Comet Tail Disconnections Observed by SMEI

HR: 0800h
AN: SH21A-0396 [Abstracts]
TI: Comet Tail Disconnections Observed by SMEI
AU: * Kuchar, T A
EM: thomas.kuchar@hanscom.af.mil
AF: Boston College, Institute for Scientific Research 140 Commonwealth Ave., Chestnut Hill, MA 02167 United States
AU: Mizuno, D
AF: Boston College, Institute for Scientific Research 140 Commonwealth Ave., Chestnut Hill, MA 02167 United States
AU: Arge, C N
AF: Air Force Research Laboratory, VSBX 29 Randolph Road, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731 United States
AU: Webb, D F
AF: Boston College, Institute for Scientific Research 140 Commonwealth Ave., Chestnut Hill, MA 02167 United States
AU: Kahler, S W
AF: Air Force Research Laboratory, VSBX 29 Randolph Road, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731 United States
AU: Johnston, J C
AF: Air Force Research Laboratory, VSBX 29 Randolph Road, Hanscom AFB, MA 01731 United States
AB: The Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) was launched into orbit in January 2003 with the primary mission of detecting and tracking coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The three-camera SMEI system produces a nearly complete image of the sky every 100 minutes. Providing nearly continuous monitoring of the sky, SMEI is in a unique position to make serendipitous observations of transient astronomical phenomena. From mid-April to late May 2004 SMEI observed three bright comets, Bradfield (C/2004 F4), LINEAR (C/2002 T7), and NEAT (C/2001 Q4), traversing the inner solar system. During this period both NEAT and LINEAR experienced spectacular tail disconnections. Since SMEI was designed to be sensitive to the very low level of emission from CMEs, it was able to observe and track the very faint comet remnants over much longer time and spatial scales not possible from the ground. We present these comet observations, compare them with the projected interplanetary solar magnetic fields, and discuss the possible disconnection causes including current sheet crossings and disruption from a CME front.
DE: 7513 Coronal mass ejections
DE: 6210 Comets
SC: SPA-Solar and Heliospheric Physics [SH]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting