2008AJ....135.1318J -
Astron. J., 135, 1318-1327 (2008/April-0)
Evidence of fragmenting dust particles from near-simultaneous optical and near-infrared photometry and polarimetry of comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3.
JONES T.J., STARK D., WOODWARD C.E., KELLEY M.S., KOLOKOLOVA L., CLEMENS D. and PINNICK A.
Abstract (from CDS):
We report imaging polarimetry of segments B and C of the Jupiter-family comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 in the I and H bandpasses at solar phase angles of approximately 35° and 85°. The level of polarization was typical for active comets, but larger than expected for a Jupiter-family comet. The polarimetric color was slightly red (δP/δλ = +1.2±0.4) at a phase angle of ∼35° and either neutral or slightly blue at a phase angle of ∼85°. Observations during the closest approach from 2006 May 11-13 achieved a resolution of 35 km at the nucleus. Both segments clearly depart from a 1/ρ surface brightness for the first 50-200 km from the nucleus. Simulations of radiation-driven dust dynamics can reproduce some of the observed coma morphology, but only with a wide distribution of initial dust velocities (at least a factor of 10) for a given grain radius. Grain aggregate breakup and fragmentation are able to reproduce the observed profile perpendicular to the Sun-comet axis, but fit the observations less well along this axis (into the tail). The required fragmentation is significant, with a reduction in the mean grain aggregate size by about a factor of 10. A combination of the two processes could possibly explain the surface brightness profile of the comet.
Abstract Copyright:
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Journal keyword(s):
comets: individual: glutag{Viz.comet 73P|73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann} - techniques: polarimetric
CDS comments:
In paragraph 3, HD 136753 is a misprint for HD 136756.
Simbad objects:
3
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