Ceres interaction with the solar wind. Issue 5 (4th March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lindkvist, Jesper; Holmström, Mats; Fatemi, Shahab; Wieser, Martin; Barabash, Stas
• Is Part Of: Geophysical research letters. Volume 44:Issue 5(2017)
• Page Start: 2070
• Page End: 2077
• Publication Date: 2017-03-04
• Subjects: Ceres -- hybrid model -- solar wind -- mass loading -- exosphere -- sublimation; Geophysics -- Periodicals; Planets -- Periodicals; Lunar geology -- Periodicals; 550
• DOI: 10.1002/2016GL072375
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0094-8276

Abstract

Abstract: The solar wind interaction with Ceres is studied for a high water vapor release from its surface using a hybrid model including photoionization. We use a water vapor production rate of 6 kg/s, thought to be due to subsurface sublimation, corresponding to a detection on 6 March 2013 by the Herschel Space Observatory. We present the general morphology of the plasma interactions, both close to Ceres and on a larger scale. Mass loading of water ions causes a magnetic pileup region in front of Ceres, where the solar wind deflects up to 15° and slows down by 15%. The global plasma interaction with Ceres is not greatly affected by the source location of water vapor nor on gravity, only on the production rate of water vapor. On a global scale, Ceres has a comet‐like interaction with the solar wind with observable perturbations farther than 250 Ceres radii downstream of the body. Key Points: The general morphology of the solar wind interaction with Ceres and the associated water vapor, using a hybrid model including gravity Ceres has a strong interaction with the solar wind. This is of general interest and will inform future missions to Ceres On a global scale Ceres interacts with the solar wind like a weak comet, as gravity, obstacle, source location, have no significant effect