Probing Oort cloud and local interstellar medium properties via dust produced in cometary collisions

Journal Article · Mon Jan 20 04:00:00 EST 2014 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/781/1/52· OSTI ID:22348153

Howe, Alex R.

The Oort cloud remains one of the most poorly explored regions of the solar system. We propose that its properties can be constrained by studying a population of dust grains produced in collisions of comets in the outer solar system. We explore the dynamics of μm-sized grains outside the heliosphere (beyond ∼250 AU), which are predominantly affected by the magnetic field of the interstellar medium (ISM) flow past the Sun. We derive analytic models for the production and motion of small particles as a function of their birth location in the cloud and calculate the particle flux and velocity distribution in the inner solar system. These models are verified by direct numerical simulations. We show that grains originating in the Oort cloud have a unique distribution of arrival directions, which should easily distinguish them from both interplanetary and interstellar dust populations. We also demonstrate that the distribution of particle arrival velocities is uniquely determined by the mass distribution and dust production rate in the cloud. Cometary collisions within the cloud produce a flux of μm-sized grains in the inner solar system of up to several m{sup –2} yr{sup –1}. The next generation dust detectors may be sensitive enough to detect and constrain this dust population, which will illuminate the Oort cloud's properties. We also show that the recently detected mysterious population of large (μm-sized) unbound particles, which seems to arrive with the ISM flow, is unlikely to be generated by collisions of comets in the Oort cloud.

• OSTI ID: 22348153
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 781; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
COLLISIONS
COMETS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DUSTS
HELIOSPHERE
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MASS DISTRIBUTION
MECHANICS
PARTICLES
PARTURITION
SOLAR SYSTEM
SUN
VELOCITY