Anisotropy of the Neutral Gas Distribution of Comet Halley Deduced from NGE/VEGA-1 Measurements
Abstract
The neutral gas density profile of comet Halley measured by the Neutral Gas Experiment on Vega 1 showed an asymmetry between the inbound and the outbound legs during the fly-by on 6 March 1986. The implications of this asymmetry are discussed, and it is shown how the asymmetry detected by NGE on Vega 1 can be traced back to regions on or near the nucleus to obtain their relative gas production activities at specific times of emission.
- Publication:
-
ESLAB Symposium on the Exploration of Halley's Comet
- Pub Date:
- December 1986
- Bibcode:
- 1986ESASP.250a.417H
- Keywords:
-
- Anisotropy;
- Density Measurement;
- Halley'S Comet;
- Neutral Gases;
- Vega Project;
- Asymmetry;
- Comet Nuclei;
- Mean Free Path;
- Rarefied Gas Dynamics;
- Astrophysics