The Structure of the Inner Coma of Comet Chiron: Imaging the Exopause

Physics

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Hst Proposal Id #5835 Solar System

Scientific paper

We propose to use the Faint Object Camera to obtain a series of images of the inner coma of 2060 Chiron. The radial brightness distribution obtained from these images will be used {i} to locate and map the exopause structure detected during cycle 2 observations at R_N 1,200 km, {ii} to obtain radial color variations in the extent of the coma, {iii} to look for changes as a function of time in the structure of the coma associated with rotation and shell structure. The existence of the exopause boundary indicates gravitational control by the nucleus over the structure of the inner coma. When combined with color information which will yield constraints on particle sizes - both for the inner coma from HST and for the outer coma from ground-based observations - we will be able to constrain the mass of Chiron. We plan to obtain three series of observations, near perihelion {1996, February 13/14}, near its minimum geocentric distance {1996, April 1} and at the end of cycle 5 - to eliminate the possibility that the structure is caused by ejected shells of material from the nucleus. At the minimum geocentric distance, the exopause boundary should be located at a projected distance between 0.20-0.24 arcsec from the nucleus.

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