Comet Bowell 1980b

A’Hearn, M. F.; Schleicher, D. G.; Millis, R. L.; Feldman, P. D.; Thompson, D. T.

doi:10.1086/113552

Cited by 524 publications

(176 citation statements)

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“…The standard method of estimating the dust content of the coma is through measurement of the A fρ parameter (units of cm) as defined by A'Hearn et al (1984). Although transformation to a dust mass-loss rate requires further assumptions or modelling, A fρ has the advantage that it is calculated solely on the basis of the observed photometric brightness.…”

Section: Predictions From Observed Dust Activitymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Main Belt Comets and ice in the Solar System

Snodgrass

Agarwal

Combi

et al. 2017

Astron Astrophys Rev

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We review the evidence for buried ice in the asteroid belt; specifically the questions around the so-called Main Belt Comets (MBCs). We summarise the evidence for water throughout the Solar System, and describe the various methods for detecting it, including remote sensing from ultraviolet to radio wavelengths. We review progress in the first decade of study of MBCs, including observations, modelling of ice survival, and discussion on their origins. We then look at which methods will likely be most effective for further progress, including the key challenge of direct detection of (escaping) water in these bodies.

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Section: Predictions From Observed Dust Activitymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Main Belt Comets and ice in the Solar System

Snodgrass

Agarwal

Combi

et al. 2017

Astron Astrophys Rev

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“…We used the Afρ parameter (A'Hearn et al 1984) to characterize the dust activity of Wild 2. The derived values for January to August 2010 at several cometocentric distances are presented in Table 4.…”

Section: Dust Coma Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical studies of 81P/Wild 2 from the last two apparitions

Lin

Lara

Vincent

et al. 2012

A&A

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Context. We downloaded data for the comet 81P/Wild 2 for May and June 2004 from the ESO archive and monitored this comet from January to August 2010 during its 6th perihelion passage since its discovery in 1978. Photometric data were used to monitor the comet's gas and dust activity as a function of heliocentric distance. Non-photometric data were used for an analysis of the evolution of the dust coma morphology. Aims. The goal of the analysis of the observational data was to characterize the evolution of the cometary activity as the nucleus approaches the Sun. We also aimed to assess the gas and dust production rates for the last two apparitions and investigated the evolution of the dust coma morphology during the last passage in 2010. Methods. The long-slit spectra data were acquired with the EFOSC2 instrument mounted at the 3.6. m ESO telescope in Chile, while narrowband and broadband images were obtained using the 1-m telescope at the Lulin Observatory in Taiwan. Image enhancing techniques were used to investigate the evolution of the dust coma morphology in the R-broadband images, and we modeled the evolution of these dust jets. Where possible, we studied the dust and gas production rate, and the radial profiles of the dust brightness in the Sun-anti-sunward directions.Results. The morphological analysis helped us to detect the jet structures in the dust coma by using the Larson-Sekanian filter. In May 2004, only one feature had been found on the sunward side. In 2010, one of the jet features had been switched-off after January, and at least four new jets were found from April to May. The physical properties show an average reddening between 4420 Å and 6840 Å of 8.4% per 1000 Å and the average resulting log of the C 2 -to-CN production rate ratio is -0.454 ± 0.13, which would place Wild 2 in the "depleted" category according to the taxonomic classification. The slope of the radial dependence of the gas production rates for CN and C 2 is very consistent with observations of many other Jupiter-family comets. The slopes of the surface brightness lie between 0.98 and 1.38 in the images taken at the Lulin observatory, whose the range interval from 2000 km to 30 000 km is roughly consistent with the ρ −1 law. However, the gradient of the radial profile in the sunward direction in the outer region (4.0 ≤ log ρ(km) ≤ 4.5) is slightly steeper than that in the inner region (3.3 ≤ log ρ(km) ≤ 4.0).

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“…The dust production rate was derived with optical measurements of the A(α) f ρ parameter in cm, where A(α) is the dust albedo at the considered phase angle, f is the so-called filling factor, and ρ the projected nucleocentric aperture radius (A'Hearn et al 1984). This parameter is a function of the observing geometry, the measured cometary flux inside the photometric aperture, and the solar flux in the same filter.…”

Section: Af ρmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photometric observations of comet 81P/Wild 2 during the 2010 perihelion passage

Bertini

Barbieri

et al. 2012

A&A

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Context. The Jupiter-family comet 81P/Wild 2, target of the NASA Stardust mission, is very important in the context of the studies of pristine objects in the solar system. First, it was only recently deflected into the present orbit, having spent at least 300 yr at higher heliocentric distance prior to the orbital change in 1974. It is therefore likely that the comet experienced a recent activation with consequent low alteration of its original material. Second, it is the only comet whose coma material was brought back to Earth for laboratory analysis. We observed the object between 2010 February 9 and September 9 for a total of 11 nights during the 2010 perihelion passage. Aims. The goals of the campaign were the characterization of the comet's dust activity and the comparison with previous apparitions to derive hints on the secular behavior of the object. Methods. Broadband R-and I-images were acquired using three instruments: ALFOSC, CAMELOT, and TCP. The first one is mounted at the Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma, while the second and the third are mounted at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias 0.82-m telescope on Tenerife. We analyzed the presence and variability of dust structures in the coma with image-enhancing techniques, the radial profile of the dust brightness, and we measured the dust production rate and the dust reddening. Results. We found evidence of a long-lasting sunward fan and anti-solar tail activity throughout all our observations up to a heliocentric distance of 2.42 AU. A f ρ measurements suggest a pre-perihelion peak of the activity, caused by a seasonal effect, plus two post-perihelion outbursts. Both spatial and A f ρ radial profiles indicate a steady-state coma at nucleocentric distances greater than ∼1000-2000 km. The color analysis reveals a moderately reddened dust with a 6-9%/1000 Å reddening, consistent with the current picture of cometary dust. The second outburst emitted dust with lower reddening. Conclusions. The comparison with previous perihelion passages points toward a recurrent main activity always driven by the same areas on the nucleus, producing dust with similar characteristics and in similar coma structures in different years. Our A f ρ measurement at the longest heliocentric distance suggests the comet was less dust-productive in 2010, pointing toward a possible secular aging of the object and its activity. The change of dust colors during the unusual second outburst suggests that an internal part of the nucleus has different physical properties compared with those that produce the recurrent main activity, pointing toward a heterogeneous comet.

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Comet Bowell 1980b

Cited by 524 publications

References 0 publications

The Main Belt Comets and ice in the Solar System

The Main Belt Comets and ice in the Solar System

Physical studies of 81P/Wild 2 from the last two apparitions

Photometric observations of comet 81P/Wild 2 during the 2010 perihelion passage

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