The origin of short-period comets

Journal Article · Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Icarus (International Journal of the Solar System); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(90)90193-D· OSTI ID:6862970

Bailey, M E; Stagg, C R ^[1]

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1. Manchester Victoria Univ. (England) Calgary Univ. (Canada)

If the observed number of short-period comets can be accounted for by a spherically symmetric model of the Oort cloud, in conjunction with an inner core of merely moderate central concentration, then the observed correlation between the ecliptic plane and the inclinations of Jupiter-family short-period comets may be seen as partly due to the calculated decrease in capture probability with inclination, and partly to the effects of cometary decay and observational selection. The implied constraint on the inner core becomes even more severe, if a hypothetical comet disk in the Uranus-Neptune zone either makes a significant contribution to the observed short-period comets or if these comets' mean lifetime is greater than 3000 years. 32 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6862970
• Journal Information: Icarus (International Journal of the Solar System); (USA), Vol. 86; ISSN 0019-1035
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COMETS
ORIGIN
H1 REGIONS
JUPITER PLANET
LIFETIME
NEPTUNE PLANET
ORBITS
SOLAR SYSTEM
URANUS PLANET
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
PLANETS
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena