Speaker
Prof.
Andrew Coates
(UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory)
Description
Ion pickup provides the key mechanism by which comets interact with the solar wind. Following ionization of neutral particles, the new-born ions are accelerated in the convection electric field and gyrate around the magnetic field – forming a cycloid in real space and an unstable ring in velocity space. Pickup is present at most other planetary objects, and in the outer solar system there are recent data from Titan, Enceladus, Rhea, Dione and Saturn’s neutral-dominated magnetosphere. Here, we briefly review the pickup process and present examples of pickup ions at all these objects. We look forward to future missions where pickup will play a key role such as JUICE.
Primary author
Prof.
Andrew Coates
(UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory)
