首页 | 本学科首页   官方微博 | 高级检索  
相似文献
 共查询到20条相似文献,搜索用时 31 毫秒
1.
We report on observations of the dust trail of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (CG) in visible light with the Wide Field Imager at the ESO/MPG 2.2 m telescope at 4.7 AU before aphelion, and at with the MIPS instrument on board the Spitzer Space Telescope at 5.7 AU both before and after aphelion. The comet did not appear to be active during our observations. Our images probe large dust grains emitted from the comet that have a radiation pressure parameter β<0.01. We compare our observations with simulated images generated with a dynamical model of the cometary dust environment and constrain the emission speeds, size distribution, production rate and geometric albedo of the dust. We achieve the best fit to our data with a differential size distribution exponent of −4.1, and emission speeds for a β=0.01 particle of 25 m/s at perihelion and 2 m/s at 3 AU. The dust production rate in our model is on the order of 1000 kg/s at perihelion and 1 kg/s at 3 AU, and we require a dust geometric albedo between 0.022 and 0.044. The production rates of large (>) particles required to reproduce the brightness of the trail are sufficient to also account for the coma brightness observed while the comet was inside 3 AU, and we infer that the cross-section in the coma of CG may be dominated by grains of the order of .  相似文献   

2.
We present analyses and results from both narrowband photometry and CCD imaging of Comet 81P/Wild 2 from multiple apparitions, obtained in support of the Stardust mission. These data include photometric measurements from 12 days before the encounter and imaging from 3 days after. Using narrowband photometry from the different apparitions, we analyzed the dust and gas production rates as a function of heliocentric distance, finding a substantial seasonal effect where the production of OH, NH, and dust peaks 11-12 weeks before perihelion. The CN, C2, and C3 production show no such asymmetry, suggesting that there may be heterogeneities among different sources on the nucleus. The water production peaked at a level of approximately in 1997. A comparison of the relative abundances of minor gas species places Wild 2 in the “depleted” category in the A'Hearn et al. (1995, Icarus 118, 223) taxonomic classifications. Continuum measurements at multiple wavelengths indicate that the comet has a low dust-to-gas ratio, with moderately reddened dust. In our images we see a dust tail, an anti-tail and two well-defined jets. The primary jet, which persists for several months and is roughly aligned with the spin axis, has a source latitude >+75°, while the secondary jet is located on the opposite hemisphere between −37° and −62°. We used the apparent position angle of the primary jet to determine the pole orientation, α=281±5°, δ=+13±7°, and surmise that the nucleus is likely in a state of simple rotation. The primary source is continuously illuminated when Wild 2 is inbound and turns away from the Sun at about the time that the comet reaches perihelion, explaining the seasonal effects in the production rates. We measured lightcurves on several observing runs but saw no significant modulation, so no constraints can be set on the rotation rate. Images at different wavelengths show that the jets have the same colors as the dust in other regions in the coma and tail, indicating that the grain properties are similar throughout the coma. Radial profiles of the coma were measured in various directions on a number of different observing runs, and we discuss the findings from these measurements. Finally, we compare our results with other published data and attempt to predict future times at which observations should be obtained to help constrain additional properties.  相似文献   

3.
One of the goals of comet research is the determination of the chemical composition of the nucleus because it provides us with the clues about the composition of the nebula in which comet nuclei formed. It is well accepted that photo-chemical reactions must be considered to establish the abundances of mother molecules in the coma as they are released from the comet nucleus or from distributed dust sources in the coma. However, the mixing ratios of mother molecules in the coma changes with heliocentric distance. To obtain the abundances in the nucleus relative to those in the coma, we must turn our attention to the release rates of mother molecules from the nucleus as a function of heliocentric distance. For this purpose, we assume three sources for the coma gas: the surface of the nucleus (releasing mostly water vapor), the dust in the coma (the distributed source of several species released from dust particles), and the interior of the porous nucleus (the source of many species more volatile than water). The species diffusing from the interior of the nucleus are released by heat transported into the interior. Thus, the ratio of volatiles relative to water in the coma is a function of the heliocentric distance and provides important information about the chemical composition and structure of the nucleus. Our goal is to determine the abundance ratios of various mother molecules relative to water from many remote-sensing observations of the coma as a function of heliocentric distance. Comet Hale-Bopp is ideal for this purpose since it has been observed using instruments in many different wavelength regions over large ranges of heliocentric distances. The ratios of release rates of species into the coma are than modeled assuming various chemical compositions of the spinning nucleus as it moves from large heliocentric distance through perihelion. Since the heat flow into the nucleus will be different after perihelion from that before perihelion, we can also expect different gas release rates after perihelion compared to those observed before perihelion. Since not all the data are available yet, we report on progress of these calculations. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.  相似文献   

4.
A class of comets, of which Comet Kohoutek (1973f) is typical, show total as well as monochromatic brightness asymmetries about perihelion. They are fainter after perihelion than before at the same heliocentric distance. A model of the cometary nucleus consisting of a growing non-volatile dust mantle surrounding a volatile icy core is used to discuss this phenomenon.Numerical results are obtained for Comet Kohoutek (1973f). It is found that dust mantles of thickness in the range of 10–75 cm can be grown by perihelion passage for various values of the thermal conductivity of the dust if there is no substantial dust blow-off by the sublimating volatiles.The thermal conductivity of the dust mantle is quite small and is dominated by radiative conductivity for heliocentric distances 2 AU. Since the radiative conductivity is larger for larger grain size, the thickest mantle corresponds to coarsest matrix.The strong insulation provided by the growing dust layer progressively suppresses the surface temperature of the volatile core below its quasi-equilibrium value had there been no mantle. As a consequence the production rate of the parent-molecules as well as the monochromatic brightness of their daughter products increases less steeply than in the mantleless case, as the comet approaches perihelion. Furthermore, there are significant monochromatic brightness asymmetries about perihelion, which are enhanced if there is a greater dust blow-off before perihelion than after, as is believed to be the case with Comet Kohoutek (1973f). Estimates of this asymmetry of 1 × 2 magnitudes for the OH brightness at a heliocentric distance × 1 AU are consistent with the rather limited observations.  相似文献   

5.
David G. Schleicher 《Icarus》2006,181(2):442-457
We present compositional and physical results of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the new target of ESA's Rosetta mission. A total of 16 nights of narrowband photometry were obtained at Lowell Observatory during the 1982/83 and 1995/96 apparitions, along with one night of imaging near perihelion in 1996. These data encompass an interval of −61 to +118 days from perihelion, corresponding to a range of heliocentric distances before perihelion from 1.48 to 1.34 AU, and an outbound range from 1.30 to 1.86 AU. Production rates were determined for OH, NH, CN, C3, and C2, along with A(θ)fρ, a proxy of the dust production. Water production, based on OH, has a steep () power-law rH-dependence post-perihelion and the minor species are somewhat less steep ( to −4), while the dust is quite shallow (), possibly due to a lingering population of large, slow-moving grains. All species exhibit larger production rates after perihelion, with water having a ∼2×pre/post-perihelion asymmetry, while minor species and dust have larger asymmetries. These asymmetries imply a strong seasonal effect and probable high obliquity of the rotational axis, along with one or more isolated source regions coming into sunlight near perihelion. Peak water production (which occurred about 1 month after perihelion) was and, when combined with a standard water vaporization model, implies an effective active area on the surface of the nucleus of ∼1.5-2.2 km2 or an active fraction of only about 3-4%. Abundances of carbon-chain molecules yield a classification of slightly “depleted” in the A'Hearn et al. [A'Hearn, M.F., Millis, R.L., Schleicher, D.G., Osip, D.J., Birch, P.V., 1995. Icarus 118, 223-270] database. The peak dust production (as measured by A(θ)fρ, and uncorrected for phase angle) was ∼450 cm, while the color of the dust is moderately reddened, and the mean radial profile has a power-law slope of −1.3. Large night-to-night variability is also present, presumably due to the source region(s) rotating in and out of sunlight along with effects due to the use of differently sized apertures. A strong sunward radial feature was detected in images obtained near perihelion, along with a significant asymmetry between the two perpendicular directions from the Sun/tail line. These features may be the result of a mid-latitude source region sweeping out a cone with each rotation, which we are viewing from the side and where the sunward radial feature is one edge of the cone seen in projection. When combined with other constraints on the pole orientation, a possible pole solution is found having an obliquity of about 134° at an RA of about 223° and a Dec of −65°, with a source region located near +50° and in overall agreement with the photometric results. In comparison to the original Rosetta target Comet 46P/Wirtanen, Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko has essentially the same peak water production but a peak dust production about 3 times greater than does Wirtanen based on A(θ)fρ (i.e., if one assumes that the properties of the dust grains are similar) (cf. Farnham and Schleicher [1998. Astron. Astrophys. 335, L50-L55]).  相似文献   

6.
Micha? Drahus  Wac?aw Waniak 《Icarus》2006,185(2):544-557
The article presents results of CCD photometry in R-band of a dynamically new Comet C/2001 K5 (LINEAR), obtained at a heliocentric distance of about 5.6 AU, after the perihelion passage. Being so distant from the Sun, this comet was extremely active (Afρ close to 2000 cm), exhibiting quite well developed dust coma and tail. During the observations, general photometric behavior of the comet with heliocentric distance r was well described by the 2.5nlog(r) function with coefficient n=5. The radial profiles of the coma were found to be undulated, with mean slope of the dependence between cometary magnitude and 2.5log of aperture radius (at comet distance) equal to . The light curve of Comet LINEAR exhibited short-term variability which we attributed to cyclic changes of dust emission, induced by nucleus rotation. Model computations by some authors have revealed that active comets can change their spin status quite substantially even during a single orbital revolution. Thus, attempting to search for a rotation frequency, we have modified the classical PDM approach by including the spin acceleration term. Such DynamicalPDM (DPDM) method revealed the most reliable solution for the frequency f0=0.019048±0.000013 h−1 and its first time-derivative (index “zero” denotes reference to the mid time of the whole observing run), indicating a rapid spin-down of the nucleus. These parameters are equivalent to the rotation period of 52.499±0.036 h and its relative increment of 0.02729±0.00013. We present the most probable evolution of the rotation frequency of Comet LINEAR, based on the results of periodicity analysis and a simple, almost parameter independent, dynamical model of nucleus rotation. It is also shown that the DPDM may be an effective tool for determination of a nucleus radius, which provided us with the value of 1.53±0.25 km for Comet LINEAR.  相似文献   

7.
The variations in production rates for Comet 46P/Wirtanen for the species H2O and the parents of C2 and CN are examined from the point of view of a variety of commonly used scale lengths. The calculations are carried out as a function of heliocentric distance. It is shown that, by using a common set of scale lengths, the results of various investigators can be brought into acceptable accord. The resulting production rates of H2O and the parents of C2 and CN versus heliocentric distance are recalculated and plotted versus the heliocentric distance rH. The curves show reasonable agreement with a slope of ∼rH−4. The water production rate near perihelion of 46P/Wirtanen is close to .  相似文献   

8.
Masateru Ishiguro 《Icarus》2008,193(1):96-104
A thin, bright dust cloud, which is associated with the Rosetta mission target object (67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko), was observed after the 2002 perihelion passage. The neckline structure or dust trail nature of this cloud is controversial. In this paper, we definitively identify the dust trail and the neckline structure using a wide-field CCD camera attached to the Kiso 1.05-m Schmidt telescope. The dust trail of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was evident as scattered sunlight in all images taken between September 9, 2002 and February 1, 2003, whereas the neckline structure became obvious only after late 2002. We compared our images with a semi-analytical dynamic model of dust grains emitted from the nucleus. A fading of the surface brightness of the dust trail near the nucleus enabled us to determine the typical maximum size of the grains. Assuming spherical compact particles with a mass density of 103 kg m−3 and an albedo of 0.04, we deduced that the maximum diameter of the dust particles was approximately 1 cm. We found that the mass-loss rate of the comet at the perihelion was on or before the 1996 apparition, while the mass-loss rate averaged over the orbit reached . The result is consistent with the studies of the dust cloud emitted in the 2002/2003 return. Therefore, we can infer that the activity of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has showed no major change over the past dozen years or so, and the largest grains are cyclically injected into the dust tube lying along the cometary orbit.  相似文献   

9.
Perihelion motion, i.e. a secular change of longitude of perihelion, of interplanetary dust particles is investigated under the action of solar gravity and solar electromagnetic radiation. As for spherical particle [Kla?ka, J., 2004. Electromagnetic radiation and motion of a particle. Cel. Mech. Dynam. Astron. 89, 1-61]: (i) perihelion motion is of the order ( is heliocentric velocity of the meteoroid and c is the speed of light in vacuum), if a component of electromagnetic radiation acceleration is considered as a part of central acceleration; (ii) perihelion motion is of the first order in if the total electromagnetic radiation force is considered as a disturbing force. The new facts presented in this paper concern irregular dust particles. Detailed numerical calculations were performed for the grains ejected at aphelion of comet Encke. Perihelion motion for irregular interplanetary dust particles exists already in the first order in for both cases of central accelerations. Moreover, perihelion motion of irregular particles exhibits both positive and negative directions during the particle orbital motion. Irregularity of the grains causes not only perihelion motion, but also dispersion of the dust in various directions, also normal to the orbital plane of the parent body.  相似文献   

10.
An analysis is presented for the photometric data on comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) from observations at a large heliocentric distance (~4.1 AU). Comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) displays intense activity despite the relatively large heliocentric distance. The morphology of the comet’s coma is analyzed. The following parameters are measured: the color indices V-R, the normalized spectral gradient of the reflectivity of the comet’s dust S', and the dust production rate Afρ. A numerical simulation is performed for the evolution of the comet’s orbit after a close encounter with Mars. The most probable values are obtained for the Keplerian orbital elements of the comet over a hundred-year period. The comet’s orbit remains nearly parabolic after passing the orbits of all the Solar System planets.  相似文献   

11.
The nucleus bulk density of Comet 19P/Borrelly has been estimated by modeling the sublimation-induced non-gravitational force acting upon the orbital motion, thereby reproducing the empirical perihelion advance (i.e., the shortening of the orbital period). The nucleus has been modeled as a prolate ellipsoid, covered by various surface activity maps which reproduce the observed water production rate. The theoretical water production rate of active areas has been obtained by applying a sophisticated thermophysical model. This model takes into account net sublimation of ice and thermal reradiation from the surface, solid state conductivity, sub-surface sublimation and recondensation, mass and heat transport by diffusing gas, layer absorption of solar energy, a full treatment of local time-dependent illumination conditions, and a detailed consideration of nucleus/coma interaction mechanisms. The outgassing properties of the modeled nucleus are physically consistent with the gas kinetic structure of the innermost coma since the molecular backflux and surface gas density required in the thermophysical model (as functions of the nucleus surface temperature and the sub-surface temperature profile) have been obtained from Direct Simulation Monte Carlo modeling of inelastic intermolecular collisions in the cometary Knudsen layer. The calculation of local normal forces acting on the nucleus due to outgassing has been made within the same framework—recoil and/or impact momentum transfer to the nucleus caused by sublimating molecules and by recondensing and/or scattered coma molecules is therefore evaluated in accordance with local nucleus/coma conditions. According to this model, the density is found to be 100-300 kg, depending on the applied spin axis orientation and surface activity map. This range can be narrowed down to 180-300 kg by also requiring that the empirical changes (per orbital revolution) of the argument of perihelion and the longitude of the ascending node are reproduced.  相似文献   

12.
Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) was the most productive recent comet observed in terms of gas and dust output. Since its discovery in 1995 at a distance of 7.14 AU from the Sun, the comet has been well observed, revealing the dynamics of a rare and large comet. Hale-Bopp showed strong emissions of the principle cometary gases CN, C3, and C2, as well as an abundance of dust. The production rates of these gases were found to be 1.45×1028, 1.71×1028, and , respectively, with dust production, in terms of Afρ, , as measured in the green continuum (5260 Å). The observations for this paper are presented in two groups spanning 10 days each, one group centered near 32 days prior to and the other 21 days after perihelion. The averages of dust and gas production rates show a slightly higher value for each prior to perihelion than after perihelion, consistent with a possible peak in production a few weeks prior to perihelion passage.  相似文献   

13.
By means of narrow-band Fabry-Perot filters, which exclude the interference from molecular line fluorescence, the brightness of Comet Kohoutek (1973f) has been measured at 8560 and 8748 Å. Data reduction on the basis of averaged Mie-scattering cross sections indicates that the dust production rate was different before and after perihelion at the same heliocentric distances. This asymmetry suggests that vaporization and dust entrainment were governed by fractionation of a multicomponent mixture of parent molecules in a comparatively porous cometary nucleus.  相似文献   

14.
On the origin of HNC in Comet Lee   总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1  
We have modelled the chemistry occurring in the coma of Comet Lee and have critically evaluated the possible routes leading to HNC. We show that the observed levels of HNC cannot be produced by ion–molecule chemistry, or by reactions of energetic H atoms with HCN. Rather, it appears that HNC is injected into the coma following the photodestruction of an unknown precursor. We discuss the possible nature of the parent of HNC and conclude that photofragmentation of large HCN polymers, such as polyaminocyanomethylene (PACM), is responsible. The degradation of hydrogen cyanide polymers may constitute a common source of HNC in comets, accounting for HNC/HCN ratios in the range measured in Lee and Hyakutake (≈ 0.06–0.12). The high HNC/HCN ratio measured in Hale–Bopp (≈0.2) and its heliocentric variation may, however, require an additional source.  相似文献   

15.
The H2CO production rates measured in Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) from radio wavelength observations [Biver, N., and 22 colleagues, 2002a. Earth Moon Planets 90, 5-14] showed a steep increase with decreasing heliocentric distance. We studied the heliocentric evolution of the degradation of polyoxymethylene (formaldehyde polymers: (CH2O)n, also called POM) into gaseous H2CO. POM decomposition can indeed explain the H2CO density profile measured in situ by Giotto spacecraft in the coma of Comet 1P/Halley, which is not compatible with direct release from the nucleus [Cottin, H., Bénilan, Y., Gazeau, M.-C., Raulin, F., 2004. Icarus 167, 397-416]. We show that the H2CO production curve measured in Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) can be accurately reproduced by this mechanism with a few percents by mass of solid POM in grains. The steep heliocentric evolution is explained by the thermal degradation of POM at distances less than 3.5 AU. This study demonstrates that refractory organics present in cometary dust can significantly contribute to the composition of the gaseous coma. POM, or POM-like polymers, might be present in cometary grains. Other molecules, like CO and HNC, might also be produced by a similar process.  相似文献   

16.
Based on long-slit infrared spectroscopic observations, it has been suggested that half of the carbon monoxide present in the atmosphere of Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) close to perihelion was released by a distributed source in the coma, whose nature (dust or gas) remains unidentified. We re-assess the origin of CO in Hale-Bopp’s coma from millimeter interferometric data and a re-analysis of the IR lines.Simultaneous observations of the CO J(1–0) (115 GHz) and J(2–1) (230 GHz) lines were undertaken with the IRAM Plateau de Bure interferometer in single-dish and interferometric modes. The diversity of angular resolutions (from 1700 to 42,000 km diameter at the comet) is suitable to study the radial distribution of CO and detect the extended source observed in the infrared. We used excitation and radiative transfer models to simulate the single-dish and interferometric data. Various CO density distributions were considered, including 3D time-dependent hydrodynamical simulations which reproduce temporal variations caused by the presence of a CO rotating jet. The CO J(1–0) and J(2–1) observations can be consistently explained by a nuclear production of CO. Composite 50:50 nuclear/extended productions with characteristic scale lengths of CO parent Lp > 1500 km are rejected.Based on similar radiation transfer calculations, we show that the CO v = 1–0 ro-vibrational lines observed in Comet Hale-Bopp at heliocentric distances less than 1.5 AU are severely optically thick. The broad extent of the CO brightness distribution in the infrared is mainly due to optical depth effects entering in the emitted radiation. Additional factors can be found in the complex structure of the CO coma, and non-ideal slit positioning caused by the anisotropy of dust IR emission.We conclude that both CO millimeter and infrared lines do not provide compelling evidence for a distributed source of CO in Hale-Bopp’s atmosphere.  相似文献   

17.
I. Toth  P. Lamy 《Icarus》2005,178(1):235-247
The investigation of fragmented comets provides information on the physical properties and internal structure of cometary nuclei, as well as insights into the mechanisms responsible for cometary breakups. The Jupiter-family Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 (73P/SW3) fragmented non-tidally into at least four components, and probably more, in the autumn of 1995. Fragment C was detected with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) on 26 November 2001 when it was 3.26 AU from the Sun and 2.34 AU from the Earth. The high spatial resolution of the HST allowed us to separate the signal of the fragment from that of its coma, and to determine its R magnitude in the Johnson-Kron-Cousins photometric system from four images taken with the F675W filter. Assuming a spherical body with a geometric albedo of 0.04 and a linear phase coefficient of 0.04 mag deg−1 for the R band, we derived an effective radius of . The pre-breakup radius of the original nucleus was estimated to be 1.1 km, which implies that the volume of fragment C is ∼25% of the total volume of the pre-breakup nucleus. The limited temporal coverage of our observations preclude deriving an accurate shape or rotational period; our measurements are consistent with a rather spherical body but an elongated shape cannot be excluded. Fragment C was very active despite its rather large heliocentric distance, with an estimated dust production rate of (∼130 metric tons day−1). A very large fraction of the surface area of fragment C must have been sublimating to sustain such a high level of activity. Fragment C may be recovered at its next return in 2006, if it does not experience further fragmentation.  相似文献   

18.
Radio OH observations of 9P/Tempel 1 before and after Deep Impact   总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1  
We observed 18-cm OH emission in Comet 9P/Tempel 1 before and after Deep Impact. Observations using the Arecibo Observatory 305 m telescope took place between 8 April and 9 June, 2005, followed by post-impact observations using the National Radio Astronomy Observatory 100 m Green Bank Telescope 4-12 July, 2005. The resulting spectra were analyzed with a kinematic Monte Carlo model which allows estimation of the OH production rate, neutral gas outflow velocity, and distribution of the out-gassing from the nucleus. We detected typically 24% variability from the overall OH production rate trend in the two months leading up to the impact, and no dramatic increase in OH production in the days post-impact. Generally, the coma is well-described, within uncertainties, by a symmetric model with OH production rates from 1.6 to , and mean water outflow velocity of . At these low production rates, collisional quenching is expected to occur only within 20,000 km of the nucleus. However, our best-fit average quenching radius is 64,200 ± 22,000 km in April and May.  相似文献   

19.
Several fragments of Comet Hyakutake were observed in March and April of 1996. This leads to the impression that the splitting of Comet Hyakutake on a small scale occurred frequently. Data analysis points to a rotation period of about 6.18hr if the fragments of Apr. 11 are the condensations within a jet.  相似文献   

20.
The OSIRIS cameras on the Rosetta spacecraft observed Comet 9P/Tempel 1 from 5 days before to 10 days after it was hit by the Deep Impact projectile. The Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) monitored the cometary dust in 5 different filters. The Wide Angle Camera (WAC) observed through filters sensitive to emissions from OH, CN, Na, and OI together with the associated continuum. Before and after the impact the comet showed regular variations in intensity. The period of the brightness changes is consistent with the rotation period of Tempel 1. The overall brightness of Tempel 1 decreased by about 10% during the OSIRIS observations. The analysis of the impact ejecta shows that no new permanent coma structures were created by the impact. Most of the material moved with . Much of it left the comet in the form of icy grains which sublimated and fragmented within the first hour after the impact. The light curve of the comet after the impact and the amount of material leaving the comet ( of water ice and a presumably larger amount of dust) suggest that the impact ejecta were quickly accelerated by collisions with gas molecules. Therefore, the motion of the bulk of the ejecta cannot be described by ballistic trajectories, and the validity of determinations of the density and tensile strength of the nucleus of Tempel 1 with models using ballistic ejection of particles is uncertain.  相似文献   

设为首页 | 免责声明 | 关于勤云 | 加入收藏

Copyright©北京勤云科技发展有限公司  京ICP备09084417号