WIYN spectropolarimetry of the Inner Nucleus and Coma of Comet Hyakutake C/1996B2

Details WIYN spectropolarimetry of the Inner Nucleus and Coma of Comet Hyakutake C/1996B2 WIYN spectropolarimetry of the Inner Nucleus and Coma of Comet Hyakutake C/1996B2

May 1996

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1996aas...188.6210h&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, 188th AAS Meeting, #62.10; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 28, p.927

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

High-precision spectropolarimetry of Comet Hyakutake C/1996B2 was obtained on the nights of 10/11 Mar, 30/31 Mar, and 31 Mar/1 Apr using the Wisconsin HPOL spectropolarimeter at the WIYN telescope on Kitt Peak. The wavelength range was 3200 - 10500 Ang with 10 Ang resolution. The observations used 1.5x3 arcsec apertures centered on the nucleus and 30 arcsec antisunward into the coma. Polarization in the continuum was about 6% on Mar 11 (phase 38 deg) and 27% on Apr 1 (phase 108 deg), similar to filter polarimetry of previous comets. The high precision, high spatial resolution of these observations reveals several polarimetric features seen for the first time, including: (1) the continuum polarization is smaller in the inner nucleus than it is in the coma; and (2) the continuum polarization in the inner nucleus decreases from the red into the blue. These results will be discussed in terms of comet dust optical properties and models of the inner coma. Astronomical polarimetry at the University of Wisconsin is supported by NASA contracts NAS5-26777 and NAG5-647.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

WIYN spectropolarimetry of the Inner Nucleus and Coma of Comet Hyakutake C/1996B2 does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with WIYN spectropolarimetry of the Inner Nucleus and Coma of Comet Hyakutake C/1996B2, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and WIYN spectropolarimetry of the Inner Nucleus and Coma of Comet Hyakutake C/1996B2 will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1354970