Bibcode
Moreno, F.; Lara, L. M.; López-Moreno, J. J.; Muñoz, O.; Molina, A.; Licandro, J.
Bibliographical reference
EGS - AGU - EUG Joint Assembly, Abstracts from the meeting held in Nice, France, 6 - 11 April 2003, abstract #4309
Advertised on:
4
2003
Citations
0
Refereed citations
0
Description
We present a Monte Carlo model to compute cometary dust tail
brightnesses. The model, anologous in many ways to that developed by
Fulle (1989, Astron. Astrophys. 217, 283), computes the keplerian
orbit of each grain released from the nucleus surface in the Sun
gravity field reduced by the radiation pressure. It can be used to
derive the time dependence of the particle size distribution functions
and the terminal ejection velocities as a function of size and time.
The ejection anisotropy, which is an important parameter regarding the
nucleus surface structure, can also be estimated from the model. The
Monte Carlo procedure allows us also to compute the total dust grain
mass which will remain in bound orbits, contributing to the zodiacal
dust cloud. We will present some applications of the model to observed
cometary dust tails.