Ultraviolet observations of comet Hale-Bopp

Ultraviolet spectroscopy and imaging of comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) were obtained from a variety of space platforms from shortly after the discovery of the comet through perihelion passage. Observations with the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) spanned the range of 6.8 to 2.7 AU pre-perihelion, but IUE was decommissioned in September 1996 and HST was precluded from near-perihelion observations because of its solar avoidance constraint. In September 1996, observations were made by the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) that showed the presence of soft X-rays offset from the optical center of the coma and provided a sensitive spectroscopic upper limit to the Ne/O abundance ratio. During the perihelion period NASA mounted a successful campaign of four sounding rockets that were launched at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, between March 25 and April 8, 1997. The payloads included long-slit spectroscopy and ultraviolet imaging polarimetry. In addition, Hale-Bopp was observed near perihelion by ultraviolet instruments on orbiting spacecraft that were designed for solar or terrestrial observations. Observations with HST, using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS), installed during the February 1997 servicing mission, resumed in August 1997. Intercomparison of the ultraviolet observations and comparison with the results on gas composition and activity from ground-based visible, infrared and radio observations may permit the resolution of many discrepant results present in the literature. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Photographic Observations of the 1996 Leonid Fireballs in Japan

Several Leonid fireballs were successfully photographed by the Japanese Fireball Network and by other observers in Japan on 16 November, 1996. A totals of seven of these were simultaneously observed from two or more stations, from which the orbital and physical data were deduced. The radiant of these fireballs were very small, only 0.1°, similar to that of the 1991 Perseids. The 1996 Leonids showed a lower magnitude distribution index similar to those obtained in the 1961 and 1965 Leonids. All of these showers occurred before perihelion passage of the parent comet. We conclude that we have already encountered the elongated front part of the dust trail of the Leonid parent comet, where the trail is probably composed of larger dust particles. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Radio Line Observations Of Molecular And Isotopic Species In Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp)

We present here a review of the radio observations of the remarkable comet Hale-Bopp C/1995 O1 in which most major radio astronomical facilities have been involved. These observations started in August 1995, soon after the discovery of the comet (it was then at ∼7 AU from the sun), and well before its perihelion on April 1st, 1997; they are still going on, hopefully up to end of 1998. Extended cartographies have been obtained using multibeam receivers and on-the-fly techniques. High spatial resolution (a few ″) has been achieved with interferometers. Submillimetric observations are playing an increasing role, and high resolution (R ∼ 10⁶−10⁷) spectroscopy of cometary lines is now performed from decimetric to submillimetric wavelengths. The number of species observed at radio wavelengths now reaches ∼28,when it was ∼14 for comet C/1996 B2 Hyakutake. Most of these species are parent molecules. However, ions have been observed for the first time at radio wavelengths, and their velocities measured. Several isotopic species (involving D,¹³C,³⁴S,¹⁵N) have been sought, allowing isotopic enrichment determinations. The abundances of cometary molecules present many similarities and some differences with the abundances of interstellar molecules in regions where grain mantles are believed to be evaporated to the gas phase (hot cores, bipolar flows). They will be discussed for their implications on the origin of cometary ices and of comets themselves. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Photon excitation of sodium emission in Comets

We consider the possibility of the excitation of sodium resonance emission in cometary matter under solar radiation at a heliocentric distance of 5 AU, as was observed when a fragment of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 plunged into Jupiter. When the sodium emission is calculated, the multiple scattering in the cometary cloud is taken into account. We use a non-LTE radiative transfer code for a two-level model sodium atom. A comparison of the computed and observed Na I D emission line profiles allows the column density of the sodium atoms for specific times of observations of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 to be determined. The observed Na I(D₁+D₂) line profile was found to agree well with the computed profile for an optically thick sodium cloud. We calculated the column density of the sodium atoms for three comets from the observed intensity of the D₂ line emission. We also calculated the D₂/D₁ intensity ratio for various optical depths of the sodium cloud and various phase angles.     

ARE ASTEROID 2003 EH1 AND COMET C/1490 Y1 DYNAMICALLY RELATED?

The orbit of asteroid 2003 EH1 is very similar to the mean orbit of the Quadrantid meteoroid stream so that a close relationship between the two is very likely. It has already been suggested that Comet C/1490 Y1 could be the parent of the Quadrantids. If this is the case, then some relationship between the comet and the asteroid might be expected. The orbit of C/1490 Y1 is based on a short observing arc of about 6 weeks and all the observations were with the naked eye, so that its elements are very poorly determined. Hence, forward integration to determine whether asteroid 2003 EH1 represents the re-discovery of the dormant nucleus of C/1490 Y1 is not feasible. Instead we choose to integrate back in time the orbit of 2003 EH1, which is far better determined, and a family of 3500 clones, all of which are moving on an orbit that is consistent with the present known orbit of 2003EH1. We compare the results primarily with the recorded observations of the comet rather than the orbit of the comet derived by Hasegawa. We find that one clone is consistent with these observations.     

The case for significant numbers of extraterrestrial impacts through the late Holocene

When astronomers tell us that there should have been numerous impacts from space during the last five millennia, when impact craters exist on land and more impacts can be assumed over the oceans, why are historians, archaeologists and palaeoecologists not diligently seeking evidence for these impacts, and their effects? This article reviews just some of the relevant evidence for impacts. In turn this suggests that ablation material, background material from space, and micro‐tektites, should all be present in ocean cores, ice cores, peat, and lake sediments. It seems that almost no efforts have been made to find evidence that might link to the known crater fields, or to identify and date periods of enhanced cosmic activity. The question must be, why? Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Internal motions of HII regions and giant HII regions

We report new echelle observations of the kinematics of 30 HII regions in the LMC, including the 30 Doradus giant HII region. All of the HII regions possess supersonic velocity dispersions, which can be attributed to a combination of turbulent motions and discrete velocity splitting produced by stellar winds and/or embedded supernova remnants (SNRs). The core of 30 Dor is unique, with a complex velocity structure that parallels its chaotic optical morphology. We use our calibrated echelle data to measure the physical properties and energetic requirements of these velocity structures. The most spectacular structures in 30 Dor are several fast expanding shells, which appear to be produced at least partially by SNRs.     

Nuclear magnitudes and the size distribution of Jupiter family comets

We present a new catalog of absolute nuclear magnitudes of Jupiter family (JF) comets, which is an updated version of our previous catalog [Tancredi, G., Fernández, J.A., Rickman, H., Licandro, J., 2000. Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. Ser. 146, 73-90]. From the new catalog we find a linear cumulative luminosity function (CLF) of slope 0.54±0.05 for JF comets with q?2.5 AU. By considering this CLF combined with the few measured geometric albedos with their respective uncertainties, and assuming a canonical albedo of 0.035±0.012 for those comets with undetermined albedos, we derive a cumulative size distribution that follows a power-law of index −2.7±0.3. The slope is similar to that derived from some theoretical collisional models and from some populations of Solar System bodies like the trans-neptunian objects. We also discuss and compare our size distribution with those by other authors that have recently appeared in the literature. Some striking differences in the computed slopes are explained in terms of biases in the studied samples, the different weights given to the brightest members of the samples, and discrepancies in the values of a few absolute nuclear magnitudes. We also compute sizes and fractions of active surface area of JF comets from their estimated absolute nuclear magnitudes and their water production rates. With the outgassing model that we use, about 60% of the computed fractions f of active surface area are found to be smaller than 0.2, with one case (28P/Neujmin 1) of no more than 0.001, which suggests that JF comets may transit through stages of very low activity, or even dormancy. There is an indication that JF comets with radii RN?3 km have active fractions f?0.01, which might be due to the rapid formation of insulating dust mantles on larger nuclei.     

Decline of Terebralia palustris in South African mangroves

Terebralia palustris (Linnaeus, 1767), the giant mangrove whelk, is a prominent component of mangrove ecosystem malacofauna in the Indo-West-Pacific region. On the east coast of Africa, the range of T. palustris extends from Kenya to the south-eastern region of South Africa. Here we confirm reports that, in the past three decades, South African populations of T. palustris have declined. Terebralia palustris was recorded from only two estuarine mangrove forests during a survey conducted in 2013/2014, compared with six estuaries in the mid-20th century. At Kosi Bay, the average density was 186 ind. m^-2 (SD 106) in comparison to only 7.1 ind. m^-2 (SD 2.5) at Durban Bay. Additionally, the average shell height of individuals at Durban Bay (60.3 mm; SD 13.6) was larger than at Kosi Bay (31.84 mm; SD 16.09), indicating the absence of juvenile snails at Durban. In South Africa there have been no previous ecological assessments for T. palustris and, aside from one detailed survey in the early 1960s, most of the occurrence records are vague and incomplete. The ultimate causes for the decline of this charismatic gastropod in South Africa are unknown, although habitat loss and degradation are suspected. Further research is urgently required, particularly into aspects concerning its disappearance at the limit of its global distribution.     

The outburst of the κ Cygnids in 2007: clues about the catastrophic break up of a comet to produce an Earth-crossing meteoroid stream

Using high-resolution, low-scan-rate, all-sky CCD cameras and high-level CCD video cameras, the SPanish Meteor and fireball Network (SPMN) recorded the 2007 κ Cygnid fireball outburst from several observing stations. Here, accurate trajectory, radiant and orbital data obtained for the κ Cygnid meteor are presented. The typical astrometric uncertainty is 1–2 arcmin, while velocity determination errors are of the order of 0.3–0.6 km s⁻¹, though this depends on the distance of each event to the station and its particular viewing geometry. The observed orbital differences among 1993 and 2007 outbursts support the hypothesis that the formation of this meteoroid stream is a consequence of the fragmentation of a comet nucleus. Such disruptive process proceed as a cascade, where the break up of the progenitor body leads to produce small remnants, some fully disintegrate into different clumps of particles and other remaining as dormant objects such as 2008ED69, 2001MG1 and 2004LA12 which are now observed as near-Earth asteroids. In addition to the orbital data, we present a unique spectrum of a bright  κ  Cygnid fireball revealing that the main rocky components have chondritic abundances, and estimations of the tensile strength of those fireballs that exhibited a catastrophic disruption behaviour. All this evidence of the structure and composition of the κ Cygnid meteoroids is consistent with being composed by fine-grained materials typically released from comets.