Comparison of observed and calculated implanted ion distributions outside Comet Halley's bow shock

This paper compares calculated and measured energy spectra of implanted H(+) and O(+) ions on the assumption that the pickup geometry is quasi-parallel and about 1 percent of the waves generated by the cometary pickup process propagate backward (toward the comet). The model provides a good description of the implanted O(+) and H(+) energy distribution near the pickup energies. The thickness of the implanted ion velocity distribution shells was nearly constant between 2.5 and 1.2 million km (just outside the shock) along the inbound Giotto trajectory. The explanation is that the velocity diffusion coefficient and characteristic diffusion time vary approximately as 1/r and r, respectively, and therefore their product (which determines the velocity shell thickness) remains nearly constant.