X-rays from comets generated by energetic solar wind particles

Abstract By means of axisymmetric hydrodynamic models with chemistry we study the X-ray emission of two processes in a comet: Bremsstrahlung of solar wind electrons interacting with the neutral gas coma, and charge exchange of heavy solar wind ions in high ionization states with the neutral cometary gas. Comparisons of morphology, intensity and spectrum with observations favour heavy ions as the emitting agent.