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Optical observations of the AMPTE artificial comet from the Northern Hemisphere

Nature volume 320, pages 704–708 (1986)Cite this article

Abstract

The AMPTE artificial comet of 27 December 1984 developed a well-defined core (maximum size ∼160 × 100km) of cold barium ions, surrounded by a diffuse coma, 500km in diameter, consisting of ions extracted from the core. A plasma tail extended from the core, mainly directed away from the Sun. The plasma tail and diffuse coma consisted of energetic ions (>200 eV). Confounding predictions, the artificial comet survived for barely 5 minutes, and the core of the comet moved southward, rather than in the direction of the solar wind

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1 6BT, UK

    David Rees

  2. Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, 99701, USA

    Thomas J. Hallinan & Hans C. Stenbaek-Nielsen

  3. Department of Astronomy, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA

    Michael Mendillo & Jeffrey Baumgardner

Authors
  1. David Rees
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  2. Thomas J. Hallinan
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  3. Hans C. Stenbaek-Nielsen
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  4. Michael Mendillo
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  5. Jeffrey Baumgardner
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Rees, D., Hallinan, T., Stenbaek-Nielsen, H. et al. Optical observations of the AMPTE artificial comet from the Northern Hemisphere. Nature 320, 704–708 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/320704a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/320704a0

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