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Plasma astrophysics implication in discovery and interpretation of X-ray radiation from comets
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 June 2011
Abstract
Discovery of soft X-ray radiation from comet Hyakutake C/1996 B2 by space telescope ROSAT in March 1996 as well as establishing the regularity of the phenomenon for comets in general opened a new area of research for the plasma astrophysics. The first soft X-ray observations have been motivated by the results of a theoretical investigation on the efficiency of production of energetic photons, in the energy range 0.1-1 keV, by hot plasma clumps generated in dusty comets via high velocity collision with interplanetary dust at small heliocentric distances. Moreover, the soft X-ray luminosities measured significantly exceeded the value predicted. A short review of proposed theoretical models and mechanisms for explaining X-ray emission from comets as well as some prospects for the future X ray observations of comets are presented.
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- Contributed Papers
- Information
- Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 6 , Symposium S274: Advances in Plasma Astrophysics , September 2010 , pp. 76 - 79
- Copyright
- Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2011
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