Bibcode
Belton, Michael J. S.; Meech, Karen J.; Chesley, Steven; Pittichová, Jana; Carcich, Brian; Drahus, Michal; Harris, Alan; Gillam, Stephen; Veverka, Joseph; Mastrodemos, Nicholas; Owen, William; A'Hearn, Michael F.; Bagnulo, S.; Bai, J.; Barrera, L.; Bastien, Fabienne; Bauer, James M.; Bedient, J.; Bhatt, B. C.; Boehnhardt, Hermann; Brosch, N.; Buie, Marc; Candia, Pablo; Chen, W.-P.; Chiang, P.; Choi, Young-Jun; Cochran, A.; Crockett, Christopher J.; Duddy, S.; Farnham, Tony; Fernández, Yan R.; Gutiérrez, Pedro; Hainaut, Olivier R.; Hampton, Donald; Herrmann, Kimberly A.; Hsieh, Henry; Kadooka, M. A.; Kaluna, H.; Keane, J.; Kim, M.-J.; Klaasen, Kenneth; Kleyna, J.; Krisciunas, Kevin; Lara, Luisa M.; Lauer, Tod R.; Li, Jian-Yang; Licandro, J.; Lisse, Carey M.; Lowry, Stephen C.; McFadden, Lucy; Moskovitz, N.; Mueller, Beatrice; Polishook, D.; Raja, N. S.; Riesen, T.; Sahu, D. K.; Samarasinha, Nalin; Sarid, G.; Sekiguchi, Tomohiko; Sonnett, S.; Suntzeff, Nicholas B.; Taylor, Brian W.; Thomas, Peter; Tozzi, Gian Paolo; Vasundhara, R.; Vincent, J.-B.; Wasserman, Lawrence H.; Webster-Schultz, Bryant; Yang, B.; Zenn, T.; Zhao, H.
Bibliographical reference
Icarus, Volume 213, Issue 1, p. 345-368.
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5
2011
Journal
Citations
52
Refereed citations
45
Description
The evolution of the spin rate of Comet 9P/Tempel 1 through two
perihelion passages (in 2000 and 2005) is determined from 1922
Earth-based observations taken over a period of 13 year as part of a
World-Wide observing campaign and from 2888 observations taken over a
period of 50 days from the Deep Impact spacecraft. We determine the
following sidereal spin rates (periods): 209.023 ± 0.025°/dy
(41.335 ± 0.005 h) prior to the 2000 perihelion passage, 210.448
± 0.016°/dy (41.055 ± 0.003 h) for the interval
between the 2000 and 2005 perihelion passages, 211.856 ±
0.030°/dy (40.783 ± 0.006 h) from Deep Impact photometry just
prior to the 2005 perihelion passage, and 211.625 ± 0.012°/dy
(40.827 ± 0.002 h) in the interval 2006-2010 following the
2005 perihelion passage. The period decreased by 16.8 ± 0.3 min
during the 2000 passage and by 13.7 ± 0.2 min during the 2005
passage suggesting a secular decrease in the net torque. The change in
spin rate is asymmetric with respect to perihelion with the maximum net
torque being applied on approach to perihelion. The Deep Impact data
alone show that the spin rate was increasing at a rate of 0.024 ±
0.003°/dy/dy at JD2453530.60510 (i.e., 25.134 dy before impact),
which provides independent confirmation of the change seen in the
Earth-based observations.The rotational phase of the nucleus at times
before and after each perihelion and at the Deep Impact encounter is
estimated based on the Thomas et al. (Thomas et al. [2007]. Icarus 187,
4-15) pole and longitude system. The possibility of a 180°
error in the rotational phase is assessed and found to be significant.
Analytical and physical modeling of the behavior of the spin rate
through of each perihelion is presented and used as a basis to predict
the rotational state of the nucleus at the time of the nominal (i.e.,
prior to February 2010) Stardust-NExT encounter on 2011 February 14 at
20:42.We find that a net torque in the range of 0.3-2.5 ×
107 kg m2 s-2 acts on the nucleus
during perihelion passage. The spin rate initially slows down on
approach to perihelion and then passes through a minimum. It then
accelerates rapidly as it passes through perihelion eventually reaching
a maximum post-perihelion. It then decreases to a stable value as the
nucleus moves away from the Sun. We find that the pole direction is
unlikely to precess by more than ˜1° per perihelion passage.
The trend of the period with time and the fact that the modeled peak
torque occurs before perihelion are in agreement with published accounts
of trends in water production rate and suggests that widespread
H2O out-gassing from the surface is largely responsible for
the observed spin-up.
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Minor Bodies of the Solar System
This project studies the physical and compositional properties of the so-called minor bodies of the Solar System, that includes asteroids, icy objects, and comets. Of special interest are the trans-neptunian objects (TNOs), including those considered the most distant objects detected so far (Extreme-TNOs or ETNOs); the comets and the comet-asteroid
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