The activity of comet C/2007 D1 (LINEAR) at 9.7 AU from the Sun

Epifani, E. Mazzotta; Dall’Ora, M.; Fabrizio, L. Di; Licandro, J.; Palumbo, P.; Colangeli, L.

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200913535

Cited by 24 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…In 2009 we started an observational programme for a systematic investigation of the distant dust environment of several LPCs at very large heliocentric distances, beyond the "water" zone. The comet C/2007 D1 (LINEAR) (Mazzotta Epifani et al 2010) was observed among the sample, and its exceptional activity at almost 10 AU post-q was promptly reported.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…In the recent past, the distant dust environment of the comets C/2003 O1 (LINEAR) at 7.4 AU post-q (Mazzotta Epifani et al 2009) and C/2007 D1 (LINEAR) at 9.7 AU post-q (Mazzotta Epifani et al 2010) has been quantitatively studied, deriving unexpectedly high dust production rates (∼30 kg s −1 and >500 kg s −1 , respectively), of the same order of magnitude A&A 561, A6 (2014) or even larger than that of old periodic comets at much smaller heliocentric distances (see, e.g., Mazzotta Epifani & Palumbo 2011). Unfortunately, very few similar studies for LPCs on their pre-q orbital branch are presently available.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Observational results for eight long-period comets observed far from the Sun

Epifani

Perna

Fabrizio

et al. 2013

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Context. With this work we start a systematic analysis of the distant activity of several long-period comets in order to investigate the evolution of activity throughout the solar system and explore differences between comets that pass their perihelion at far or very close distances from the Sun. Aims. We present observational data for eight long-period comets, observed for the first time beyond r = 5 AU. Three targets have been characterised on their inward orbital branch. The others have passed their perihelion at quite large heliocentric distances (r q from 4.5 to 7.5 AU). Methods. We analyse multicolour broadband images (V, R, and I filters) taken at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo to characterise the dust coma of the comets and investigate their morphology, photometry, colours, and dust production.Results. The morphological analysis shows many differences among the sample, from the large twisted structure present in the coma of comet C/2005 L3 to the regular coma envelope of C/2010 R1. The colour of the dust coma of all the comets is redder than the Sun. The Afρ value (measured in a reference aperture of radius ρ = 10 4 km) ranges from 114 ± 2 (C/2005 S4) to 5091 ± 47 (C/2005 L3) cm, depicting a scenario of bodies from moderately to very active. This is confirmed by the first-order quantitative estimate of the dust mass-loss rate for the comets that was obtained from the photometric data: assuming a grain velocity of v = 20 m/s, the dust production rate is comparable with, or even significantly larger than, that measured for many short-period ("old") comets at much smaller heliocentric distances.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Observational results for eight long-period comets observed far from the Sun

Epifani

Perna

Fabrizio

et al. 2013

A&A

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“…The photometric method, derived from the method used by Jewitt (2009) to compute the dust production rate of active Centaurs in the region between 5 and 12 au, has been adapted and already successfully applied by our group to several active minor bodies such as long-period comets (Mazzotta Epifani et al 2010, 2014b), short-period comets (Mazzotta Epifani & Palumbo 2011), and active Centaurs (Mazzotta Epifani et al 2011, 2014a. The model relates the optical photometry to the dust production rate via some realistic assumptions on the comet-like dust environment, in particular on the power-law dust size distribution and the dust outflow velocity.…”

Section: Faint Activity and Nucleus Sizementioning

confidence: 99%

Nucleus of the active Centaur C/2011 P2 (PANSTARRS)

Epifani

Perna

Dotto

et al. 2016

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Aims. In this paper we present observations of the active Centaur C/2011 P2 (PANSTARRS), showing a compact comet-like coma at the heliocentric distance of r h = 9 au. The observations were obtained in the framework of a wider program on Centaurs aimed at searching for comet-like activity in several targets outside Jupiter's aphelion. Methods. We analysed visible images of the Centaur taken at the TNG telescope in the R filter to investigate the level of coma contributing to the target brightness and to derive information on its nucleus size. Results. Centaur C/2011 P2 (PANSTARRS) shows a faint but still detectable comet-like activity, which accounts for more than 50% to the observed brightness. The coma contribution has been subtracted in order to derive an estimate for the Centaur's diameter of D ∼ 16 km, assuming an albedo of A = 0.07 (average of albedo measured within the Centaur group). The results for Centaur C/2011 P2 (PANSTARRS) fit in the general picture of the group: Centaurs with smaller perihelion distance q and semi-major axis a are smaller than those remaining farther from the Sun during their orbital path, thus reinforcing the idea that active Centaurs are "comets in fieri".

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“…3 in Mazzotta To obtain a first-order quantitative estimate of the dust massloss rate for the centaur P/2010 C1 (Scotti), we applied a "photometric model", which relates the optical photometry to the dust production rate via some realistic assumptions on the cometlike dust environment. The method is derived from the one used by Jewitt (2009) to compute the dust production rate of active Centaurs in the region between 5 and 12 AU, and was adapted and already successfully applied by our group to several active A69, page 6 of 8 minor bodies such as long period comets (Mazzotta Epifani et al 2010, 2014, short period comets (Mazzotta , and active Centaurs .…”

Section: Afρ and Dust-mass Production Ratementioning

confidence: 99%

Blending the distinctions among groups of minor bodies: a portrait of the Centaur-comet “transition” object P/2010 C1 (Scotti)

Epifani¹,

Perna²,

Licandro³

et al. 2014

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Aims. We present a portrait of the active Centaur P/2010 C1 (Scotti), observed with a well developed comet-like activity (central diffuse coma condensation and an extended sharp tail-like structure) at the heliocentric distance of r h = 5.5 AU. Methods. We analyse multicolour (B, V, R, and I) images taken at the TNG telescope to characterise the dust coma of the active Centaur and to investigate its photometry, colours, and dust production, and to gain hints to its nucleus size. Results. P/2010 C1 (Scotti) has a small nucleus (<4.8 km in radius), with visual colour V − R = 0.49 ± 0.03 typical of the nuclei of Jupiter-family comets, but with a dust coma much redder (B − I = 2.37 ± 0.13) than both the Sun and the typical comet mucleus. It has an integrated R magnitude of m R = 21.41 ± 0.02 and R-Afρ = 34 ± 2 cm (all measured in the reference aperture of radius φ = 2.0 ), which is much lower than has been measured for other active Centaurs at similar heliocentric distances. Its dust production rate, Q d = 0.1-15 kg/s, depicts P/2010 C1 (Scotti) as a rather weak dust emitter, with a dust-loss rate comparable to that of the weakest Jupiter-family comets at shorter heliocentric distance and to the weakest active Centaur characterised to now.

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The activity of comet C/2007 D1 (LINEAR) at 9.7 AU from the Sun

Cited by 24 publications

References 24 publications

Observational results for eight long-period comets observed far from the Sun

Observational results for eight long-period comets observed far from the Sun

Nucleus of the active Centaur C/2011 P2 (PANSTARRS)

Blending the distinctions among groups of minor bodies: a portrait of the Centaur-comet “transition” object P/2010 C1 (Scotti)

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