Enhanced Radio Source Scintillation due to Comet Austin (1989c1)

Abstract

Enhanced scintillations in the direction of the quasar 2204+29 (3C441) were observed on 13 May 1990 when the tail of Comet Austin passed in front of it. Comparison with previous observations at 103, 327 and 408 MHz of Comet Halley and at 408 MHz of Comet Wilson show that proper occultation geometry is essential for observing enhanced scintillations. It has been shown that the solar elongation ? during such observations should be large, typically greater than 60· and in no case less than 30· at 103 MHz. At the time of the occultation the scintillation index (r.m.s./mean source flux) was greater than that expected for this source by a factor of 3. The r.m.s. electron density variation /IN, at a distance of 0·9 A.U. from the sun and 7·3· downstream of the nucleus, was found to be 6 cm-3 as compared with 1 cm-3 for the normal solar wind at 1 A.U. The corresponding scale sizes of the turbulence were found to be much finer than normally found in interplanetary scintillation (IPS) caused by the solar wind.