Article (Scientific journals)
Spectral evolution of Rosetta target comet 46P/Wirtanen
Schulz, R.; Arpigny, Claude; Manfroid, Jean et al.
1998In Astronomy and Astrophysics, 335, p. 46-L49
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Keywords :
COMETS; COMA COMPOSITION; SPACE MISSIONS
Abstract :
[en] The compositional evolution of the coma of Rosetta target comet 46P/Wirtanen was studied along its pre-perihelion orbit. At 2.34 AU the first gaseous species, CN and C_3, were detected. C_2 and NH_2 arose at 2.0 AU. The production rate curves of gas and dust show a steep increase between 1.8 AU and 1.6 AU indicating a distinct change of the outgassing conditions. The C_2 production increases more rapidly with decreasing solar distance than CN. As one consequence the C_2/CN ratio strongly varies with heliocentric distance. Due to this variation a classification of 46P/Wirtanen by the taxonomy introduced by A'Hearn et al. (\cite{AMSOB}) distinguishing comets with typical abundance ratios from carbon-chain depleted comets, is impossible. It would be classified as depleted beyond about 1.6 AU whereas it would be designated typical at smaller distances. The knowledge of the unexpected changes in the activity curves of 46P/Wirtanen will help to optimize the Rosetta mission scenario in particular with regard to science operations. based on observations obtained at ESO La Silla within ESO programmes No. 57.F-0290 and 58.F-0413
Disciplines :
Space science, astronomy & astrophysics
Author, co-author :
Schulz, R.;  ESA Space Science Department, ESTEC, Postbus 299, 2200 AC Noordwijk, The Netherlands
Arpigny, Claude ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO)
Manfroid, Jean  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO)
Stuewe, J. A.;  Astronomisches Institut, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany
Tozzi, G. P.;  Osservatorio Astrophisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, I-50125 Firenze, Italy
Cremonese, G.;  Max-Planck-Institut für Aeronomie, Katlenburg-Lindau
Rembor, K.;  Osservatorio Astronomico, Vic. Osservatorio, 5, I-35122 Padova, Italy
Peschke, S.;  Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik, Postfach 10 39 80, D-69029 Heidelberg, Germany
Language :
English
Title :
Spectral evolution of Rosetta target comet 46P/Wirtanen
Publication date :
01 July 1998
Journal title :
Astronomy and Astrophysics
ISSN :
0004-6361
eISSN :
1432-0746
Publisher :
EDP Sciences, Les Ulis, France
Volume :
335
Pages :
L46-L49
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Available on ORBi :
since 17 February 2010

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