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Title: A SHORT-DURATION EVENT AS THE CAUSE OF DUST EJECTION FROM MAIN-BELT COMET P/2012 F5 (GIBBS)

Abstract

We present observations and an interpretative model of the dust environment of the Main-Belt Comet P/2010 F5 (Gibbs). The narrow dust trails observed can be interpreted unequivocally as an impulsive event that took place around 2011 July 1 with an uncertainty of {+-}10 days, and a duration of less than a day, possibly of the order of a few hours. The best Monte Carlo dust model fits to the observed trail brightness imply ejection velocities in the range 8-10 cm s{sup -1} for particle sizes between 30 cm and 130 {mu}m. This weak dependence of velocity on size contrasts with that expected from ice sublimation and agrees with that found recently for (596) Scheila, a likely impacted asteroid. The particles seen in the trail are found to follow a power-law size distribution of index Almost-Equal-To -3.7. Assuming that the slowest particles were ejected at the escape velocity of the nucleus, its size is constrained to about 200-300 m in diameter. The total ejected dust mass is {approx}> 5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 8} kg, which represents approximately 4%-20% of the nucleus mass.

Authors:
 [1]; ;  [2]
  1. Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, CSIC, Glorieta de la Astronomia s/n, E-18008 Granada (Spain)
  2. Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, c/Via Lactea s/n, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22078386
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 761; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 2041-8205
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ASTEROIDS; BRIGHTNESS; COMETS; COSMIC DUST; ICE; MASS; MONTE CARLO METHOD; PARTICLE SIZE; SUBLIMATION; VELOCITY

Citation Formats

Moreno, F, Licandro, J, and Cabrera-Lavers, A. A SHORT-DURATION EVENT AS THE CAUSE OF DUST EJECTION FROM MAIN-BELT COMET P/2012 F5 (GIBBS). United States: N. p., 2012. Web. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/761/1/L12.
Moreno, F, Licandro, J, & Cabrera-Lavers, A. A SHORT-DURATION EVENT AS THE CAUSE OF DUST EJECTION FROM MAIN-BELT COMET P/2012 F5 (GIBBS). United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/761/1/L12
Moreno, F, Licandro, J, and Cabrera-Lavers, A. 2012. "A SHORT-DURATION EVENT AS THE CAUSE OF DUST EJECTION FROM MAIN-BELT COMET P/2012 F5 (GIBBS)". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/761/1/L12.
@article{osti_22078386,
title = {A SHORT-DURATION EVENT AS THE CAUSE OF DUST EJECTION FROM MAIN-BELT COMET P/2012 F5 (GIBBS)},
author = {Moreno, F and Licandro, J and Cabrera-Lavers, A},
abstractNote = {We present observations and an interpretative model of the dust environment of the Main-Belt Comet P/2010 F5 (Gibbs). The narrow dust trails observed can be interpreted unequivocally as an impulsive event that took place around 2011 July 1 with an uncertainty of {+-}10 days, and a duration of less than a day, possibly of the order of a few hours. The best Monte Carlo dust model fits to the observed trail brightness imply ejection velocities in the range 8-10 cm s{sup -1} for particle sizes between 30 cm and 130 {mu}m. This weak dependence of velocity on size contrasts with that expected from ice sublimation and agrees with that found recently for (596) Scheila, a likely impacted asteroid. The particles seen in the trail are found to follow a power-law size distribution of index Almost-Equal-To -3.7. Assuming that the slowest particles were ejected at the escape velocity of the nucleus, its size is constrained to about 200-300 m in diameter. The total ejected dust mass is {approx}> 5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 8} kg, which represents approximately 4%-20% of the nucleus mass.},
doi = {10.1088/2041-8205/761/1/L12},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22078386}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal Letters},
issn = {2041-8205},
number = 1,
volume = 761,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Dec 10 00:00:00 EST 2012},
month = {Mon Dec 10 00:00:00 EST 2012}
}