comets: individual: 209P/LINEAR; interplanetary medium
Abstract :
[en] We report a new observation of the Jupiter family comet 209P/LINEAR during its 2014 return. The comet is recognized as a dust source of a new meteor shower, the May Camelopardalids. 209P/LINEAR was apparently inactive at a heliocentric distance rh = 1.6 AU and showed weak activity at rh <= 1.4 AU. We found an active region of <0.001% of the entire nuclear surface during the comet's dormant phase. An edge-on image suggests that particles up to 1 cm in size (with an uncertainty of factor 3-5) were ejected following a differential power-law size distribution with index q = –3.25 ± 0.10. We derived a mass-loss rate of 2-10 kg s–1 during the active phase and a total mass of ≈5 × 107 kg during the 2014 return. The ejection terminal velocity of millimeter- to centimeter-sized particles was 1-4 m s–1, which is comparable to the escape velocity from the nucleus (1.4 m s–1). These results imply that such large meteoric particles marginally escaped from the highly dormant comet nucleus via the gas drag force only within a few months of the perihelion passage.
Disciplines :
Space science, astronomy & astrophysics
Author, co-author :
Ishiguro, Masateru; Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Gwanak, Seoul 151-742, Korea ; Visiting Astronomer, Observatoire de Paris, I.M.C.C.E., Denfert Rochereau, Bat. A., F-75014 Paris, France, in 2014 May-July.
Kuroda, Daisuke; Okayama Astrophysical Observatory, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Asakuchi, Okayama 719-0232, Japan
Hanayama, Hidekazu; Ishigakijima Astronomical Observatory, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Ishigaki, Okinawa 907-0024, Japan
Takahashi, Jun; Nishi-Harima Astronomical Observatory, Center for Astronomy, University of Hyogo, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5313, Japan
Hasegawa, Sunao; Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210, Japan
Sarugaku, Yuki; Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210, Japan
Watanabe, Makoto; Department of Cosmosciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
Imai, Masataka; Department of Cosmosciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
Goda, Shuhei; Department of Cosmosciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
Akitaya, Hiroshi; Hiroshima Astrophysical Science Center, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan
Takagi, Yuhei; Nishi-Harima Astronomical Observatory, Center for Astronomy, University of Hyogo, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5313, Japan
Morihana, Kumiko; Nishi-Harima Astronomical Observatory, Center for Astronomy, University of Hyogo, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5313, Japan
Honda, Satoshi; Nishi-Harima Astronomical Observatory, Center for Astronomy, University of Hyogo, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5313, Japan
Arai, Akira; Nishi-Harima Astronomical Observatory, Center for Astronomy, University of Hyogo, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5313, Japan
Sekiguchi, Kazuhiro; National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, National Institute of Natural Sciences, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
Oasa, Yumiko; Faculty of Education, Saitama University, Sakura, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
Saito, Yoshihiko; Department of Physics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan
Morokuma, Tomoki; Institute of Astronomy, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-0015, Japan
Murata, Katsuhiro; Department of Astrophysics, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
Nogami, Daisaku; Department of Astronomy, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
Nagayama, Takahiro; Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
Yanagisawa, Kenshi; Okayama Astrophysical Observatory, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Asakuchi, Okayama 719-0232, Japan
Yoshida, Michitoshi; Hiroshima Astrophysical Science Center, Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan
Ohta, Kouji; Department of Astronomy, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
Kawai, Nobuyuki; Department of Physics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan
Miyaji, Takeshi; Ishigakijima Astronomical Observatory, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Ishigaki, Okinawa 907-0024, Japan
Fukushima, Hideo; National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
Watanabe, Jun-Ichi; National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
Opitom, Cyrielle ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Origines Cosmologiques et Astrophysiques (OrCa)
Jehin, Emmanuel ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Origines Cosmologiques et Astrophysiques (OrCa)
Gillon, Michaël ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Origines Cosmologiques et Astrophysiques (OrCa)
Vaubaillon, Jeremie J.; Observatoire de Paris, I.M.C.C.E., Denfert Rochereau, Bat. A., F-75014 Paris, France)
