NASA NTRS · 19790043265
Currents in the cometary atmosphere
Abstract
If the structure of the magnetic field and electric current in the cometary type I tail can be represented by an electric current circuit, disruption of the cross-tail current system may lead to a current discharging through the cometary ionosphere, and the dissipation of the magnetic energy stored in the tail. From the point of view of energy budget, a tail-aligned magnetic field on the order of 10 gamma will be sufficient to produce a strong ionization effect of the cometary atmosphere.
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Ip, W.-H.. 1979-02-01. Currents in the cometary atmosphere. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19790043265
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