Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Sep 1994
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1994a%26a...289..607s&link_type=abstract
Astronomy and Astrophysics (ISSN 0004-6361), vol. 289, no. 2, p. 607-636
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
43
Comet Tails, Cometary Collisions, Disrupting, Fragmentation, Shoemaker-Levy 9 Comet, Tides, Debris, Dust, Fragments, Gravitational Effects, Jupiter (Planet), Rotation, Velocity Distribution
Scientific paper
A unified model is formulated to interpret quantitatively the observed characteristics of the nuclear train, the two dust trails, and the tail region of P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 in terms of a collisionally modified rotation velocity distribution of the comet's debris. Since there is no evidence for the comet's out-gassing, the model does not assume activity. The discruption of the parent comet was due primarily to tidal stresses during its extremely close approach to Juptier in July 1992. The original nucleus is found to have been most probably approximately 5 km in radius or, equivalently, approximately 1017 g in mass. The dynamical separation of the debris occurred apparently approximately 2.2 hr after the perijove passage, even though the actual fragmentation of the original mass is likely to have begun before closest approach. Physical breakup was accompanied by ubiquitous low-velocity collisions among the particulates, resulting in a rearrangement of the initial rotaional velocities into a rapidly 'thermalized' distribution, characterized by a long tail of relatively high velocities for the debris that populates the dust trails far from the nuclear train. Compelling evidence is presented for secondary fragmentation events, indicative of the comet's continuing disintegration. Secondary fragmentation may be caused by rotational bursting of the massive fragments that had been cracked but unbroken during the tidal disruption. Impact conditions and possible interactions of the comet's debris with the jovian system during the encounter in July 1994 are described.
Chodas Paul W.
Sekanina Zdenek
Yeomans Donald Keith
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