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Comet distorted by solar storms
Astronomers have noticed the first direct evidence that solar storms can wreak havoc with comets, destroying their ion tails
The ion tails of comets constantly stream away from the Sun, pushed back by solar wind blowing at about 894,774 mph (400 kilometers per second). But the charged particles of CMEs, among the worst of solar storms, can slam into a comet’s ion tail at about 2.2 million mph (1,000 kilometers per second), causing kinks, scalloped patterns or disrupting the tail altogether.
But by watching comet tail behavior, researchers could learn more about changes in CME structure and speed as they move through space. At the heart of Jones’ study is the comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang, which passed through the inner solar system during spring 2002. Ikeya-Zhang’s ion tail was studied NASA/European Space Agency SOHO spacecraft and by amateur astronomers.
CME events recorded by SOHO instruments on March 2, March 9-10 and April 17 appear to have slammed into Ikeya-Zhang’s ion tail each about a day or so after leaving the Sun. None of the CMEs distorted the comet’s tail for more than an hour.
posted by: kyawoo at 20:13 |
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