Photometric analysis of the nucleus of Comet 81P/Wild 2 from Stardust images

The disk-resolved flyby images of the nucleus of Comet 81P/Wild 2 collected by Stardust are used to perform a detailed study of the photometric properties of this cometary nucleus. A disk-integrated phase function from phase angle 11° to about 100° is measured and modeled. A phase slope of 0.0513 ± 0.0002 mag/deg is found, with a V-band absolute magnitude of 16.29 ± 0.02. Hapke’s photometric model yields a single-scattering albedo of 0.034, an asymmetry factor of phase function −0.53, a geometric albedo 0.059, and a V-band absolute magnitude of 16.03 ± 0.07. Disk-resolved photometric modeling from both the Hapke model and the Minnaert model results in 11% model RMS, indicating small photometric variations. The roughness parameter is modeled to be 27 ± 5° from limb-darkening profile. The modeled single-scattering albedo and asymmetry factor of the phase function are 0.038 ± 0.004 and −0.52 ± 0.04, respectively, consistent with those from disk-integrated phase function. The bulk photometric properties of the nucleus of Wild 2 are comparable with those of other cometary nuclei. The photometric variations on the surface of the nucleus of Wild 2 are at a level of or smaller than 15%, much smaller than those on the nucleus of Comet 19P/Borrelly and comparable or smaller than those on the nucleus of Comet 9P/Tempel 1. The similar photometric parameters of the nuclei of Wild 2, Tempel 1, and the non-source areas of fan jets on Borrelly may reflect the typical photometric properties of the weakly active surfaces on cometary nuclei.     

Morphology of HCN and CN in Comet Hale-Bopp (1995 O1)

We compare images of Comet Hale-Bopp (1995 O1) in HCN and CN taken near perihelion (April 1, 1997) to determine the origin of CN in comets. We imaged the J=1→0 transition of HCN at λ=3 mm with the BIMA Array. Data from two weeks around perihelion were summed within four phase bins based on the rotational period of the comet. This increases both the signal-to-noise ratio and the u-v coverage while decreasing the smearing of the spatial features. The similarly phased narrowband CN images were taken at Lowell Observatory within the same range of dates as the HCN images. We find that there is a better correlation between HCN and CN than between HCN and the optically dominant dust. If the CN in jets does have a dust source it would have to have a very low albedo and/or small particle size. The production rates are consistent with HCN being a primary parent of CN, although there are discrepancies between the HCN destruction scalelength and the CN production scalelength which we discuss.     

Deep Impact, Stardust-NExT and the behavior of Comet 9P/Tempel 1 from 1997 to 2010

We present observational data for Comet 9P/Tempel 1 taken from 1997 through 2010 in an international collaboration in support of the Deep Impact and Stardust-NExT missions. The data were obtained to characterize the nucleus prior to the Deep Impact 2005 encounter, and to enable us to understand the rotation state in order to make a time of arrival adjustment in February 2010 that would allow us to image at least 25% of the nucleus seen by the Deep Impact spacecraft to better than 80 m/pixel, and to image the crater made during the encounter, if possible. In total, ∼500 whole or partial nights were allocated to this project at 14 observatories worldwide, utilizing 25 telescopes. Seventy percent of these nights yielded useful data. The data were used to determine the linear phase coefficient for the comet in the R-band to be 0.045 ± 0.001 mag deg⁻¹ from 1° to 16°. Cometary activity was observed to begin inbound near r ∼ 4.0 AU and the activity ended near r ∼ 4.6 AU as seen from the heliocentric secular light curves, water-sublimation models and from dust dynamical modeling. The light curve exhibits a significant pre- and post-perihelion brightness and activity asymmetry. There was a secular decrease in activity between the 2000 and 2005 perihelion passages of ∼20%. The post-perihelion light curve cannot be easily explained by a simple decrease in solar insolation or observing geometry. CN emission was detected in the comet at 2.43 AU pre-perihelion, and by r = 2.24 AU emission from C₂ and C₃ were evident. In December 2004 the production rate of CN increased from 1.8 × 10²³ mol s⁻¹ to Q_CN = 2.75 × 10²³ mol s⁻¹ in early January 2005 and 9.3 × 10²⁴ mol s⁻¹ on June 6, 2005 at r = 1.53 AU.     

Radar observations and a physical model of contact binary Asteroid 4486 Mithra

Arecibo (2380 MHz, 12.6 cm) and Goldstone (8560 MHz, 3.5 cm) delay-Doppler radar images obtained in July and August of 2000 reveal that 4486 Mithra is an irregular, significantly bifurcated object, with a central valley ∼380 m deep and a long axis potentially exceeding 2 km. With its bimodal appearance, Mithra is a strong candidate for a contact binary asteroid. Sequences of Goldstone images spanning up to 3 h per day show very little rotation and establish that Mithra is an unusually slow rotator. We used Goldstone and Arecibo data to estimate Mithra’s 3D shape and spin state. We obtain prograde (λ = 337°, β = 19°) and retrograde (λ = 154°, β = −19°) models that give comparable fits, have very similar shapes roughly resembling an hourglass, and have a rotation period of 67.5 ± 6.0 h. The dimensions of these two models are very similar; for the prograde solution the maximum dimensions are X = 2.35 ± 0.15 km, Y = 1.65 ± 0.10 km, Z = 1.44 ± 0.10 km. Dynamical analysis of our models suggests that in the past, Mithra most likely went through a period of even slower rotation with its obliquity close to 90°. The spin rate is predicted to be increasing due to thermal torque (YORP), while the obliquity, which is currently +68° and +106° for the prograde and retrograde models, respectively, is predicted to move away from 90°.     

Investigations of the pre-Deep Impact morphology of the dust coma of Comet Tempel-1

The pre-Deep Impact images of Comet Tempel-1 obtained at the Indian Astronomical Observatory are used to investigate the morphology of the dust coma of the comet. We show that the trajectory of a cometary grain under the influence of solar radiation pressure is a reliable diagnostic to estimate its initial velocity. Four main active regions at mean latitudes +45° ± 5°(D), 0° ± 5° (E),−30° ± 5°(A) and−60° ± 5°(F) are found to explain the morphology of the dust coma in the ground-based and published images obtained by the High Resolution Instrument(HRI) cameras aboard the Deep Impact flyby spacecraft. From a χ² fit of the intensity distribution in the observed and the simulated images, we derive the fraction of the productivity of the active vents to the total dust emission of the comet to be 27%. Of this the southern source alone accounts for 19.8%. The grains are found to be ejected with a velocity distribution with an upper limit of 70 ± 7 m s⁻¹. However, the broad region ‘A’ appears to eject slower grains with an upper limit of 24 ± 2.5 m s⁻¹. This source, that is active throughout the cycle is likely to be driven by CO₂ sublimation. We compute the dependence of the percentage contribution of the southern source on the heliocentric distance and show that this ratio varies over the apparition and reaches a maximum at around 260 days before perihelion. The published images of the nucleus of Comet Tempel-1 show significant departure from sphericity. Therefore, the torque exerted by the enhanced activity of the southern region may be significant enough to produce changes in the rotational state of the nucleus before each perihelion passage.     

On the CN (0, 0) spectrum of Comet Mrkos 1957d

We have carried out an analysis of the (0, 0) vibrational band of the CN molecule in Comet Mrkos 1957d, including the effect of collisions. We found that the sum of the squares of the residuals can be reduced by a factor of ten, if collisions account for 46±3% of the population of the lower level. A rotational temperature can be assigned to the cometary gas. The best value found was 410±40 K. The best fit for the constantR ₁ was (1.07±0.10)×10^–4. The velocity of the comet was left as a free parameter. We found for it a value of 34.38±0.10 km s^–1. This result is in disagreement with the nuclear orbital velocity of 34.74 km s^–1. The discrepancy can be explained, if the CN molecules are ejected from the cometary nucleus preferentially in the sunward direction, with a mean velocity that corresponds to the above temperature.     

The origin of the CN radical in comets: A review from observations and models

The origin of CN radicals in comets is not completely understood so far. We present a study of CN and HCN production rates and CN Haser scale lengths showing that: (1) at heliocentric distances larger than 3 AU, CN radicals could be entirely produced by HCN photolysis; (2) closer to the Sun, for a fraction of comets CN production rates are higher than HCN ones whereas (3) in the others, CN distribution cannot be explained by the HCN photolysis although CN and HCN production rates seem to be similar. Thus, when the comets are closer than 3 AU to the Sun, an additional process to the HCN photolysis seems to be required to explain the CN density in some comets.The photolysis of HC₃N or C₂N₂ could explain the CN origin. But the HC₃N production rate is probably too low to reproduce CN density profile, even if uncertainties on its photolysis leave the place for all possible conclusions. The presence of C₂N₂ in comets is a reliable hypothesis to explain the CN origin; thus, its detection is a challenging issue. Since C₂N₂ is very difficult to detect from ground-based observations, only in situ measurements or space observations could determine the contribution of this compound in the CN origin.Another hypothesis is a direct production of CN radicals by the photo- or thermal degradation of complex refractory organic compounds present on cometary grains. This process could explain the spatial profile of CN inside jets and the discrepancy noted in the isotopic ratio ¹⁴N/¹⁵N between CN and HCN. Laboratory studies of the thermal and UV-induced degradation of solid nitrogenated compounds are required to model and validate this hypothesis.     

Nucleus properties of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko estimated from non-gravitational force modeling

By considering model comet nuclei with a wide range of sizes, prolate ellipsoidal shapes, spin axis orientations, and surface activity patterns, constraints have been placed on the nucleus properties of the primary Rosetta target, Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. This is done by requiring that the model bodies simultaneously reproduce the empirical nucleus rotational lightcurve, the water production rate as function of time, and non-gravitational changes (per apparition) of the orbital period (ΔP), longitude of perihelion (Δ?), and longitude of the ascending node (ΔΩ). Two different thermophysical models are used in order to calculate the water production rate and non-gravitational force vector due to nucleus outgassing of the model objects. By requiring that the nominal water production rate measurements are reproduced as well as possible, we find that the semi-major axis of the nucleus is close to 2.5 km, the nucleus axis ratio is approximately 1.4, while the spin axis argument is either 60°±15° or 240°±15°. The spin axis obliquity can only be preliminarily constrained, indicating retrograde rotation for the first argument value, and prograde rotation for the second suggested spin axis argument. A nucleus bulk density in the range 100-370 kg m⁻³ is found for the nominal ΔP, while an upper limit of 500 kg m⁻³ can be placed if the uncertainty in ΔP is considered. Both considered thermophysical models yield the same spin axis, size, shape, and density estimates. Alternatively, if calculated water production rates within an envelope around the measured data are considered, it is no longer possible to constrain the size, shape, and spin axis orientation of the nucleus, but an upper limit on the nucleus bulk density of 600 kg m⁻³ is suggested.     

Non-LTE radiative transfer for sub-millimeter water lines in Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

The European Space Agency (ESA) Rosetta spacecraft (Schulz, R., Alexander, C., Boehnhardt, H., Glassmeier, K.H. (Eds.) [2009]. “ROSETTA - ESA”) will encounter Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014 and spend the next 18 months in the vicinity of the comet, permitting very high spatial and spectral resolution observations of the coma and nucleus. During this time, the heliocentric distance of the comet will change from ∼3.5 AU to ∼1.3 AU, accompanied by an increasing temperature of the nucleus and the development of the coma. The Microwave Instrument for the Rosetta Orbiter (MIRO) will observe the ground-state rotational transition (1₁₀-1₀₁) of H₂¹⁶O at 556.936 GHz, the two isotopologues H₂¹⁷O and H₂¹⁸O and other molecular transitions in the coma during this time (Gulkis, S. et al., [2007]. MIRO: Microwave Instrument for Rosetta Orbiter. Space Sci. Rev. 128, 561-597).The aim of this study is to simulate the water line spectra that could be obtained with the MIRO instrument and to understand how the observed line spectra with various viewing geometries can be used to study the physical conditions of the coma and the water excitation processes throughout the coma. We applied an accelerated Monte Carlo method to compute the excitations of the seven lowest rotational levels (1₀₁, 1₁₀, 2₁₂, 2₂₁, 3₀₃, 3₁₂, and 3₂₁) of ortho-water using a comet model with spherically symmetric water outgassing, density, temperature and expansion velocity at three different heliocentric distances 1.3 AU, 2.5 AU, and 3.5 AU. Mechanisms for the water excitation include water-water collisions, water-electron collisions, and infrared pumping by solar radiation.Synthetic line spectra are calculated at various observational locations and directions using the MIRO instrument parameters. We show that observations at varying viewing distances from the nucleus and directions have the potential to give diagnostic information on the continuum temperature and water outgassing rates at the surface of the nucleus, and the gas density, expansion velocity, and temperature of the coma as a function of distance from the nucleus. The gas expansion velocity and temperature affect the spectral line width and frequency shift of the line from the rest frequency, while the gas density (which is directly related to the outgassing rate) and the line excitation temperature determine the antenna temperature of the absorption and emission signal in the line profile.     

Radio observations of Comet 9P/Tempel 1 before and after Deep Impact

Comet 9P/Tempel 1 was the target of a multi-wavelength worldwide investigation in 2005. The NASA Deep Impact mission reached the comet on 4.24 July 2005, delivering a 370-kg impactor which hit the comet at 10.3 km s⁻¹. Following this impact, a cloud of gas and dust was excavated from the comet nucleus. The comet was observed in 2005 prior to and after the impact, at 18-cm wavelength with the Nançay radio telescope, in the millimeter range with the IRAM and CSO radio telescopes, and at 557 GHz with the Odin satellite. OH observations at Nançay provided a 4-month monitoring of the outgassing of the comet from March to June, followed by the observation of H₂O with Odin from June to August 2005. The peak of outgassing was found to be around between May and July. Observations conducted with the IRAM 30-m radio telescope in May and July 2005 resulted in detections of HCN, CH₃OH and H₂S with classical abundances relative to water (0.12, 2.7 and 0.5%, respectively). In addition, a variation of the HCN production rate with a period of 1.73±0.10 days was observed in May 2005, consistent with the 1.7-day rotation period of the nucleus. The phase of these variations, as well as those of CN seen in July by Jehin et al. [Jehin, E., Manfroid, J., Hutsemékers, D., Cochran, A.L., Arpigny, C., Jackson, W.M., Rauer, H., Schulz, R., Zucconi, J.-M., 2006. Astrophys. J. 641, L145-L148], is consistent with a rotation period of the nucleus of 1.715 days and a strong variation of the outgassing activity by a factor 3 from minimum to maximum. This also implies that the impact took place on the rising phase of the “natural” outgassing which reached its maximum ≈4 h after the impact. Post-impact observations at IRAM and CSO did not reveal a significant change of the outgassing rates and relative abundances, with the exception of CH₃OH which may have been more abundant by up to one order of magnitude in the ejecta. Most other variations are linked to the intrinsic variability of the comet. The Odin satellite monitored nearly continuously the H₂O line at 557 GHz during the 38 h following the impact on the 4th of July, in addition to weekly monitoring. Once the periodic variations related to the nucleus rotation are removed, a small increase of outgassing related to the impact is present, which corresponds to the release of ≈5000±2000 tons of water. Two other bursts of activity, also observed at other wavelengths, were seen on 23 June and 7 July; they correspond to even larger releases of gas.     

Deep Impact photometry of Comet 9P/Tempel 1

The photometric properties of the nucleus of Comet 9P/Tempel 1 are studied from the disk-resolved color images obtained by Deep Impact (DI). Comet Tempel 1 has typical photometric properties for comets and dark asteroids. The disk-integrated spectrum of the nucleus of Tempel 1 between 309 and 950 nm is linear without any features at the spectral resolution of the filtered images. At V-band, the red slope of the nucleus is 12.5±1% per 100 nm at 63° phase angle, translating to B-V=0.84±0.01, V-R=0.50±0.01, and R-I=0.49±0.02. No phase reddening is confirmed. The phase function of the nucleus of Tempel 1 is constructed from DI images and earlier ground-based observations found from the literature. The phase coefficient is determined to be β=0.046±0.007 mag/deg between 4° and 117° phase angle. Hapke's theoretical scattering model was used to model the photometric properties of this comet. Assuming a single Henyey-Greenstein function for the single-particle phase function, the asymmetry factor of Tempel 1 was fitted to be g=−0.49±0.02, and the corresponding single-scattering albedo (SSA) was modeled to be 0.039±0.005 at 550 nm wavelength. The SSA spectrum shows a similar linear slope to that of the disk-integrated spectrum. The roughness parameter is found to be 16°±8°, and independent of wavelength. The Minnaert k parameter is modeled to be 0.680±0.014. The photometric variations on Tempel 1 are relatively small compared to other comets and asteroids, with a ∼20% full width at half maximum of albedo variation histogram, and ∼3% for color. Roughness variations are evident in one small area, with a roughness parameter about twice the average and appearing to correlate with the complex morphological texture seen in high-resolution images.     

Determination of a precise rotation period for the Deep Space 1 target, Comet 19P/Borrelly

The rotation period derived by Mueller and Samarasinha (Mueller, B.E.A., Samarasinha, N.H. [2002]. Earth Moon Planets 90, 463-471) of the Deep Space 1 (DS1) mission target, Comet 19P/Borrelly, using ground-based data from July 28 to August 1, 2000, is improved by two orders of magnitude. This precision is reached in a multistep process.Combining all available ground-based data in 2000 decreases the error by an order of magnitude. Next, assuming that the rotation period did not change between 2000 and 2001, constraints from the HST 2001 data (Weaver, H.A., Stern, S.A., Parker, J.Wm. [2003]. Astron. J. 126, 444-451) yield three possible rotation periods: P = 1.088 ± 0.003 days, P = 1.108 ± 0.002 days, and P = 1.135 ± 0.003 days, which are consistent with our initial derivation of P = 1.08 ± 0.04 days (Mueller, B.E.A., Samarasinha, N.H. [2002]. Earth Moon Planets 90, 463-471).These three periods are further refined and the error bars further improved by another order of magnitude by linking the combined ground-based data from 2000 to the nuclear orientation of Borrelly at the DS1 encounter in 2001 (see Table 2). Due to aliasing, there are seven possible rotation periods around P = 1.088 days, five possible periods around P = 1.108 days, and six possible periods around P = 1.135 days, with precisions of the order of 0.0002 days (≈17 s).     

Non-constant rotation period of Comet C/2001 K5 (LINEAR)

The article presents results of CCD photometry in R-band of a dynamically new Comet C/2001 K5 (LINEAR), obtained at a heliocentric distance of about 5.6 AU, after the perihelion passage. Being so distant from the Sun, this comet was extremely active (Afρ close to 2000 cm), exhibiting quite well developed dust coma and tail. During the observations, general photometric behavior of the comet with heliocentric distance r was well described by the 2.5nlog(r) function with coefficient n=5. The radial profiles of the coma were found to be undulated, with mean slope of the dependence between cometary magnitude and 2.5log of aperture radius (at comet distance) equal to . The light curve of Comet LINEAR exhibited short-term variability which we attributed to cyclic changes of dust emission, induced by nucleus rotation. Model computations by some authors have revealed that active comets can change their spin status quite substantially even during a single orbital revolution. Thus, attempting to search for a rotation frequency, we have modified the classical PDM approach by including the spin acceleration term. Such DynamicalPDM (DPDM) method revealed the most reliable solution for the frequency f₀=0.019048±0.000013 h⁻¹ and its first time-derivative (index “zero” denotes reference to the mid time of the whole observing run), indicating a rapid spin-down of the nucleus. These parameters are equivalent to the rotation period of 52.499±0.036 h and its relative increment of 0.02729±0.00013. We present the most probable evolution of the rotation frequency of Comet LINEAR, based on the results of periodicity analysis and a simple, almost parameter independent, dynamical model of nucleus rotation. It is also shown that the DPDM may be an effective tool for determination of a nucleus radius, which provided us with the value of 1.53±0.25 km for Comet LINEAR.     

New laboratory measurements of CH4 in Titan's conditions and a reanalysis of the DISR near-surface spectra at the Huygens landing site

Laboratory spectra of methane-nitrogen mixtures have been recorded in the near-infrared range (1.0-1.65 μm) in conditions similar to Titan's near surface, to facilitate the interpretation of the DISR/DLIS (DISR—Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer) spectra taken during the last phase of the descent of the Huygens Probe, when the surface was illuminated by a surface-science lamp. We used a 0.03 cm⁻¹ spectral resolution, adequate to resolve the lines at high pressure (p_N2∼1.5 bar). By comparing the laboratory spectra with synthetic calculations in the well-studied ν₂+2ν₃ band (7515-7620 cm⁻¹), we determine a methane absorption column density of 178±20 cm atm and a temperature of 118±10 K in our experiment. From this, we derive the methane absorption coefficients over 1.0-1.65 μm with a 0.03 cm⁻¹ sampling, allowing for the extrapolation of the results to any other methane column density under the relevant pressure and temperature conditions. We then revisit the calibration and analysis of the Titan “lamp-on” DLIS spectra. We infer a 5.1±0.8% methane-mixing ratio in the first 25 m of Titan's atmosphere. The CH₄ mixing ratio measured 90 s after landing from a distance of 45 cm is found to be 0.92±0.25 times this value, thus showing no post-landing outgassing of methane in excess of ∼20%. Finally, we determine the surface reflectivity as seen between 25 m and 45 cm and find that the 1500 nm absorption band is deeper in the post-landing spectrum as compared to pre-landing.     

Compositional evidence for Titan's stratospheric tilt

Five years of Cassini CIRS infrared spectra have been used to determine the tilt of Titan's stratospheric symmetry axis with respect to the solid body rotation axis. Measurements of HCN abundance centred around 5 mbar (125 km altitude) at equatorial latitudes show the symmetry axis is tilted by 4.0±1.5^° in a direction 70±40^°W of the sub-solar point. This value is consistent with tilts determined from temperature and haze measurements by Achterberg et al. (2008a) and Roman et al. (2009). The consistency of results from three independent methods suggests that Titan's entire stratosphere is tilted and provides a powerful constraint on the underlying atmospheric dynamics.     

Spectroscopy of Comet Hale-Bopp in the infrared

High resolution infrared spectra of Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) were obtained during 2-5 March 1997 UT from the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, when the comet was at r≈1.0 AU from the Sun pre-perihelion. Emission lines of CH₄, C₂H₆, HCN, C₂H₂, CH₃OH, H₂O, CO, and OH were detected. The rotational temperature of CH₄ in the inner coma was T_rot=110±20 K. Spatial profiles of CH₄, C₂H₆, and H₂O were consistent with release solely from the nucleus. The centroid of the CO emission was offset from that of the dust continuum and H₂O. Spatial profiles of the CO lines were much broader than those of the other molecules and asymmetric. We estimate the CO production rate using a simplified outflow model: constant, symmetric outflow from the peak position. A model of the excitation of CO that includes optical depth effects using an escape probability method is presented. Optical depth effects are not sufficient to explain the broad spatial extent. Using a parent+extended-source model, the broad extent of the CO lines can be explained by CO being produced mostly (∼90% on 5 March) from an extended source in the coma. The CO rotational temperature was near 100 K. Abundances relative to H₂O (in percent) were 1.1±0.3 (CH₄), 0.39±0.10 (C₂H₆), 0.18±0.04 (HCN), 0.17±0.04 (C₂H₂), 1.7±0.5 (CH₃OH), and 37-41 (CO, parent+extended source). These are roughly comparable to those obtained for other long-period comets also observed in the infrared, though CO appears to vary.     

A comparison of modeled and observed intensity profiles for C2, CN, and the blue continuum for Comet Bradfield (1987s)

Intensity profiles were obtained for the C₂ and CN emission and blue continuum of Comet Bradfield (1987s), from observations obtained over a 10 week period starting shortly before perihelion. Model intensity profiles were produced and then fitted to the observed profiles, and used to put constraints on some of the dust and gas parameters. Most of these parameters, including the gas and dust outflow speeds from the cometary nucleus and the molecular lifetimes, were consistent with expected values. The best fitting models incorporate significant dust particle fragmentation and extended emission of CN from dust, both occurring in the inner coma. In addition, although there may have been enhancement of gas and dust emission on the sunward side of the cometary nucleus, it appears that the tailward side maintained a significant level of activity.     

Secular light curve of 2P/Encke, a comet active at aphelion

We present the secular light curve of Comet 2P/Encke in two phase spaces, the log plot, and the time plot. The main conclusions of this work are: (a) The comet shows activity at perihelion and aphelion, caused by two different active areas: Source 1, close to the south pole, active at perihelion, and Source 2, at the north pole, centered at aphelion. (b) More than 18 physical parameters are measured from the secular light curves, many of them new, and are listed in the individual plots of the comet. Specifically we find for Source 1 the location of the turn on and turn off points of activity, RON=−1.63±0.03 AU, ROFF=+1.49±0.20 AU, TON=−87±5 d, TOFF=+94±15 d, the time lag, LAG(q)=6±1 d, the total active time, TACTIVITY=181±16 d, and the amplitude of the secular light curve, ASEC(1,1)=4.8±0.1 mag. (c) From this information the photometric age and the time-age defined in Ferrín [2005a. Icarus 178, 493-516; 2006. Icarus 185, 523-543], can be calculated, and we find P-AGE = 97 ± 8 comet years and T-AGE = 103 ± 9 comet years (cy). Thus Comet 2P/Encke is an old comet entering the methuselah stage (100 cy < age). (d) The activity at aphelion (Source 2), extends for TACTIVITY=815±30 d and the amplitude of the secular light curve is ASEC(1,Q)=3.0±0.2 mag. (e) From a new phase diagram an absolute magnitude and phase coefficient for the nucleus are determined, and we find RNUC(1,1,0)=15.05±0.14, and β=0.066±0.003. From this data we find a nucleus effective diameter DEFFE=5.12(+2.5;−1.7) km. These values are not much different from previous determinations but exhibit smaller errors. (f) The activity of Source 1 is due to H₂O sublimation because it shows curvature. The activity of Source 2 might also be due to H₂O due to the circumstantial situation that the poles point to the Sun at perihelion and aphelion. (g) We found a photometric anomaly at aphelion, with minimum brightness between +393 and +413 days after perihelion that may be an indication of topography. (h) We have re-reduced the 1858 secular light curve of Kamel [1991. Icarus 93, 226-245]. There are secular changes in 7 physical parameters, and we achieve for the first time, an absolute age calibration. We find that the comet entered the inner Solar System and began sublimating in 1645±40 AD. (i) It is concluded that the secular light curve can place constraints on the pole orientation of the nucleus of some comets, and we measure the ecliptic longitude of the south pole of 2P/Encke equal to 213.2±4.5°, in excellent agreement with other determinations of this parameter, but with smaller error. (j) Using the observed absolute magnitude of 1858 and 2003 and a suitable theoretical model, the extinction date of the comet is determined. We obtain ED=2056±3 AD, implying that the comet's lifetime is 125±12 revolutions about the Sun after entering the inner Solar System.     

Observations of HCN in comet P/Halley

We present observations of the HCN J = 1-0 rotational transition at 3.4 mm wavelength in comet P/Halley. The data were obtained during a total of 56 individual observing sessions between November 1985 and May 1986 and represent the first time that a cometary parent molecule has been so extensively monitored. The HCN production rate is well correlated with the total visual magnitude of the comet, and comparison of the HCN production to the total gas production of the comet indicates that it is a relatively minor constituent with 0.1% the abundance of H2O. Comparison of HCN and CN production suggests that HCN is a major parent molecule of CN, but probably not the sole parent. HCN spectra obtained by binning the data with heliocentric distance show that the line width, and thus the parent outflow velocity, increases with decreasing heliocentric distance, and that there is a tendency for the lines to be blue shifted due to anisotropic outgassing from the nucleus. Finally, there is evidence of day-to-day time variability in the total HCN emission and in the hyperfine ratios. The time variation of the total emission is consistent with the known time variable behavior of the comet, and detailed comparisons to optical data, where possible, confirm this interpretation. However, non-LTE values of the hyperfine ratios are not consistent with theoretical modeling of the excitation of these transitions.     

Meridional transport of HCN from SL9 impacts on Jupiter

In July 1994, the Shoemaker-Levy 9 (SL9) impacts introduced hydrogen cyanide (HCN) to Jupiter at a well confined latitude band around −44°, over a range of specific longitudes corresponding to each of the 21 fragments (Bézard et al. 1997, Icarus 125, 94-120). This newcomer to Jupiter's stratosphere traces jovian dynamics. HCN rapidly mixed with longitude, so that observations recorded later than several months after impact witnessed primarily the meridional transport of HCN north and south of the impact latitude band. We report spatially resolved spectroscopy of HCN emission 10 months and 6 years following the impacts. We detect a total mass of HCN in Jupiter's stratosphere of 1.5±0.7×10¹³ g in 1995 and 1.7±0.4×10¹³ g in 2000, comparable to that observed several days following the impacts (Bézard et al. 1997, Icarus 125, 94-120). In 1995, 10 months after impact, HCN spread to −30° and −65° latitude (half column masses), consistent with a horizontal eddy diffusion coefficient of K_yy=2-3×10¹⁰ cm² s⁻¹. Six years following impact HCN is observed in the northern hemisphere, while still being concentrated at 44° south latitude. Our meridional distribution of HCN suggests that mixing occurred rapidly north of the equator, with K_yy=2-5×10¹¹ cm² s⁻¹, consistent with the findings of Moreno et al. (2003, Planet. Space Sci. 51, 591-611) and Lellouch et al. (2002, Icarus 159, 112-131). These inferred eddy diffusion coefficients for Jupiter's stratosphere at 0.1-0.5 mbar generally exceed those that characterize transport on Earth. The low abundance of HCN detected at high latitudes suggests that, like on Earth, polar regions are dynamically isolated from lower latitudes.