DETECTION OF REMNANT DUST CLOUD ASSOCIATED WITH THE 2007 OUTBURST OF 17P/HOLMES
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Gwanak, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of)
- Kiso Observatory, Institute of Astronomy, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Mitake, Kiso-machi, Kiso, Nagano 397-0101 (Japan)
- Okayama Astrophysical Observatory, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Asakuchi, Okayama 719-0232 (Japan)
- Ishigakijima Astronomical Observatory, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 1024-1 Arakawa, Ishigaki, Okinawa 907-0024 (Japan)
- Nishi-Harima Astronomical Observatory, Center for Astronomy, University of Hyogo, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5313 (Japan)
- Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States)
- Department of Astronomy, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan)
- Observatoire de Paris, I.M.C.C.E., Denfert Rochereau, Bat. A., F-75014 Paris (France)
- Institute of Astronomy, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-0015 (Japan)
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan)
This article reports a new optical observation of 17P/Holmes one orbital period after the historical outburst event in 2007. We detected not only a common dust tail near the nucleus but also a long narrow structure that extended along the position angle 274.°6 ± 0.°1 beyond the field of view (FOV) of the Kiso Wide Field Camera, i.e., >0.°2 eastward and >2.°0 westward from the nuclear position. The width of the structure decreased westward with increasing distance from the nucleus. We obtained the total cross section of the long extended structure in the FOV, C{sub FOV} = (2.3 ± 0.5) × 10{sup 10} m{sup 2}. From the position angle, morphology, and mass, we concluded that the long narrow structure consists of materials ejected during the 2007 outburst. On the basis of the dynamical behavior of dust grains in the solar radiation field, we estimated that the long narrow structure would be composed of 1 mm–1 cm grains having an ejection velocity of >50 m s{sup −1}. The velocity was more than one order of magnitude faster than that of millimeter–centimeter grains from typical comets around a heliocentric distance r{sub h} of 2.5 AU. We considered that sudden sublimation of a large amount of water-ice (≈10{sup 30} mol s{sup −1}) would be responsible for the high ejection velocity. We finally estimated a total mass of M{sub TOT} = (4–8) × 10{sup 11} kg and a total kinetic energy of E{sub TOT} = (1–6) × 10{sup 15} J for the 2007 outburst ejecta, which are consistent with those of previous studies that were conducted soon after the outburst.
- OSTI ID:
- 22521645
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 817; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
TRANSIENT FRAGMENTS IN OUTBURSTING COMET 17P/HOLMES {sup ,}
Lingering grains of truth around comet 17P/HOLMES