P/Halley dust coma: Grains or rocks?

Details P/Halley dust coma: Grains or rocks? P/Halley dust coma: Grains or rocks?

Sep 1987

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1987esasp.278..379g&link_type=abstract

In ESA, Proceedings of the International Symposium on the Diversity and Similarity of Comets p 379-384 (SEE N88-21884 14-91)

Physics

3

Cosmic Dust, Granular Materials, Halley'S Comet, Rocks, Brightness, Comet Nuclei, Giotto Mission, Mass Distribution

Scientific paper

The Giotto Dust Impact Detection System (DIDSY) and Particle Impact Analyzer (PIA) measured the dust flux in the coma of P/Halley for masses heavier than 10 to the minus 19th power kg. Mass distribution is discussed, emphasizing large particles in the mg range. Discrete DIDSY data for 10 to the minus 9th to minus 5th power kg show a mass distribution index (alpha) much smaller than 0.85 found for 10 to the minus 13th to minus 9th power kg. The deceleration of the spacecraft from impacts also requires a large particle flux with mean alpha = 0.54 from 3 times 10 to the minus 9th power to 0.0006 kg. The projected area of grains in the coma, which partly determines the observed brightness of the coma, is shown to be dominated by small (1 to 10 micron) and large (at least mm) particles, whereas the mass is totally dominated by the large grains. Evidence for these large grains in groundbased observations is discussed. The mass distribution of particles emitted from the nucleus is also dominated by these large grains, and therefore the total dust production rate and gas:dust ratio are critically dependent on the mass of the largest particle leaving the nucleus.

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