Coma Structures in Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, Components B and C,Between January and May 2006 |
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| Authors: | Jean-Baptiste Vincent Hermann Böhnhardt Ivano Bertini Luisa-Maria Lara Michael Küppers Rafael Rodrigo |
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| Institution: | 1.Max-Planck Institut für Sonnensystemforschung,Katlenburg-Lindau,Germany;2.Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, CSIC,Granada,Spain;3.European Space Astronomy Center (ESAC),Villanueva de la Canada,Spain |
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| Abstract: | The Jupiter family comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 has been widely observed since 1995 after a nucleus break-up event produced
at least five components labeled 73P-A to E. During the 2006 appearance, two of them (B and C) showed very strong coma activity.
Our R-filter imaging of 73P-B & C from 21 January to 25 May 2006 revealed the presence of fan-like structures in the comae
of both components and evidence for further fragmentation events in component B. As of early April 2006, component C showed
two jets emanating from the nucleus, with one continuously visible. Through a simulation of the orbital geometry we infer
that the rotation axis of 73P-C has an inclination of 20° to the orbital plane and a longitude of 45° at perihelion. The coma
activity of component B was highly variable, displaying signatures of at least 3 fragmentation events. The coma was characterized
by the continuous presence of a jet roughly in sunward direction, starting from the beginning of May. The first fragmentation
event of component B may have happened between April 16 and April 26, leading to the presence of at least 6 fragments detected
in images of May 2. The second one happened on or shortly before May 8, the third one between May 18 and 24. For the rotation
axis of 73P-B we infer an inclination of 5°–15° to the orbital plane and a longitude of 20°–30° at perihelion. |
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