Initial speed of knots in the plasma tail of C/2013 R1(Lovejoy)
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1, Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8588 (Japan)
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3800 (United States)
- Subaru Telescope, 650 North A’ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States)
We report short-time variations in the plasma tail of C/2013 R1(Lovejoy). A series of short (2–3 minutes) exposure images with the 8.2 m Subaru telescope shows faint details of filaments and their motions over a 24 minute observing duration. We identified rapid movements of two knots in the plasma tail near the nucleus (∼3×10{sup 5} km). Their speeds are 20 and 25 km s{sup −1} along the tail and 3.8 and 2.2 km s{sup −1} across it, respectively. These measurements set a constraint on an acceleration model of plasma tail and knots as they set the initial speed just after their formation. We also found a rapid narrowing of the tail. After correcting the motion along the tail, the narrowing speed is estimated to be ∼8 km s{sup −1}. These rapid motions suggest the need for high time-resolution studies of comet plasma tails with a large telescope.
- OSTI ID:
- 22342089
- Journal Information:
- Astronomical Journal (New York, N.Y. Online), Vol. 149, Issue 3; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1538-3881
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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