Infrared Observations of Cometary Solids

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Infrared Observations of Cometary Solids INFRARED OBSERVATIONS OF COMETARY SOLIDS Item Type text; Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) Authors CAMEJO, HUMBERTO CAMPINS Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 02/10/2021 01:15:22 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/185260 INFORMATION TO USERS This reproduction was made from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. While the most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this document, the quality of the reproduction is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help clarify markings or notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1. The sign or "target" for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is "Missing Page(s)". If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting through an image and duplicating adjacent pages to assure complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a round black mark, it is an indication of either blurred copy because of movement during exposure, duplicate copy, or copyrighted materials that should not have been filmed. For blurred pages, a good image of the page can be found in the adjacent frame. If copyrighted materials were deleted, a target note will appear listing the pages in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., is part of the material being photographed, a definite method of "sectioning" the material has been followed. It is customary to begin filming at the upper left hand comer of a large sheet and to continue from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. If necessary, sectioning is continued again-beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. For illustrations that cannot be satisfactorily reproduced by xerographic means, photographic prints can be purchased at additional cost and inserted into your xerographic copy. These prints are available upon request from the Dissertations Customer Services Department. 5. Some pages in any document may have indistinct print. In all cases the best available copy has been filmed. University Micrc5films International 300 N. Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI481 06 8306449 Camejo, Humberto Camp ins INFRARED OBSERVATIONS OF COMETARY SOLIDS The University ofArizona PH.D. 1982 University Microfilms 1ntern ati 0 nal 300 N. Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor. MI 48106 PLEASE NOTE: In all cases this material has been filmed in the best possible way from the available copy. Problems encountered with this document have been identified here with a check mark_-I_. 1. Glossy photographs or pages __ 2. Colored illustrations, paper or print __ 3. Photographs with dark background __ 4. Illustrations are poor copy __ 5. Pages with black marks, not original copy __ 6. Print shows through as there is text on both sides of page __ 7. Indistinct, broken or small print on several pages ,/" 8. Print exceeds margin requirements __ 9. Tightly bound copy with print lost in spine __ 10. Computer printout pages with indistinct print __ 11. Page(s) lacking when material received, and not available from school or author. 12. Page(s) seem to be missing in numbering only as text follows. 13. Two pages numbered . Text follows. 14. Curling and wrinkled pages __ 15. Other__________________________ _ University Microfilms International INFRARED OBSERVATIONS OF COMETARY SOLIDS by Humberto Campins Camejo A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF PLANETARY SCIENCE In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 198 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Final Examination Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by Humberto Campins Camejo entitled Infrared Observations of Cometary Solids ----------------------~------~~~~~-------------------- and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Date ~LdII- -=6 Date -~-~--~::;....;;.....--~---,-~-~----"..;;....;......--- Date ~o iLL " y Date Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate's submission of the final copy of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. Diss;;ta~on Director Date STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requi rements for an advanced degree at The Uni versity of Ari zona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under the rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for perm iss i on for extended qu otat i on from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There have been many people who, in different ways, have contributed to the completion of this work; some of them are: my parents, Cl ara Camejo de Campins and HLlmberto Campins Macias, who gave me all their support; George Rieke, my advisor, who patiently guided me through all the projects which led to the dissertation; Marcia Rieke, unofficially my co-advisor; John Gradie, Martha Hanner and Larry Lebofsky for collaboration in projects which were included in the disseration; Nick Gautier, Jim Higdon, Cliff Stoll, David Tholen, Martin Tomasko, John Wacker, Faith Vilas and Bruce Wilking for useful discussion; and Vicki Adams for her help with the typing, etc. Special thanks go to Laura E. Lucero for her invaluable support and inspiration. I am indebted to the Venezuelan Council for Scientific and Technological Research (Conicit) for financial support, and the University of Arizona and IRTF telescope allocating committees for the time received. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES • • • • · . vi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS · . vii ABSTRACT •• . viii 1. INTRODUCTION . .. 1 Structure of the Nucleus and Physical Processes Around It • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 3 Structure and Composition •••••••••••••• 3 Sublimation of Ices ••••••••••••••••• 4 Transport of the Dust • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 7 2. OBSERVATIONAL TECHNIQUE . 12 The Photometric System •••••••••••••• · . 12 Detectors • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • · . 13 Modulation •••••••••••••••••••• · . 15 3. ANALYSIS •••• . • • . • • • . • • • . 17 Assumptions • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 17 Albedos ••••••••••••••••••••••• 17 Coma Structure • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 19 Errors • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 20 Theoretical Methods • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 21 Scattering. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 21 Thermal Emission • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 22 4. NONPERIODIC COMETS, •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 24 Nature of the Cometary Dust • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 24 Comet West • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 29 Comet Bowell •••••••••••••••••••••• 43 First Program •••••••••••••••••••• 44 Discussion • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 51 Second Program • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 61 iv v TABLE OF CONTENTS--Continued Page 5. PERIOD COMETS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 67 Observations •••••••••••••••••••••• 67 Discussion • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 69 JHK Colors • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 69 Thermal Curve • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 71 Albedo • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 75 Comet Encke ••••••••••••••••• • • • • 76 Conclusions. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 77 6. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS . 78 Characteristics of Cometary Solids • • • • • • • • • • • 78 Structure of the Nucleus • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 79 Small Scale • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 79 large Scale • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 80 Relation Between Cometary and Interstellar Dust • • • • • 83 Origin of IIGassy" and IIDustyll Comets •••••••••• 86 REFERENCES . 89 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. The Photometric System. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 14 2. Photometry of Comet West • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 30 3. 1.25 to 3.45 )lm Magnitudes. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 45 4. Comet Bri ghtness at K (2.2 )lorn) • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 50 5. Summary of the Infrared Observations ••••••• •• 68 6. JHK Colors •• . • • 70 7. Temperatures. • • • • • • • • • 0 • • • • • • • • 72 8. Albedos . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 74 • vi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure ·Page 1. Flux ratio 1(4.8/ ~m)/I(3.5 ~m) vs. heliocentric distance for five comets •••••••.•. 26 2. Flux ratio 1(4.8 ~)/I(3.5 ~m) for size distribution of 28 s11 icate grains 3. Observations of Comet Kohoutek on December 19.7 1973. 31 4. Observations of Comet
Recommended publications
  • The Comet's Tale
    THE COMET’S TALE Newsletter of the Comet Section of the British Astronomical Association Volume 9, No 1 (Issue 17), 2002 April JOEL HASTINGS METCALF MINISTER, HUMANITARIAN, ASTRONOMER Richard R Didick Joel Hastings Metcalf was born in The following account, taken used with either a single prism or Meadville, Pennsylvania, on from a newspaper article about a grating, both of which were January 4th, 1866, the son of him when he lived in Taunton, is provided. Lewis Herbert and Anna (Hicks) somewhat dubious since he Metcalf. Lewis was a Civil War actually bought the 7-inch In the observatory at Keesville, Veteran, a soldier who lost a leg refractor. "When but 14 years old the instrument was mounted in a at the first battle of "Bull Run" he built a telescope and ground very substantial dome, being and was held at Libby prison until out a lens with which he was able fastened to a fine cut granite base exchanged and discharged. to observe with success all the weighting about a ton. In a principal heavenly bodies. This February when Lake Champlain At the approximate age of 14, Joel was a small two-inch lens. His had frozen over, the whole outfit Metcalf borrowed Richard next attempt was a three-inch lens was loaded on sleds and started Proctor's book, Other Worlds and he later made one of three across the Lake on the ice. The Than Ours, from his Sunday and a half inches, which he ice was thick enough - but there school library which led him to an subsequently sold to Harvard are always long cracks in the interest in astronomy.
    [Show full text]
  • 19740026181.Pdf
    DYNAMIC& AND PHOTOMETRIC INVESTIGATION OF COMETARY TYPE I1 TAILS Grant NGR 09-015-159 Semiannual Progress Report No. 6 For the period March 15 to September 14, 1974 Principal Investigator Dr. Zdenek Sekanina Prepared for . .-- National Aeronautics and Space Administration ; . Washington, D.C. 20546 q, ' ';'.. ',. : , , , - , .., ,: .,M, ._I _, . ..!..' , , .. ".. .,;-'/- Smithsonian Institution Astrophysical Observatory Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 DYNAMICAL AND PHOTOMETRIC INVESTIGATION OF COMETARY TYPE 11 TAILS Grant NGR 09-015-159 Semiannual Progress Report No. 6 For the period March 15 to September 14, 1974 Principal Investigator Dr. Zdenek Sekanina Pre-ared for National Aeronautics and Space Administration Washington, D. C. 20546 Smithsonian Institut ion Astrophysical Observatory Sambridge, Massachusetts 02138 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................... iii PART A. COMPARISON OF THE WORKING MODEL FOR THE ANTITAIL OF COMET KOHOUTEK (1973f) WITH GROUND-BASED PHOTOGRAPHIC OBSERVATIONS . 1 1. Introduction ....................... 1 11. The Cerro Tololo photographs ............... 1 111. Photographic photometry of the Cerro Tololo plates. The technique ........................ 4 IV. Photographic photometry of the Cerro Tololo plates. The results ......................... V. Calibration stars for the Cerro Tololo plates ....... VI. Preliminary physical interpretation of the observed radial profiles of the antitail ................. VII. References ....................... PART B. OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THE REPORTED PERIOD ...........
    [Show full text]
  • The Cometary Antitail
    return to updates The Cometary Antitail by Miles Mathis First published March 5, 2013 Comet Tail. Comet ISON is already generating excitement, since it is predicted to be one of the brightest ever seen in our lifetimes. It is scheduled to pass beginning November 28. The comet PANSTARRS is currently being seen in the south and will soon be seen here as well. This gives me the opportunity to address cometary theory, how it currently fails, and how to improve it with the unified field. Let's look at the antitail. The antitail is one of three cometary tails known, along with the dust tail and the ion tail. The ion tail points directly away from the Sun, and is caused by the Solar wind. According to this diagram above, the dust tail appears to point mainly on the tangent, behind the comet, and so it forms a pretty natural exhaust tail. But the antitail is not so easy to explain with current theory. It is a dust tail that leads the comet, so it is neither exhaust nor ion push caused by the Sun. This is what Wikipedia says on the main page for “comet”: On occasions a short tail pointing in the opposite direction to the ion and dust tails may be seen – the antitail. These were once thought somewhat mysterious, but are merely the end of the dust tail apparently projecting ahead of the comet due to our viewing angle. But if we click on the “antitail” link on that page, we don't find that explanation.
    [Show full text]
  • © in This Web Service Cambridge University
    Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-07346-3 - A Journey through the Universe: Gresham Lectures on Astronomy Lan Morison Index More information Index 2003 UB313,26 Bayer, Johann, 212 gravitational microlensing, 3C 273, 125 Bell Telephone Laboratories, 243 75-metre Mark I radio 322 Hawking radiation, 252 telescope, 247 Bell, Jocelyn, 159, 161 Hawking temperature, 253 Belville, Ruth, 264 intermediate mass, 240 active galaxies, 246 Bessel, Friedrich, 121, 151 Kerr black holes, 242 NGC 4261, 248 Bethe, Hans, 146, 321 Monoceros X-1, 245 Adams, John Couch, 60, 77 Bevis, John, 154 neutron degeneracy Airy, George, 60 Big Bang theory, 294 pressure, 240 albedo, 33 closed universes, 337 no-hair theorem, 241 Earth, 33 flat or critical universe, Omega Centauri, 240 Enceladus, 63 337 Penrose process, 242 Mars, 33 flatness problem, 296 Schwarzschild radius, 240, Mercury and Moon, 63 Friedmann models, 338 241 Venus, 33, 63 Heisenberg’s uncertainty singularity, 240 Alpher, Ralph, 321 principle, 295 size of emitting region, 249 Alpher–Bethe–Gamow paper, horizon problem, 296 super-massive, 240 321 inflation, 295 what are they?, 239 anthropic principle, 148 initial singularity, 294 X-ray binary systems, 244 apehelion, 28 Omega, 337 Bode, Johann Elert, 55 Apian, Peter, 94 zero energy content, 294 Bondi, Herman, 339 astronomical unit, 10 binary pulsar, 233 Brahe, Tycho, 4, 91, 155 Aurora Australis, 21, 22 Birr Castle, 122 British eclipse expedition, 229 Aurora Borealis, 21, 22 black holes, 239 Brown, Mike, 28, 67 auroral corona, 23 A0620–00, 246 Burke, Bernie,
    [Show full text]
  • Samson's Long Hair (Strength Hidden) | Coma, Stream Or Tail
    Sabine Vlaming <[email protected]> Comet means 'long haired star' in Greek | Samson's long hair (strength hidden) | Coma, stream or tail | Coma Berenices: hidden behind hair | His tail drew a third of the stars | Is Revelation 8:8 Hawaii (and the stored chemicals) Sabine Vlaming <[email protected]> 15 juli 2020 om 08:47 Aan: Sabine Vlaming <[email protected]> ---------- Forwarded message --------- Van: Sabine Vlaming <[email protected]> Date: za 11 aug. 2018 om 12:52 Subject: Comet means 'long haired star' in Greek | Samson's long hair (strength hidden) | Coma, stream or tail | Coma Berenices: hidden behind hair | His tail drew a third of the stars | Is Revelation 8:8 Hawaii (and the stored chemicals) To: Comet | 'Long haired' star | Another association with samson | Nudge to Coma Berenices too From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia JumpThis article is about the astronomical objects. For other uses, see Comet (disambiguation). to A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when searchnavigation passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases, a process called outgassing. This produces a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind acting upon the nucleus of the comet. Comet nuclei range from a few hundred metres to tens of kilometres across and are composed of loose collections of ice, dust, and small rocky particles. The coma may be up to 15 times the Earth's diameter, while the tail may stretch one astronomical unit. If sufficiently bright, a comet may be seen from the Earth without the aid of a telescope and may subtend an arc of 30° (60 Moons) across the sky.
    [Show full text]
  • Comets: Data, Problems, and Objectives
    Comets: Data, Problems, and Objectives Fred L. Whipple Center for Astrophysics Cambridge, Massachusetts A highly abridged review of new relevant results from the observations of Comet Kohoutek (1973f) is followed by an outline summary of our basic knowledge concerning comets, both subjects being confined to data related to the nature and origin of comets rather than the phenomena (for example, plasma phenomena are omitted). The discussion then centers on two likely places of cometary origin in the developing solar system, the proto-Uranus-Neptune region versus the much more distant fragmented interstellar cloud region, now frequented by comets of the Opik-Oort cloud. The Comet Kohoutek results add new insights, particularly with regard to the parent molecules and the nature of meteoric solids in comets, to restrict the range of the physical circumstances of comet formation. A few fundamental and outstanding questions are asked, and a plea made for unmanned missions to comets and asteroids in order to provide definitive answers as to the nature and origin of comets, asteroids, and the solar system generally. A Few of the Major Advances in Lew and Heiber (ref. 9) and Herzberg and Lew (ref. 10) made a major step forward by Comet Knowledge From + identifying H20 bands which were measured Observations of Comet by Benevenuti and Wurm (ref. 11) and by Kohoutek (1973f) Wehinger et al. (ref. 12). Definitive studies of this vital ion should solidify our knowledge The first radio observations of a comet of the abundance and behavior of H20, ap- leading to the discovery of the new parent parently the most abundant and controlling molecules methyl cyanide (CH3CN) and material in comets.
    [Show full text]
  • Forward-Scattering Enhancement of Comet Brightness
    Forward-Scattering Enhancement of Comet Brightness. III. Prospects for C/2010 (Elenin) as Viewed from the Earth and the SOHO, STEREO-A, and STEREO-B Spacecraft ____________________ Joseph N. Marcus 19 Arbor Road St. Louis, MO 63132 USA [email protected] _____________ Submitted to International Comet Quarterly 2011 July 28 Abstract Comet C/2010 X1 (Elenin) ventures into extreme forward-scattering geometry when it passes between the Sun and the STEREO-B spacecraft (minimum scattering angle θmin = 7.3° on Aug. 13.13 UT), the Earth (θmin = 3.1° on Sept. 26.78 UT), and the SOHO spacecraft (θmin = 3.1° on Sept. 26.90 UT). Near these times, brightness enhancements of −6 to −7 magnitudes from the baseline can be expected, based on a model of the coma scattering function, Φ(θ) (Marcus 2007a). Large as they are, these predicted enhancements are blunted by the comet’s extremely low dust-to-gas light ratio, inferred as δ90 = 0.15 from current continuum photometry. I analyze current visual magnitudes through June and develop a model for a baseline light curve which incorporates a dust-to-gas light ratio, δ90(r), which varies with heliocentric distance, r. The model predicts a falloff in the index of brightening of C/2010 X1 from n = 4 at r > 1 AU to n = 3 at r < 1 AU in the canonical baseline total magnitude formula m1 = H0 + 5 log ∆ + 2.5 n log r + mΦ(θ), where mΦ(θ) = − 2.5 log Φ(θ), ∆ is comet-observer distance, and H0 = 8.0 is the derived absolute magnitude.
    [Show full text]
  • Computational Physics Project 3 Comet Dust Tails
    Computational Physics Project 3 Comet Dust Tails Outline ● Comet Dust Tails ● Forces acting on Dust Particles ● Two basic elements of calculation – Acceleration of dust grain near nucleus – Subsequent motion of dust grain in orbit ● Calculation Parameters and Questions to be considered Comet Tails ● Ion Tail – ionized gas driven away from sun by solar wind Ion Tail ● Dust Tail – Dust particles pushed by solar radiation pressure Dust – Curved shape with respect Tail to the nucleus is result of orbital motion of particles responding to the radiation pressure. Dust Tail Features ● Anti-tail – Large dust particles an move sunward before turning around under radiation pressure. – Most in plane of orbit ● Structures in Tail – Produced by changes in the amount of dust with time. ● We are going to try to explain these features. Dust Tail Forces ● Gravity of Sun – Nucleus in orbit around Sun, no other forces will be considered in calculating position of nucleus. – Dust grain in orbit around Sun, so solar gravity must be considered. ● Gravity of Comet – Dust grain feels gravity of comet. ● Drag of outflowing gas from the comet – Dust grain pushed by outflowing gas ● Solar Radiation Pressure – Dust grain pushed by radiation pressure of sunlight Gravity Force Geometry This shows where the dust Is with respect to the nucleus NUCLEUS r - r d n r DUST n GRAIN r d SUN Drag A density of air in cylinder: ρ Projectile distance travelled in ∆t = ∆L Mass of air molecules encountered in time ∆t: m = ρ A ∆L = d A v ∆t Energy imparted to air molecules through collision: ∆E ~ ½ m v2 ~ ½ ρ A v2 ∆L Energy comes from projectile: Work done = Drag Force X ∆L ∆E = Drag Force ∆L ~ ½ ρ A v2 ∆L Drag Force ~ ½ ρ A v2 Drag on Dust Grain C is drag coefficient drag v is gas velocity – gas is directed radially outward from nucleus gas A is cross section of grain ρ is gas density gas Q is number of water molecules per second MH2O is mass of water Where r is distance from comet nucleus molecule and R is radius of comet nucleus.
    [Show full text]
  • Comets II, Revised Chapter #7006
    Comets II, Revised Chapter #7006 Motionofcometarydust Marco Fulle INAF { Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste Summary. On time{scales of days to months, the motion of cometary dust is mainly affected by solar radiation pressure, which determines dust dynamics according to its cross{section. Within this scenario, dust motion builds{up structures named dust tails. Tail photometry, depending on the dust cross section too, allows models to infer the best available outputs describing fundamental dust parameters: mass loss rate, ejection velocity from the coma, and size distribution. Only models taking into account all these parameters, each strictly linked to all others, can provide self{consistent estimates of each of them. All available tail models find that comets release dust with its mass dominated by the largest ejected boulders. A much more unexpected result is however possible: also coma brightness may be dominated by meter{sized boulders. This result, if confirmed by future observations, would require deep revisions of most dust coma models, based on the common assumption that coma light is coming from grains of sizes close to the observation wavelength. 1. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW While ices sublimate on the nucleus surface, the dust embedded in it is released and dragged out by the gas expanding in the coma. The dust motion then depends on the following boundary conditions: the 3D nucleus topography and the complex 3D gas{dust interaction close to the nucleus surface. Both these conditions were never available to modelers. Dust coma shapes heavily depend on the details of the boundary conditions, and coma models cannot disentangle the effect of dust parameters on coma shapes from those due to the unknown boundary conditions.
    [Show full text]
  • Fireballs Teacher Resource Book
    Teacher Resource Book Exploring planetary science in the primary classroom WHAT IS FIREBALLS IN THE SKY? Fireballs in the Sky is a citizen science initiative linked to the research of the Desert Fireball Network (DFN) team at Curtin University. The project aims to record fireballs (meteors or shooting stars) as they enter the Earth’s atmosphere in order to calculate where they came from in space and where they landed. WHAT IS PLANETARY SCIENCE? Planetary science is the study of planets (incuding Earth), moons and smaller bodies of the solar system and how they were formed. It is a blend of geology and astronomy. The study of meteorites, or meteoritics, allows us to find out what asteroids, comets and planets are made of, and thus learn more about the origins of the solar system. The project uses cameras stationed in the desert (the DFN) and a smart phone app (Fireballs in the Sky) which people all around the world can use to report a sighting. Dramatic meteors are called fireballs HOW DO I USE THIS BOOK? This book provides experiments and activity ideas to supplement classroom science and maths teaching around the theme of ‘Fireballs in the Sky’. Experiments can be used individually or as the whole unit to engage students Dissecting playdough meteorites in science and maths. Resources such as recipes and worksheets are available to photocopy (pages 50 - 69). There are fact sheets and a glossary at the end of this book to help you out (pages 70 - 89). Page 2 HOW WILL THIS BOOK HELP WITH FORMAL LEARNING? The Australian Curriculum emphasises the use of the scientific method and understanding the endeavour of scientists themselves.
    [Show full text]
  • Motion of Cometary Dust 565
    Fulle: Motion of Cometary Dust 565 Motion of Cometary Dust Marco Fulle Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica–Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste On timescales of days to months, the motion of cometary dust is mainly affected by solar radiation pressure, which determines dust dynamics according to the particle-scattering cross- section. Within this scenario, the motion of the dust creates structures referred to as dust tails. Tail photometry, depending on the dust cross-section, allows us to infer from model runs the best available outputs to describe fundamental dust parameters: mass loss rate, ejection veloc- ity from the coma, and size distribution. Only models that incorporate these parameters, each strictly linked to all the others, can provide self-consistent estimates for each of them. After many applications of available tail models, we must conclude that comets release dust with mass dominated by the largest ejected boulders. Moreover, an unexpected prediction can be made: The coma brightness may be dominated by light scattered by meter-sized boulders. This prediction, if confirmed by future observations, will require substantial revisions of most of the dust coma models in use today, all of which are based on the common assumption that coma light comes from grains with sizes close to the observation wavelength. 1. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW a particular type of antitails (anti-neck-lines) that lie in the sector opposite that where most tails are possible. These are While ices sublimate on the nucleus surface, the dust em- much shorter than usual tails, not exceeding 106 km in length bedded in them is freed and dragged out by the expanding (section 7.1).
    [Show full text]
  • A Search for Anomalous Tails of Short-Period Comets
    nights at the ESO 50-cm during the new moon. The reduc­ ximum recession velocity occurs at the time of the variable tion of the photometrie data was completed in April and a maximum in the light curve. The underlying A4686 absorp­ statistical analysis showed the presence of a regular varia­ tion line shows approximately constant radial velocity to tion with aperiod of 1~408 ±Od002 and an amplitude of 0.15 within ±50 km/so The opticallight curve of this star resem­ magnitude. The light curve is double-humped with one bles strikingly those of Vela X-1, SMC X-1, Cen X-3, and maximum being variable in intensity (Fig. 1). Twenty-one Cyg X-1, all positively identified binary X-ray sources with electronographic spectra of this star were reduced using OB-type supergiant companions. However, the orbital pe­ the POS computer-controlled microphotometer of Nice riod of the LMC X-4 candidate is shorter and the radial ve­ Observatory (COCA). The spectrum shows H, He I and He II locity of the A4686 emission line is larger than in these in absorption; the spectral type is about 08 and the mean other systems. In this sense the object is remarkable. Ex­ radial velocity confirms LMC membership. The A4686 He I1 cept in Cyg X-1, X-ray ecli pses have been fou nd in all the line is also present in emission and it exhibits periodic ra­ above systems and we hope that future X-ray observations dial-velocity variations in phase with the light curve.
    [Show full text]