Narrow dust jets in a diffuse gas coma: a natural product of small active regions on comets
Publisher DOI
Abstract
Comets often display narrow dust jets but more diffuse gas comae when their eccentric orbits bring them into the inner solar system and sunlight sublimates the ice on the nucleus. Comets are also understood to have one or
more active areas covering only a fraction of the total surface active with sublimating volatile ices. Calculations of the gas and dust distribution from a small active area on a comet’s nucleus show that as the gas moves
out radially into the vacuum of space it expands tangentially, filling much of the hemisphere centered on the active region. The dust dragged by the gas remains more concentrated over the active area. This explains some
puzzling appearances of comets having collimated dust jets but more diffuse gaseous atmospheres. Our test case is 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, the Rosetta mission target comet, whose activity is dominated by a single area
covering only 4% of its surface.
more active areas covering only a fraction of the total surface active with sublimating volatile ices. Calculations of the gas and dust distribution from a small active area on a comet’s nucleus show that as the gas moves
out radially into the vacuum of space it expands tangentially, filling much of the hemisphere centered on the active region. The dust dragged by the gas remains more concentrated over the active area. This explains some
puzzling appearances of comets having collimated dust jets but more diffuse gaseous atmospheres. Our test case is 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, the Rosetta mission target comet, whose activity is dominated by a single area
covering only 4% of its surface.
Date Issued
2012
Publication Type
Article
Subject(s)
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Combi, M. R. | |
Tenishev, V. M. | |
Fougere, N. | |
Gombosi, T. I. |
Additional Credits
Journal
Astrophysical journal
Publisher
Institute of Physics Publishing IOP
ISSN
0004-637X
Access(Rights)
restricted