Fan-shaped coma, orientation of rotation axis, and surface structure of a cometary nucleus. I - Test of a model on four comets

Physics

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Comet Nuclei, Comet Tails, Schwassmann-Wachmann Comet, Axes Of Rotation, Northern Hemisphere, Perihelions, Solar Radiation, Sublimation, Time Lag, Obliquity, Comae, Rotation, Spin, Period, Anisotropy, Outgassing, Comets, Nuclei, Borrelly, Comet, Encke, Temple, 2 Comet, Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, Models, Position (Location), Perihelion

Scientific paper

Pronounced anisotropy in the outgassing from comets, especially from short-period ones, appears to be a factor responsible for the frequent occurrence of a fan-shaped coma, extending in the general direction of the sun. It is suggested that the pattern of deviations from the sunward direction contains information on the orientation of the spin axis and on the time lag in the sublimation process, which in turn provides insight into the nature of the nuclear surface. A simple model of a spherical rotating nucleus is formulated and a trial-and-error technique is devised to determine the axis-orientation constants and a lag angle, a measure of the time lag in units of the rotation period. The method is applied to the comets Encke, Tempel 2, Borrelly, and Schwassmann-Wachmann 3.

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