The distant activity of the Long Period Comets C/2003 O1 (LINEAR) and C/2004 K1 (Catalina)

Epifani, E. Mazzotta; Palumbo, P.; Capria, M. T.; Cremonese, G.; Fulle, M.; Colangeli, L.

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200811527

Cited by 26 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 51 publications

(44 reference statements)

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“…Power-law dust size distribution: numerical modelling of dust tails for some LPCs (Fulle et al 1998;Korsun & Chorny 2003;Mazzotta Epifani et al 2009;Korsun et al 2010) suggests the adoption of the plausible value of q = −3.5 for grains between a − = 10 μm and a + = 1 cm for compact cometary grains of bulk density ρ = 1000 kg/m 3 . This is similar to the dust environment assumed for several SPC tails (see a summary in Fulle 1999) and for active Centaurs (Jewitt 2009).…”

Section: Dust Mass Production Ratementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mazzotta Epifani et al 2009;Korsun & Chorny 2003). In this work, we considered a dust grain velocity between 1 and an estimated realistic upper limit of 50 m/s.…”

Section: Dust Mass Production Ratementioning

confidence: 99%

“…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

A&A

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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: Dust Mass Production Ratementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mazzotta Epifani et al 2009;Korsun & Chorny 2003). In this work, we considered a dust grain velocity between 1 and an estimated realistic upper limit of 50 m/s.…”

Section: Dust Mass Production Ratementioning

confidence: 99%

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

A&A

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“…When considering a proxy for the dust production rate, the comet C/2007 D1 is found to have an A f ρ value of the same order or even larger than that measured at lower heliocentric distances for some of the more active LPCs: e.g., C/2003 O1 (LONEOS), from ∼600 to ∼1300 cm at 7.02 AU (Mazzotta Epifani et al 2009;Meech et al 2009), and C/2001 G1 (LONEOS), ∼1800 cm at 8.3 AU (Meech et al 2009). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

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

Epifani

Dall’Ora

Fabrizio

et al. 2010

A&A

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Aims. We report on the unusual distant activity of the dynamically new comet C/2007 D1 (LINEAR), observed at r h = 9.7 AU postperihelion. This comet is particularly interesting because of its quite large perihelion distance (r q = 8.8 AU). Methods. We analyse V and R band images taken at the TNG telescope to characterise the dust coma of the comet and investigate its photometry, colours, and dust production.Results. The colour of the dust is redder than the Sun (V − R = 0.505 ± 0.093 at the photometric aperture of radius 2.2 ). The A f ρ value is measured to be 1983 ± 81 cm for an aperture of radius = 2.2 . An upper limit to the cometary nucleus radius of a N ≤ 18 km is derived. A dust mass-loss rate of dM d dt = 5.3 × 10 2 kg s −1 is measured, which implies that C/2007 D1 (LINEAR) is a very active comet despite its quite large perihelion distance.

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“…Lowry et al 1999;Lowry & Fitzsimmons 2001, 2005Lowry & Wiessman 2003;Snodgrass et al 2006Snodgrass et al , 2008Mazzotta Epifani et al 2006, 2007. There are known examples of active long-period comets (Szabó et al 2001a(Szabó et al , 2002Meech et al 2004;Mazzotta Epifani et al 2009;Ivanova et al 2011) and Centaur objects (e.g. Meech et al 1997;Rousselot 2008;Jewitt 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Frozen to death? Detection of comet Hale-Bopp at 30.7 AU

Szabó

Sárneczky

Kiss

2011

A&A

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Context. Comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) has been the most interesting comet ever encountered by modern astronomy, which continued to display significant activity at a solar distance of 25.7 AU. It is unclear when and how this activity will finally cease. Aims. We present new observations with the ESO 2.2 m telescope at La Silla to monitor the activity of Hale-Bopp at 30.7 AU solar distance. Methods. On 2010-12-04, 26 CCD images were taken with 180 s exposure times for photometry and morphology. Results. The comet was detected in R and had a total brightness of 23. m 3 ± 0. m 2, which corresponds to an absolute brightness of R(1, 1, 0) = 8. m 3. The profile of the coma was star-like at a seeing of 1. 9, without any evidence of a coma or tail extending farther than 2. 5 (=55 000 km in projection) and exceeding 26.5 mag/arcs 2 surface brightness. The measured total brightness corresponds to a relative total reflecting surface, a R C, of 485 km 2 , nine times less than three years before. The calculated a R C value would imply a nucleus with 60−65 km radius assuming 4% albedo. This size estimate contradicts significantly the previous results scattering around 35 km. Conclusions. We propose that the comet may still be in a low level of activity, despite the lack of a prominent coma. Alternatively, if the nucleus is already dormant, the albedo should be as high as 13%, assuming a radius of 35 km. With this observation, Hale-Bopp has become the most distant comet ever observed, far beyond the orbit of Neptune.

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The distant activity of the Long Period Comets C/2003 O1 (LINEAR) and C/2004 K1 (Catalina)

Cited by 26 publications

References 51 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

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

Frozen to death? Detection of comet Hale-Bopp at 30.7 AU

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