Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Oct 2010
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010dps....42.2834s&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #42, #28.34; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 42, p.966
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
In the absence of rendezvous space missions to comets, the main technique to determine cometary bulk densities is by correlating the long-term orbital changes of the comet with the corresponding forces due to outgassing. However, there are significant uncertainties in these determinations as the accurate assessment of forces due to outgassing is challenging.
Davidsson et al. (2007, Icarus, 187, 306-320) derived a bulk density of 200-700 kg m-3 for comet 9P/Tempel 1 based on the orbital non-gravitational forces. Richardson and colleagues (e.g., Richardson et al. 2007, Icarus, 190, 357-390) independently determined a density of 200-1000 kg m-3 for comet 9P/Tempel 1 based on the analysis of the ejecta fallback caused by the impactor of the Deep Impact mission. While it is encouraging that the density determinations based on widely different techniques yield consistent results, the allowed density range is still relatively large. We present numerical results based on simultaneous modeling of both orbital and rotational changes in 9P/Tempel 1 to constrain the bulk density of this comet more accurately. This modeling incorporates observational data from the Deep Impact spacecraft as well as from ground-based observations.
We thank NASA's Outer Planets Research Program.
Belton Michael J. S.
Chesley Steven R.
Farnham Tony
Gutierrez Pedro J.
Mueller Beatrice E. A.
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