UV Photopolarimetric Imaging of C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) with the Wide Field Imaging Survey Polarimeter (WISP)     

Harris  W. M.  Nordsieck  K. H.  Scherb  F.  Mierkiewicz  E. J. 《Earth, Moon, and Planets》1997,78(1-3):161-167

We report on the reduction and analysis of UVpolarimetric images of CI (λ1657 Å) and dust continuum (2696 Å emissions from C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) taken using the Wide Field Imaging Survey Polarimeter (WISP) sounding rocket on 8 April, 1997. These observations represent the first imaging polarimetry of comets in the UV, and were performed in consort with ground based measurements of gas and dust polarization and distribution. The continuum results show 9% polarization across the image field with a polarization phase angle close to the 129° prediction. Comparison with ground based data implies minimal color dependence for Hale-Bopp in either the degree of polarization and in the position angle. The carbon polarimetry implies that most production occurs in the dense inner coma, and that it leaves that area in thermodynamic equilibrium. Its radial profile further constrains the carbon outflow speed to be sufficient to travel ≥5 × 10⁶ km without photoionization.  相似文献   

Wide Field Imaging and the Velocity Structure in the Coma of Hale–Bopp     

Harris  Walter M.  Morgenthaler  Jeffrey P.  Scherb  Frank  Anderson  Christopher  Oliversen  Ronald J. 《Earth, Moon, and Planets》2002,90(1-4):45-56

The comae of very active comets have a substantiallymore complex coma than their weaker cousins.The primary cause of this is photolytic heating and collisionsthat occur over an ever-larger volume of the coma asQ_{H 2O} increases. Collisionswith the photochemical daughters ofwater in this regionmodify the radial distributions and outflowvelocity of each species, excite and quench metastableemissions, and introduce velocity gradients from photolyticheating. Comet Hale–Bopp was the first comet forwhich the collisional coma was both spatially resolvableand comparable in extent to the scale lengths ofmajor coma species. In the case of this object,the classical assumptions that make it possible toinvert radial emission line profiles, brightnesses, andlineshapes to production rate and velocity eitherdo not hold or require adjustment to work.Here we describe how a large collision zone modifies thecoma, how it affects the classical methods for obtainingproduction rate and velocity, and discuss how wide fieldimaging may be combined with modified versions ofsimple models to address the complications and extract somestructural information.  相似文献   

Velocity-Resolved Observations of Hα Emission From Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale–Bopp)     

Morgenthaler  Jeffrey P.  Harris  Walter M.  Scherb  Frank  Doane  Nathaniel E.  Oliversen  Ronald J. 《Earth, Moon, and Planets》2002,90(1-4):89-97

We present hydrogen Balmer-α spectra of comet C/1995 O1(Hale–Bopp) recorded on 5 nights from 1997 February 1 to April 19 by ahigh-resolution (Δ v = 5 km s^-1) Fabry–Pérot spectrometer for a4'.1 (∼2.7 × 10⁵ km) FOV centered 5' sunwardof the nucleus. The Hα line profile is an important diagnostic ofphotolytic heating in cometary atmospheres. Extraction of the spectrafrom the Fabry–Pérot ring images was complicated by obscuration of the telescope FOV due to Hale–Bopp's low elevation, but the measuredH-α line widths of 11–13 km s^-1 (FWHM) are insensitive to the spectral extraction technique. The line widths are consistent withestimates derived from a successful model of Hale–Bopp's hydrogenLyman-α coma assuming the inner coma is opaque to Hα. Wediscuss methods for improving the spectral extraction technique andderiving a precise instrument profile which will allow the detailedshape of the line profile to constrain coma models.  相似文献   

The Gas Production Rate and Coma Structure of Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale–Bopp)     

Morgenthaler  Jeffrey P.  Harris  Walter M.  Roesler  Frederick L.  Scherb  Frank  Anderson  Christopher M.  Doane  Nathaniel E.  Oliversen  Ronald J. 《Earth, Moon, and Planets》2002,90(1-4):77-87

The University of Wisconsin–Madison and NASA–Goddard conducted acomprehensive multi-wavelength observing campaign of coma emissionsfrom comet Hale–Bopp, including OH 3080 Å, [O I] 6300 Å H₂O⁺ 6158 Å, H Balmer-α 6563 Å, NH₂ 6330 Å, [C I] 9850 ÅCN 3879 Å, C₂ 5141 Å, C₃ 4062 Å,C I 1657 Å, and the UV and optical continua. In thiswork, we concentrate on the results of the H₂O daughter studies.Our wide-field OH 3080 Å measured flux agrees with other, similarobservations and the expected value calculated from published waterproduction rates using standard H₂O and OH photochemistry.However, the total [O I] 6300 Å flux determined spectroscopically overa similar field-of-view was a factor of 3-4 higher than expected.Narrow-band [O I] images show this excess came from beyond theH₂O scale length, suggesting either a previously unknown source of[O I] or an error in the standard OH + ν→ O(¹ D) + H branching ratio. The Hale–Bopp OH and[O I] distributions, both of which were imaged tocometocentric distances >1 × 10⁶ km, were more spatiallyextended than those of comet Halley (after correcting for brightnessdifferences), suggesting a higher bulk outflow velocity. Evidence ofthe driving mechanism for this outflow is found in the Hα lineprofile, which was narrower than in comet Halley (though likelybecause of opacity effects, not as narrow as predicted by Monte-Carlomodels). This is consistent with greater collisional coupling betweenthe suprathermal H photodissociation products and Hale–Bopp's densecoma. Presumably because of mass loading of the solar wind by ionsand ions by the neutrals, the measured acceleration of H₂O⁺ downthe ion tail was much smaller than in comet Halley. Tailwardextensions in the azimuthal distributions of OH 3080 Å,[O I], and [C I] , as well as a Doppler asymmetry in the[O I] line profile, suggest ion-neutral coupling. While thetailward extension in the OH can be explained by increased neutralacceleration, the [O I] 6300 Å and [C I] 9850 Å emissions show 13%and >200% excesses in this direction (respectively), suggesting anon-negligible contribution from dissociative recombination of CO⁺and/or electron collisional excitation. Thus, models including theeffects of photo- and collisional chemistry are necessary for the fullinterpretation of these data.  相似文献