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Discontinuity, Nonlinearity, and Complexity 7(2) (2018) 143--149 | DOI:10.5890/DNC.2018.06.003

Edgard de F. D. Evangelista$^{1}$, Margarete O. Domingues$^{2}$, Odim Mendes$^{3}$, Oswaldo D. Miranda$^{4}$

$^{1}$ Laboratório Associado de Computação eMatemática Aplicada, PCI/MCTI/INPE, São José dos Campos, Brazil

$^{2}$ Laboratório Associado de Computação e Matemática Aplicada, INPE, São José dos Campos, Brazil

$^{3}$ Divisão de Geofísica Espacial, INPE, São José dos Campos, Brazil

$^{4}$ Divisão de Astrofísica, INPE, São José dos Campos, Brazil

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Abstract

We present simulations of a comet interacting with the solar wind. Such simulations are treated in the framework of the ideal, 2D magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), using the FLASH code in order to solve the equations of such a formalism. Besides, the comet is treated as a spherically symmetric source of ions in the equations of MHD. We generate results considering several scenarios, using different values for the physical parameters of the solar wind and of the comet in each case. Our aim is to study the influence of the solar wind on the characteristics of the comet and, given the nonlinear nature of the MHD, we search for the occurrence of phenomena which are typical of nonlinear systems such as instabilities and turbulence.

Acknowledgments

EFD Evangelista acknowledges the Brazilian agency CNPq, grant 300887/2017-5 (PCI INPE). O Mendes, MO Domingues and OD Miranda acknowledge FINEP (under agreement 01.12.0527.00), the Brazilian agencies CNPq (grants 306038/2015-3; 307083/2017-9; 303350/2015-6; 312246/2013-7), FAPESP (grant 2015/25624- 2), CAPES for financial support. Solar wind data were provided by GSFC/SPDF with the OMNIWeb interface. FLASH was in part developed by the DOE NNSA-ASC OASCR Flash Center at the University of Chicago.

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