  We model the interaction of the solar wind with the plasma tail of a comet by
means of numerical simulations, taking into account the effects of viscous-like
forces.A 2D hydrodynamical, two species, finite difference code has been
developed for the solution of the time dependent continuity, momentum and
energy conservation equations, as applied to the problem at hand. Velocity,
density and temperature profiles across the tail are obtained. Several cases
with different flow parameters are considered in order to study the relative
importance of viscous-like effects and the coupling between species on the flow
dynamics. Assuming a Mach number equal to 2 for the incident solar wind as it
flows past the comet nucleus, the flow exhibits three transitions with location
and properties depending on the Reynolds number for each species and on the
ratio of the timescale for inter-species coupling to the crossing time of the
free flowing solar wind. By comparing our results with the measurements taken
in situ by the Giotto spacecraft during its flyby of comet Halley we constrain
the flow parameters for both plasmas. In the context of our approximations, we
find that our model is qualitatively consistent with the in situ measurements
as long as the Reynolds number of the solar wind protons and of cometary H2O+
ions is low, less than 100, suggesting that viscous-like momentum transport
processes may play an important role in the interaction of the solar wind and
the plasma environment of comets.
