Long-term simulations of the rotational state of small irregular cometary nuclei

Gutiérrez, P. J.; Jordá, L.; Ortiz, J. L.; Rodrigo, R.

doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20030845

Cited by 30 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…These variabilities could imply that the spin velocity has changed nearly by the same quantity during the last 5 perihelion passages. This behavior is expected to be typical for a nucleus with a small active fraction like P/d'Arrest, regardless if it is rotating in a complex or principal axis mode (Gutiérrez et al 2003). Numerical simulations indicate that, given the size and water production of comet P/d'Arrest, the outgassing-induced torque could indeed produce such an evolution of the spin period for typical values of the nucleus density.…”

Section: Previous Spin Period Estimatesmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…Recent modeling of the evolution of the rotational parameters simulating the outgassing-induced torque shows that these changes are indeed very likely, at least for relatively small cometary nuclei (e.g. Samarasinha et al 1996;Neishtadt et al 2002;Gutiérrez et al 2003). Another potential effect of the outgassing-induced torque is that it can lead the nucleus to rotate in a complex mode.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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New spin period determination for comet 6P/d'Arrest

Gutiérrez

León

Jordá

et al. 2003

A&A

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Abstract.A lightcurve of comet 6P/d'Arrest from R-band CCD images taken at La Palma 2.52 m NOT telescope is presented. The lightcurve shows noticeable periodic changes in brightness produced by rotational modulation. The periodogram analysis of the lightcurve shows a peak with a confidence level exceeding 99.9% at 3.336 h. Assuming an elongated nucleus, the most likely spin period is therefore 6.67 ± 0.03 h, but other periodicities are also possible. The peak to peak amplitude is 0.082 ± 0.016 mag. This period, and the other peaks detected in the periodogram, are not commensurable with previous estimates of the spin period of comet 6P/d'Arrest. If all the measurements are correct, the differences between this estimate and the previous ones could be due to a possible change in the spin period of comet 6P/d'Arrest or to this comet being rotating in a complex mode.

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Section: Previous Spin Period Estimatesmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New spin period determination for comet 6P/d'Arrest

Gutiérrez

León

Jordá

et al. 2003

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“…Model computations (e.g. Gutiérrez et al 2003) show that emission of matter from active vents occupying a small fraction of an irregularly-shaped rotating nucleus A&A 543, A32 (2012) can produce a significant net torque. Owing to this effect, cometary rotation can evolve from the principal-axis toward the non-principal-axis (excited) mode after a couple of perihelion passages and remain in this state during the next tens of orbital revolutions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rotation-stimulated structures in the CN and C₃comae of comet 103P/Hartley 2 close to the EPOXI encounter

Waniak

Borisov

Drahus

et al. 2012

A&A

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Context. In late 2010, a Jupiter family comet 103P/Hartley 2 was the subject of an intensive world-wide investigation. On UT October 20.7, the comet approached the Earth within only 0.12 AU, and on UT November 4.6 it was visited by the NASA EPOXI spacecraft. Aims. We joined this international effort and organized a ground-based observing campaign with three key goals to: (1) measure the parameters of the nucleus rotation in a time series of CN; (2) investigate the compositional structure of the coma by comparing the CN images with nightly snapshots of C 3 ; and (3) investigate the photochemical relation of CN to HCN, using the HCN data collected nearly simultaneously with our images. Methods. The images were obtained through narrowband filters using the two-meter telescope of the Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory. They were taken over four nights about the moment of the EPOXI encounter. Image processing methods and periodicity analysis techniques were used to identify transient coma structures and investigate their repeatability and kinematics. Results. We observe shells, arc-, jet-and spiral-like patterns that are very similar for the CN and C 3 comae. The CN features expanded outwards with the sky-plane projected velocities of between 0.1 to 0.3 km s −1 . A corkscrew structure, observed on November 6, evolved with a much higher velocity of 0.66 km s −1 . The photometry of the inner coma of CN shows variability with a period of 18.32 ± 0.30 h (valid for the middle moment of our run, UT 2010 Nov 5.0835), which we attribute to the nucleus rotation. This result is fully consistent with independent determinations around the same time by other teams. The pattern of repeatability is, however, imperfect, which is understendable given the suggested excitation of the rotation state, and the variability detected in CN correlates well with the cyclic changes in HCN, but only in the active phases. The identified coma structures, along with the snapshot of the nucleus orientation obtained by EPOXI, enable us to estimate the spin axis orientation. We obtain RA = 122 • , Dec = +16 • (epoch J2000.0), neglecting at this point the rotational excitation.

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“…Cases of rotation periods much longer than 10 days do occur when the comet nucleus gets to excited spin states. In this situation, the nucleus is able to reach spin periods as long as 200 days (see Gutiérrez et al 2003). However, if the nucleus spin state were approaching excitation, the rotation period would evolve very quickly.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structures in the dust coma of comet C/1999 T1 (McNaught-Hartley) from Jan. 26 to Feb. 05, 2001

Lara¹,

Licandro²,

Tozzi³

2009

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Aims. An in depth analysis of the images acquired in broad-band optical and infrared observations in the R, I, and J, H, Ks bands of comet C/199T1 (McNaught-Hartley) acquired from Jan. 26 to Feb. 05, 2001 has been performed and is presented here. Methods. Beside the Laplace filtering technique applied to enhance structures in the dust coma of the comet McNaught-Hartley, we have also made use of the radial renormalization method to reveal large scale structures, usually broad jets. Results. We find that, contrary to other work, the comet did indeed show non-spherical structures besides the dust and ion tail. These structures, while not unambiguously detected when applying a Laplace filtering technique with small box sizes, have become evident by making use of radial renormalization techniques and larger box sizes in the Laplace filtering technique. This research note reports on these features. Conclusions. Geometrical analysis of the features and its evolution allows us to tentatively conclude that either the synodic spin period is very close to 24 h, or it has a rotation period much longer than 10 days, which could be indicative of the nucleus approaching an excited spin state, or the rotation axis is oriented such that an active area is permanently illuminated by the Sun and the jet is pointing toward or away from the observer.

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Long-term simulations of the rotational state of small irregular cometary nuclei

Cited by 30 publications

References 26 publications

New spin period determination for comet 6P/d'Arrest

New spin period determination for comet 6P/d'Arrest

Rotation-stimulated structures in the CN and C₃comae of comet 103P/Hartley 2 close to the EPOXI encounter

Structures in the dust coma of comet C/1999 T1 (McNaught-Hartley) from Jan. 26 to Feb. 05, 2001

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Long-term simulations of the rotational state of small irregular cometary nuclei

Cited by 30 publications

References 26 publications

New spin period determination for comet 6P/d'Arrest

New spin period determination for comet 6P/d'Arrest

Rotation-stimulated structures in the CN and C3comae of comet 103P/Hartley 2 close to the EPOXI encounter

Structures in the dust coma of comet C/1999 T1 (McNaught-Hartley) from Jan. 26 to Feb. 05, 2001

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Rotation-stimulated structures in the CN and C₃comae of comet 103P/Hartley 2 close to the EPOXI encounter