小行星与彗星—近地小行星,主带小行星和彗星之间相互关系探讨

小行星和彗星都是太阳系中的小天体,而近地小行星又是小行星中特殊的一类。近年来对近地小行星的观测和研究已全面开展,这已成为当今太阳系研究的前沿领域之一。本文初步探讨太阳系中不同小天体之间的关系:1.小行星与短周期彗星之间的关系;2.近地小行星与主带小行星和短周期彗星之间的关系。最近的观测研究表明某些小行星可能是由彗星演变来的,而某些近地小行星可能来源于主带小行星和死亡的彗核。     

中国古代彗星记录的证认

对中国古代彗星记录的研究状况进行了全面论述,讨论了古代彗星名称、记录和轨道的确定,以事实说明,据这些彗星记录不可能得垤精确的轨道;回顾了古代彗星证认的历史发展,着重分析进行短周期彗得证认时可能出现的问题和解决方法;总结了古代彗星证认的意义：一是有助于短周期彗星长期演化的研究,二是有助于历史年代的确定。     

长周期彗星动力学特性统计研究

基于JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory)和MPC (Minor Planet Center)的彗星观测数据, 对长周期彗星(Long Period Comet, LPC)的轨道进行逆向演化, 得到其原始轨道, 并分析了LPC的观测轨道和原始轨道的动力学特性. 研究表明: LPC观测轨道半长轴倒数(1/a)_obs和原始轨道半长轴倒数(1/a)_ori分布存在显著差异, 峰值分别位于(1/a)_obs～ 2 × 10^-5au^-1和(1/a)_ori～ 6 × 10^-5au^-1; 大近日点LPC(近日点距离q > 3.1 au)和小近日点LPC (近日点距离q 3.1 au)的原始轨道(1/a)_ori峰值位置相同, 均位于1 × 10^-4au^-1; JPL和MPC数据中LPC的原始轨道(1/a)_obs峰...     

活动小行星311P/PANSTARRS的动力学lk 特性分析

311P/PANSTARRS是一颗活动小行星, 具有小行星和彗星的双重特征, 是中国``天问二号''的探测目标之一. 311P/PANSTARRS直径较小, 约为400 m, 非引力效应可能会对其长期动力学演化产生较大的影响. 通过假定不同表面组分, 研究了Yarkovsky效应对311P/PANSTARRS轨道演化的影响, 讨论了密近交汇、 非破坏性碰撞和YORP (Yarkovsky-O''Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack)效应等非引力效应, 计算了小行星与大行星密近交汇及碰撞概率, 估计了311P/PANSTARRS达到自转周期分裂极限的时标. 模拟结果显示与纯引力模型相比, Yarkovsky效应可能会加快311P/PANSTARRS离开当前共振区域, 大约在10Myr以后311P/PANSTARRS会离开当前所在共振带, 在表面覆盖风化层的情况下有机会通过v6长期共振成为越火小行星; 在考虑YORP效应的情况下, 311P/PANSTARRS在2 Myr时标内可达到自转周期分裂极限; 在考虑Yarkovsky效应及YORP效应等因素的情况下, 311P/PANSTARRS在10 Myr时标内仍可保持其动力学稳定性, 且YORP效应不会显著影响其半长径偏移量.     

彗星动力学研究综述

彗星是太阳系中天文学的重要研究对象．它涉及到天体物理、化学、天体力学等多种领域。近年的研究表明,彗星可能是揭开太阳系起源和演化之谜的突破口,还可能与生命的起源有关．本文旨在对彗星动力学的发展情况作一简单的回顾和评述．     

Vega飞船对哈雷彗星的电视观测

1984年12月份,苏联发射了两艘飞船——Vega-1和Vega-2,观测哈雷彗星。这两艘飞船都载有电视摄像系统.它们的主要任务是:(1)查明彗核是一个整块,还是由一些碎块组成的;(2)测定彗核的大小、形状和自转参数;(3)估测彗核表面的成份和结构;(4)探查彗核表面物质发射的特征:(5)确定活动区域的位置;以及(6)研究近核区域彗发的形态结构和运动。     

飞上太空探彗星

探彗核:出师未捷身先死 美国国家宇航局(NASA)2002年8月15日宣布,其造价达1.58亿美元的“彗核旅行”太空探测器在离开地球轨道去探索其他彗星途中与地面失去联系。联络中断时,“彗核旅行”位于印度洋上空约225千米处,并计划启动发动机脱离地球轨道而进入彗星围绕太阳运行     

拖着长尾巴的小天体——彗星

彗星是善变的天体。当它位于木星轨道以外、距离太阳非常遥远时,根本就没有耀人眼目的尾巴,也不存在壮大声势的彗发。彗星仅仅是直径几百米到几十千米的“彗核”,在普通望远镜中呈现为暗淡的星点。当它运动到木星与火星的轨道之间时,接收到较多的太阳光辐射,表面部分物质蒸发为气态,形成“彗发”。     

太阳系尘埃等离子体研究

综述了太阳系尘埃等离子体中的充电机制和波动过程以及与之有关的若干空间物理现象,内容包括太阳系等离子体中尘埃表面的平衡电势,带电尘埃在空间环境中的受力与运动,行星环内沿的弥漫扩散,轮辐结构的成困,彗星环境中尘埃的静电爆裂,尘埃彗尾的形态演化,天王星窄环的稳定性等问题．     

哈雷彗星与彗星研究

彗星是太阳系的一种奇特天体。在太阳辐射和太阳风作用下,彗星发生一系列物理过程和化学过程,表现为外貌形态(彗发、彗尾)、亮度、光谱及运动特性等多种变化。彗星研究是天文学和空间科学的重要课题,对于了解太阳系起源、有机分子仍至生命起源、太阳风及等离子体过程都有重要意义。 著名的哈雷彗星将在1985—86年再次回归到内太阳系。它有多种彗星现象,从地面到近地空间及空间会合的各种观测及样品分析,预料会取得彗星研究的新进展。本文先概述国际哈雷彗星联测(IHW)的计划;然后,评述彗星研究的一些进展,包括:(1)彗星的化学组成和化学过程;(2)尘埃彗尾和颗粒;(3)等离子体彗尾;(4)彗发;(5)彗星的亮度、爆发和分裂;(6)彗核的蒸发、寿命及非引力效应;(7)彗核,其中也包括我国的彗星研究情况。     

The long-term evolution and initial size of comets 46P/Wirtanen and 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko

We present a new method to study the long-term evolution of cometary nuclei in order to estimate their original size, and we consider the case of comets 46P/Wirtanen (hereafter 46P) and 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (hereafter 67P). We calculate the past evolution of the orbital elements of both comets over 100 000 yr using a Bulirsch–Stoer integrator and over 450 000 yr using a Radau integrator, and we incorporate a realistic model of the erosion of their nucleus. Their long-term orbital evolution is prominently chaotic, resulting from several close encounters with planets, and this result is independent of the choice of the integrator and of the presence or not of non-gravitational forces. The dynamical lifetime of comet 46P is estimated at ∼133 000 yr and that of comet 67P at ∼105 000 yr. Our erosion model assumes a spherical nucleus composed of a macroscopic mixture of two thermally decoupled components, dust and pure water ice. Erosion strongly depends upon the active fraction and the density of the nucleus. It mainly takes place at heliocentric distances <4 au and lasts for only ∼7 per cent of the lifetime. Assuming a density of 300 kg m⁻³ and an average active fraction over time of 10 per cent, we find an initial radius of ∼1.3 km for 46P and ∼2.8 km for 67P. Upper limit are obtained assuming a density of 100 kg m⁻³ and an active fraction of 100 per cent, and amounts to 21 km for 46P and 25 km for 67P. Erosion acts as a rejuvenating process of the surface so that exposed materials on the surface may only contain very little quantities of primordial materials. However, materials located just under it (a few centimetres to metres) may still be much less evolved. We will apply this method to several other comets in the future.     

The morphology and surface processes of Comet 19/P Borrelly

The flyby of the nucleus of the Comet 19P/Borrelly by the Deep Space 1 spacecraft produced the best views to date of the surface of these interesting objects. It transformed Borrelly from an astronomical object shrouded in coma of gas and dust into a geological object with complex surface processes and a rich history of erosion and landform evolution. Based on analysis of the highest resolution images, stereo images, photometry, and albedo we have mapped four major morphological units and four terrain features. The morphological units are named dark spots, mottled terrain, mesas, and smooth terrain. The features are named ridges, troughs, pits, and hills. In strong contrast to asteroids, unambiguous impact craters were not observed on Borrelly's surface. Because of the relatively short period of this comet, surface erosion by volatile sublimation is, in geologic terms, a very active process. The formation and the morphologies of units and features appear to be driven by differential rates of sublimation erosion. Erosional rates across the comet are probably controlled by solar energy input and the location of the subsolar point during perihelion. Differences in energy input may produce different varieties of sublimation erosional landforms. The terrains on Borrelly suggest that solar energy input could map directly into erosional processes and landforms.     

The dynamics of globally active triaxial comets, with applications to asteroid rotation

It is demonstrated how globally distributed outgassing activity on a triaxial comet nucleus bridges the gap between the intuitive Sekanina model, used for comet orbit solutions, and the physics of the problem. In this activity and shape limit, it is shown how a recoil force component, which originates from a day-side restricted sublimation process, is necessary to describe the comet's rotational evolution. Modifications of the non-gravitational force cosines are suggested, with a fundamentally different interpretation than before. Applications to asteroid rotation yield that the ability of specular reflection, of solar photons on an asteroid's surface, to change the asteroid's rotation period and equatorial obliquity, is not dependent on the overall shape of the asteroid.     

Features of a comet nucleus: The case of 103P/Hartley 2

In the paper two chosen features of the comet 103P/Hartley 2 are studied. The first one are ‘cometary geysers’ which have been recorded by the camera on Deep Impact spacecraft. The numerical calculations related with this phenomenon have been carried out for large number of values of probable cometary characteristics. Our calculations confirm the assumption what also has been observed by NASA's scientists that the jets of carbon dioxide from the geysers are able to lift large chunks of water ice from the comet. The second discussed feature of the comet 103P/Hartley 2 is the lack of impact holes on the surface of its nucleus. The expected rate of impact holes on the surface of the nucleus of 103P/Hartley 2 is discussed. These holes could be the product of impacts between this comet and other small bodies orbiting in the main asteroid belt. The probability of such impacts, the total number of expected perceptible holes and changes in the luminosity of the comet caused by collisions are examined. We conclude that indeed the number of visible holes on its surface should be negligible (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Evolution of Comet Nucleus Rotation

The secular evolution of comet nucleus rotation states subject to outgassing torques is studied. The dynamical model assumes that the nucleus inertia ellipsoid is axially symmetric. The outgassing torques acting on the surface are modeled using standard cometary activity formulae. The general rotational equations of motion are derived and separately averaged over the fast rotational dynamics terms and the comet orbit. Special cases where the averaging assumptions cannot be applied are evaluated separately. The modification of the comet orbit due to comet outgassing is neglected. Resulting from this analysis is a system of secular differential equations that describes the dynamics of the comet nucleus angular momentum and rotation state. We find that the qualitative secular evolution of the rotation state is controlled by a single parameter that combines parameters related to the comet orbit and parameters related to the nucleus surface geometry and activity. From this solution, we find qualitatively different evolutionary paths for comet nuclei whose entire surface is active, as compared to nuclei with only a single active region. For surface activity models between these extremes, we show that certain evolutionary paths are more likely than others. Additionally, our solution indicates that a comet nucleus' rotational angular momentum will tend to increase over time, potentially contributing to the observed phenomenon of comet nucleus splitting.     

Local subgiants and time-scales of disc formation

This paper concentrates on the relationship between the rate of gas emission from the nucleus of Comet 9P/Tempel 1, the fraction f of the nucleus that is active, and the crater damage inflicted by the recent 2005 July 4 Deep Impact space mission. The cometary nucleus has a surface area of about  1.7 × 10⁸ m²  and a mean radius of about 3700 m. Before the impact it is estimated that only a fraction f = 0.0056 of the nucleus surface was actively producing gas and dust. The active area was about  9.4 × 10⁵ m²  . Absolute magnitudes obtained at recent perihelion passages of this comet indicate that variations in the 0.0074 > f > 0.0039 range can occur from apparition to apparition. Because of the low size of the original active area, the production of a new impact crater in the diameter range 40 to 300 m would lead to a long-term change in the cometary visual magnitude in the range 0.0018 to 0.098 respectively. This is below the limit of detectability. It has been suggested that the cometary dust is in the form of 'talcum powder' not 'beach sand'. We suggest that the dust ejected from the impact site has been broken up by the energetic impact process and thus has a different size distribution from dust locked in the snowy matrix of the nucleus and normally lifted off the nucleus by gentle sublimation processes.     

Shape and obliquity effects on the thermal evolution of the Rosetta target 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko cometary nucleus

This work is dedicated to the application to 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko of a new quasi-3D approach for non-spherically shaped comet nuclei with the aim to interpret the current activity of the comet in terms of initial characteristics and to predict shape and internal stratification evolution of the nucleus. The model is applied to differently shaped nuclei taking into account the characteristics of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko deduced from observations. We focus our attention on the combined effects that shapes and obliquity have on the comet surface and sub-surface evolution. We discuss the results in terms of activity, local dust mantle formation and disruption, erosion of the surface and internal stratigraphy.The results show that differently shaped nuclei can have different internal structures leading to different activity patterns and behaviors. Our calculations have shown that local variations in the dust and gas fluxes can be induced by the nucleus shape. The distribution of “active” areas on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is different because of different shapes, reflecting the illumination conditions on the surface. These shapes can influence the structure of the inner coma, but the coma far away from the nucleus is only marginally affected by the nucleus shape. However, different comet behaviors can arise from differently shaped comet nuclei, especially in terms of local activity, surface and sub-surface characteristics and properties. The water flux local distribution is the most influenced by the shape as it is directly linked to the illumination. Irregular shapes have large shadowing effects that can result in activity patterns on the comet surface.The effects of different pole directions are discussed to see the relations with the nucleus activity and internal structure. It is shown that the orientation of the rotation axis plays a strong role on the surface evolution of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, determining seasonal effects on the fluxes. The activity of the comet changes greatly with the nucleus obliquity leading to pre-post-perihelion differences in the activity and seasonal effects. The effects of the dust deposition and crust formation on the cometary activity have also been simulated and are discussed with respect to 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko observations. The dust mantling is also strongly obliquity dependent, with different surface distributions of the dust-covered regions according to the different comet pole orientations. Finally, we show that our model can reproduce the fluxes behavior near perihelion in terms of amplitude and asymmetry, and we estimate 20% of the illuminated surface to be active.     

The search for a cometary outbursts mechanism: a comparison of various theories

In the paper the potential sources of energy of cometary outbursts have been reviewed. Considerations focus on four probable sources of the outbursts' energy. These are the polymerization of hydrogen cyanide HCN, impacts with the meteoroids, destruction of cometary grains in the field of strong solar wind and the transformation of amorphous water Ice into the crystalline one. The values of released energy and jumps of cometary brightness caused by these mechanisms have been discussed. A modern approach to the problem of the thermodynamical evolution of the comet nucleus which includes amorphous water ice is considered as the starting point in the discussion presented in the paper. The main characteristics of an outburst of a hypothetical comet belonging to the Jupiter family comet are calculated. The obtained results are in a good agreement with the characteristics observed during the real outbursts of comets. The main conclusion of this paper confirms a general presumption that the cometary outbursts can have different causes. However, the hypothesis concerning the amorphous water ice transformation appears to be the most probable one. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Cometary masses derived from non-gravitational forces

We compute masses and densities for 10 periodic comets with known sizes: 1P/Halley, 2P/Encke, 6P/d'Arrest, 9P/Tempel 1, 10P/Tempel 2, 19P/Borrelly, 22P/Kopff, 46P/Wirtanen, 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko and 81P/Wild 2. The method follows the one developed by Rickman and colleagues, which is based on the gas production curve and on the change in the orbital period due to the non-gravitational force. The gas production curve is inferred from the visual light curve. We found that the computed masses cover more than three orders of magnitude:  ≃(0.3–400) × 10¹²  kg. The computed densities are in all cases very low (≲0.8 g cm⁻³), with an average value of 0.4 g cm⁻³, in agreement with previous results and models of the cometary nucleus depicting it as a very porous object. The computed comet densities turn out to be the lowest among the different populations of Solar system minor bodies, in particular as compared to those of near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). We conclude that the model applied in this paper, in spite of its simplicity (as compared to more sophisticated thermophysical models applied to very few comets), is useful for a statistical approach to the mean density of the cometary nuclei. However, we cannot assess from this simple model if there is a real dispersion among the bulk densities of comets that could tell us about differences in physical structure (porosity) and/or chemical composition.     

The source of energy of the comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 outburst activity: the test of the summary

The comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 is an exceptional comet as far as cometary outbursts are concerned. Despite its large distance from the Sun (about 6 au), it shows quasi-regular outburst activity, usually once or twice a year. Up to now there has not been a generally accepted model that explains this phenomenon. In the first part of this paper, the most well-known hypotheses that attempt to explain the outburst activity of this comet are presented and critically analysed. The main aim of this paper is to present a model for the outburst activity of this comet. The model is based on the global analysis of the internal structure and physical and chemical processes that take place in the cometary nucleus. Numerical calculations were carried out for reasonable assumed values of a large range of cometary characteristics. The obtained results are consistent with observational data.