the dominant comet component. Pulses were detected which were attributed to dust particles hitting the spacecraft.
Document ID
19860049505
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Von Rosenvinge, T. T.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Brandt, J. C.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Farquhar, R. W.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
April 18, 1986
Publication Information
Publication: Science
Volume: 232
ISSN: 0036-8075
Subject Category
Astronautics (General)
Accession Number
86A34243
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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