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We use data from several instruments on board Cassini to determine the characteristics of the plasma and dust regions around Saturn's moon Enceladus. For this we utilize the Langmuir probe and the electric antenna connected to the wideband receiver of the radio and plasma wave science (RPWS) instrument package as well as the magnetometer (MAG). We show that there are several distinct plasma and dust regions around Enceladus. Specifically they are the plume filled with neutral gas, plasma, and charged dust, with a distinct edge boundary region. Here we present observations of a new distinct plasma region, being a dust trail on the downstream side. This is seen both as a difference in ion and electron densities, indicating the presence of charged dust, and directly from the signals created on RPWS antennas by the dust impacts on the spacecraft. Furthermore, we show a very good scaling of these two independent dust density measurement methods over four orders of magnitude in dust density, thereby for the first time cross-validating them. To establish equilibrium with the surrounding plasma the dust becomes negatively charged by attracting free electrons. The dust distribution follows a simple power law and the smallest dust particles in the dust trail region are found to be 10 nm in size as well as in the edge region around the plume. Inside the plume the presence of even smaller particles of about 1 nm is inferred. From the magnetic field measurements we infer strong field-aligned currents at the geometrical edge of Enceladus.

Context. Strong electron cooling on the neutral gas in cometary comae has been predicted for a long time, but actual measurements of low electron temperature are scarce. Aims. Our aim is to demonstrate the existence of cold electrons in the inner coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and show filamentation of this plasma.

Methods. In situ measurements of plasma density, electron temperature and spacecraft potential were carried out by the Rosetta Langmuir probe instrument, LAP. We also performed analytical modelling of the expanding two-temperature electron gas.

Results. LAP data acquired within a few hundred km from the nucleus are dominated by a warm component with electron temperature typically 5-10 eV at all heliocentric distances covered (1.25 to 3.83 AU). A cold component, with temperature no higher than about 0.1 eV, appears in the data as short (few to few tens of seconds) pulses of high probe current, indicating local enhancement of plasma density as well as a decrease in electron temperature. These pulses first appeared around 3 AU and were seen for longer periods close to perihelion. The general pattern of pulse appearance follows that of neutral gas and plasma density. We have not identified any periods with only cold electrons present. The electron flux to Rosetta was always dominated by higher energies, driving the spacecraft potential to order -10 V.

Conclusions. The warm (5-10 eV) electron population observed throughout the mission is interpreted as electrons retaining the energy they obtained when released in the ionisation process. The sometimes observed cold populations with electron temperatures below 0.1 eV verify collisional cooling in the coma. The cold electrons were only observed together with the warm population. The general appearance of the cold population appears to be consistent with a Haser-like model, implicitly supporting also the coupling of ions to the neutral gas. The expanding cold plasma is unstable, forming filaments that we observe as pulses.

We present Rosetta RPC case study from four events at various radial distance, phase angle and local time from autumn 2015, just after perihelion of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Pulse like (high amplitude, up to minutes in time) signatures are seen with several RPC instruments in the plasma density (LAP, MIP), ion energy and flux (ICA) as well as magnetic field intensity (MAG). Furthermore the cometocentric distance relative to the electron exobase is seen to be a good organizing parameter for the measured plasma variations. The closer Rosetta is to this boundary, the more pulses are measured. This is consistent with the pulses being filaments of plasma originating from the diamagnetic cavity boundary as predicted by simulations. 

Context. The electron temperature of the plasma is one important aspect of the environment. Electrons created by photoionization or impact ionization of atmospheric gas have energies ∼10 eV. In an active comet coma the gas density is high enough for rapid cooling of the electron gas to the neutral gas temperature (few hundred kelvin). How cooling evolves in less active comets has not been studied before.

Aims. To investigate how electron cooling varied as comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko changed its activity by three orders of magnitude during the Rosetta mission.

Methods. We use in-situ data from Rosetta plasma and neutral gas sensors. By combining Langmuir probe bias voltage sweeps and Mutual Impedance Probe measurements we determine when cold electrons form at least 25% of the total electron density. We compare the results to what is expected from simple models of electron cooling, using the observed neutral gas density as input.

Results. We demonstrate that the slope of the Langmuir probe sweep can be used as a proxy for cold electron presence. We show statistics of cold electron observations over the 2 year mission period. We find cold electrons at lower activity than expected by a simple model based on free radial expansion and continuous loss of electron energy. Cold electrons are seen mainly when the gas density indicates an exobase may have formed.

Conclusions. Collisional cooling of electrons following a radial outward path is not sufficient for explaining the observations. We suggest the ambipolar electric field is important for the observed cooling. This field keeps electrons in the inner coma for much longer time, giving them time to dissipate energy by collisions with the neutrals. We conclude there is need of better models to describe the plasma environment of comets, including at least two populations of electrons and the ambipolar field.