High Resolution Fabry-Perot Spectroscopy Of Comet Fragments 73P/ Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-B,C

Other

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

1

Scientific paper

In May 2006, comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 (SW3) made a spectacular close approach to the Earth. During its 1995 apparition, the comet fragmented into several pieces. One of the brighter components, SW3-B, fragmented into dozens of pieces during the 2006 apparition while another bright fragment, SW3-C did not. Understanding the difference between these two fragments will contribute significantly to our understanding of cometary interiors.
We performed observations of SW3-B and SW3-C from Kitt Peak using the Fabry-Perot spectrometers at the McMath-Pierce (MMP) telescope from April 29 - May 10 and at the Wisconsin Hydrogen Alpha Mapper (WHαM) from May 1 - 6, 2006. This period is significant due to its proximity to perigee, overlap with complementary observations, and coincidence with the onset and decline-phase of a major outburst/fragmentation event from SW3-B. The MMP and WHAM Fabry-Perot spectrometers made high resolution measurements of [O I] and NH2 emissions near 6300 Å at δV = 5 km/s and 12 km/s with 4.5 arcmin and 1 degree fields of view, respectively. Many of the spectra separate the cometary and terrestrial [O I] lines and allow determination of water production rates. We report the preliminary analysis of these data, including discussion of the radial distribution of emissions, a comparison activity levels between the two fragments, and a comparison with complementary production rate measurements made over the same period. In addition, following the SW3-B May 9 outburst, H20+ measurements near 6200 Å were made to map the acceleration of water ions near the head and down the tail.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

High Resolution Fabry-Perot Spectroscopy Of Comet Fragments 73P/ Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-B,C does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with High Resolution Fabry-Perot Spectroscopy Of Comet Fragments 73P/ Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-B,C, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and High Resolution Fabry-Perot Spectroscopy Of Comet Fragments 73P/ Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-B,C will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-998967

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.