Plasma Wave Scenario in Comets

Abstract

Plasma waves have a universal presence in our solar system – planets, some of their satellites and interplanetary medium. The solar plasma environment of also supports the generation of plasma waves such as electron and ion cyclotron waves, the magnetosonic and Alfven waves which travels a long distance in heliosphere. The plasma environment around a comet is also capable of sustaining plasma waves, some of which are observed in comets Giacobini-Zinner, Halley, Grigg-Skjellerup and Borrelly. Some other comets such as Hyakutake and 67/PChuryumov-Gerasimenko are also supposed to sustain plasma waves but are yet to be observed. This paper presents a brief review on the plasma wave observations in cometary plasma environment carried out so far and some of the unresolved plasma wave issues in comets.