The infrared light curve of Periodic Comet Halley 1986 III and its relationship to the visual light curve, C2, and water production rates

1993 ◽  
Vol 105 ◽  
pp. 1537 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Morris ◽  
M. S. Hanner

1982 ◽  
Vol 87 ◽  
pp. 918 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Morris ◽  
D. W. E. Green


2019 ◽  
Vol 623 ◽  
pp. A120 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Marshall ◽  
L. Rezac ◽  
P. Hartogh ◽  
Y. Zhao ◽  
N. Attree

Aims. We investigate the influence of three basic factors on water production rate as a function of heliocentric distance: nucleus shape, the spin axis orientation, and the distribution of activity on a comet’s surface. Methods. We used a basic water sublimation model driven by solar insolation to derive total production rates for different nuclei shapes and spin axis orientations using the orbital parameters of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. We used known shape models derived from prior missions to the Jupiter Family and short period comets. The slopes of production rates versus heliocentric distance were calculated for the different model setups. Results. The standard (homogeneous) outgassing model confirms the well-known result regarding the heliocentric dependence of water production rate that remains invariant for different nuclei shapes as long as the rotation axis is perpendicular to the orbital plane. When the rotation axis is not perpendicular, the nucleus shape becomes a critically important factor in determining the water production curves as the illuminated cross section of the nucleus changes with heliocentric distance. Shape and obliquity can produce changes in the illuminated cross section of up to 50% over an orbit. In addition, different spin axis orientations for a given shape can dramatically alter the pre- and post-perihelion production curves, as do assumptions about the activity distribution on the surface. If, however, the illuminated cross section of the nucleus is invariant, then the dependence on the above parameters is weak, as demonstrated here with the 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko shape. The comets Hartley 2 and Wild 2 are shown to yield significantly different production curve shapes for the same orbit and orientation as 67P/CG, varying by as much as a factor of three as a result of only changing the nucleus shape. Finally, we show that varying just three basic parameters, shape, spin axis orientation, and active spots distribution on the surface can lead to arbitrary deviations from the expected inverse square law dependence of water production rates near 1 au. Conclusions. With the results obtained, we cannot avoid the conclusion that, without prior knowledge of basic parameters (shape, spin axis orientation, activity locations), it is difficult to reveal the nature of cometary outgassing from the heliocentric water production rates. Similarly, the inter-comparison of water production curves of two such comets may not be meaningful.



1943 ◽  
Vol 97 ◽  
pp. 443
Author(s):  
Gerard P. Kuiper
Keyword(s):  


Author(s):  
Mizuho Uchiyama ◽  
Takuya Yamashita ◽  
Koichiro Sugiyama ◽  
Tatsuya Nakaoka ◽  
Miho Kawabata ◽  
...  

Abstract We followed up the massive young stellar object S255-NIRS3 (= S255-IRS1b) during its recent accretion outburst event in the $K_{\rm s}$ band with Kanata/HONIR for four years after its burst and obtained a long-term light curve. This is the most complete near-infrared light curve of the S255-NIRS3 burst event that has ever been presented. The light curve showed a steep increase reaching a peak flux that was 3.4 mag brighter than the quiescent phase and then a relatively moderate year-scale fading until the last observation, similar to that of the accretion burst events such as EXors found in lower-mass young stellar objects. The behavior of the $K_{\rm s}$-band light curve is similar to that observed in 6.7 GHz class II methanol maser emission, with a sudden increase followed by moderate year-scale fading. However, the maser emission peaks appear 30–50 d earlier than that of the $K_{\rm s}$ band emission. The similarities confirmed that the origins of the maser emission and the $K_{\rm s}$-band continuum emission are common, as previously shown from other infrared and radio observations by Stecklum et al. (2016, Astronomer’s Telegram, 8732), Caratti o Garatti et al. (2017b, Nature Phys., 13, 276), and Moscadelli et al. (2017, A&A, 600, L8). However, the differences in energy transfer paths, such as the exciting/emitting/scattering structures, may cause the delay in the flux-peak dates.



2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S263) ◽  
pp. 293-297
Author(s):  
Eduardo Rondón ◽  
Ignacio Ferrín

AbstractThe secular light curves of comets (Ferrín, 2005) give a large amount of physical information on the cometary nucleus. We have developed a model that allows the prediction of a secular light curve, from which we derive parameters like the orientation of the rotational axis (I, φ) and optical thickness of the cometary coma. The model is based on the paper published by (Cowan & A'Hearn, 1979). To do the calculation we found a correlation between the water production rate and the reduced magnitude. We obtain probable orientations of the nucleus pole for several combinations of parameters for comet C/1996 B2 Hyakutake.



Icarus ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 154-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Magee-Sauer ◽  
F. Scherb ◽  
F.L. Roesler ◽  
J. Harlander


1989 ◽  
Vol 106 ◽  
pp. 292-292
Author(s):  
M.S. Vardya

A large sample of 177 Miras, comprising 164 M and 13 S stars, has been examined to determine the dependence of 9.7 μm silicate emission, as revealed by their IRAS LRS Spectral class, on the visual light curve asymmetry factor, f. It is found that the silicate feature occurs not only in M (Vardya et al. 1986; Onaká & de Jong 1987) but in S Miras also only for f ≤ 0.45. This, however, is only a necessary condition, as about one fifth of Miras with f ≤ 0.45 do not show the 9.7 μm emission. This non-detection shows dependence on other parameters like the mean visual light amplitude. Non-detection is highest in the region 0.43 < f ≤ 0.45, as well as when mean amplitude is ≤ 5m.0. Though strong emission features in M Miras may occur for any value of f, very weak features are absent for small values of f, and the strongest feature tends to appear for large values of f. Infrared excess tends to increase with increase in the strength of the silicate emission and with decrease in the value of f.



Icarus ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 191 (2) ◽  
pp. 424-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.R. Fernández ◽  
C.M. Lisse ◽  
M.S. Kelley ◽  
N. Dello Russo ◽  
A.T. Tokunaga ◽  
...  


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Guzik ◽  
Michał Drahus

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Abstract&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;During the journey through the solar system, interstellar comet 2I/Borisov has been observed spectroscopically by most of the largest telescopes on Earth, enabling comparative studies of its chemical composition versus solar system comets. Already a few weeks after the discovery, the detection of the CN (0-0 band) in the coma has been reported [1]. Subsequent detections of C&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; suggested a significant depletion of this molecule [2,3], however, later evolution of C&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; placed it close to the typical values [4]. Pre-discovery images of 2I/Borisov showing this object to be active when far away from the sun indicated that its activity is driven by low-temperature volatiles, later confirmed by the detection of a high abundance of CO [5,6]. High abundance was also reported for NH&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; [4]. The water production rates derived from the detection of [OI] 6300 A line [7] were consistent with SWIFT/UVOT observations [8].&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Here we report our spectroscopic observations of 2I/Borisov from VLT X-Shooter. We collected over 10 hours of data on UT 2020 January 28th, 30th, and 31st obtaining the deep spectrum of this object taken around the time of its maximum brightness. The spectrum covers an unprecedented wavelength range of 300 - 2500 nm that comprises numerous characteristic cometary emissions. The excellent sensitivity of the spectrum, combined with the decent spectral resolution provided by X-Shooter over the entire, enormous wavelength range makes the collected material unique.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Acknowledgements&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Authors are grateful for support from the National Science Centre of Poland through SONATA BIS grant number 2016/22/E/ST9/00109 to M.D.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;References&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;[1] Fitzsimmons, A., Hainaut, O., Meech, K. et al.: Detection of CN Gas in Interstellar Object 2I/Borisov, ApJL, Vol. 885, L9, (2019)&lt;br /&gt;[2] Kareta, T., Andrews, J., Noonan, J. et al.: Carbon Chain Depletion of 2I/Borisov, ApJL, Vol. 889, L38, (2020)&lt;br /&gt;[3] Lin, H., Lee, C., Gerdes, D. et al.: Detection of Diatomic Carbon in 2I/Borisov, ApJL, Vol. 889, L30, (2020)&lt;br /&gt;[4] Bannister, M., Opitom, C., Fitzsimmons, A. et al.: Interstellar comet 2I/Borisov as seen by MUSE: C&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;sub&gt;,&lt;/sub&gt; NH&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; and red CN detections, https://arxiv.org/abs/2001.11605, (2020)&lt;br /&gt;[5] Bodewits, D., Noonan, J., Feldman, P. et al.: The carbon monoxide-rich interstellar comet 2I/Borisov, NatAst, (in press)&lt;br /&gt;[6] Cordiner, M., Milam, S., Biver, N. et al.: Unusually high CO abundance of the first active interstellar comet, NatAst, (in press)&lt;br /&gt;[7] McKay, A., Cochran, A., Dello Russo, N. et al.: Detection of a Water Tracer in Interstellar Comet 2I/Borisov, ApJL, Vol. 889, L10, (2020)&lt;br /&gt;[8] Xing, Z., Bodewits, D, Noonan, J. et al.: Water Production Rates and Activity of Interstellar Comet 2I/Borisov, ApJL, Vol. 893, L48, (2020)&lt;/p&gt;



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