ON THE DUST ENVIRONMENT OF MAIN-BELT COMET 313 P/Gibbs

Journal Article · Wed Jun 10 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/806/1/102· OSTI ID:22522300

Pozuelos, F. J.; Moreno, F. ^[1]; Cabrera-Lavers, A.

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1. Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, CSIC, Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n, E-18008 Granada (Spain)

We present observations carried out using the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias and an interpretative model of the dust environment of activated asteroid 313 P/Gibbs. We discuss three different models relating to different values of the dust parameters, i.e., dust loss rate, maximum and minimum sizes of particles, power index of the size distribution, and emission pattern. The best model corresponds to an isotropic emission of particles which started on August 1. The sizes of grains were in the range of 0.1−2000 μm, with velocities for 100 μm particles between 0.4−1.9 m s{sup −1}, with a dust production rate in the range of 0.2−0.8 kg s{sup −1}. The dust tails’ brightnesses and morphologies are best interpreted in terms of a model of sustained and low dust emission driven by water-ice sublimation, spanning since 2014 August 1, and triggered by a short impulsive event. This event produced an emission of small particles of about 0.1 μm with velocities of ∼4 m s{sup −1}. From our model we deduce that the activity of this main-belt comet continued for at least four months since activation.

• OSTI ID: 22522300
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 806, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ASTEROIDS
BRIGHTNESS
COMETS
COSMIC DUST
ICE
INTERSTELLAR GRAINS
MORPHOLOGY
PLANETS
SUBLIMATION
VELOCITY
WATER