Dust coma structure of comet Halley from SP-1 detector measurements

Details Dust coma structure of comet Halley from SP-1 detector measurements Dust coma structure of comet Halley from SP-1 detector measurements

May 1986

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1986natur.321..274v&link_type=abstract

Nature (ISSN 0028-0836), vol. 321, May 15, 1986, p. 274-276.

Physics

56

Coma, Cosmic Dust, Halley'S Comet, Vega Project, Comet Nuclei, Mass Spectroscopy, Particle Density (Concentration), Particle Size Distribution, Comets, Halley, Spacecraft Observations, Mission Description, Experiments, Dust, Comae, Structure, Sp-1, Dust Particle Counter, Vega 1, Vega 2, Spectra, Distribution, Comet Nuclei, Particles, Mass, Density, Distance, Scattering, Optical Properties, Emissions, Velocity, Jets, Procedure

Scientific paper

The spectral and spatial distributions of dust grains in the coma of comet Halley have been studied using the SP-1 detectors aboard the Vega 1 and Vega 2 spacecraft. The dust particle mass spectra do not exhibit the expected low-mass cutoff at 10 to the -14th g and instead continue to rise to about 10 to the -16th g. The apex of the dust paraboloid resulting from scattering of sunlight lies at 40,000-45,000 km from the nucleus. Particles of mass 10 to the -12th to 10 to the -14th g are relatively depleted at large distances from the nucleus, due to stronger light scattering from these particles. Strong inhomogeneity of the dust number density suggests the existence of a sunward-pointing cone of enhanced dust emission, of width 70-80 deg. The spatial dispersion of a narrow dust jet is used to estimate the sense and period of rotation of the nucleus and the approximate azimuthal location of the jet source, as well as the mass-dependent velocity dispersion of the dust particles.

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