Surface Photometry of Comet Hale-Bopp Carbon Images

A very long series of photographic observations of the comet Hale-Bopp has been made during January–April 1997 at the double astrograph (400/2000) of the Main Astronomical Observatory (Kyiv, Ukraine). Some of the cometary photos were obtained with two wide-band filter combinations. One of these combinations isolates C₂ emission, another — the nearby dust continuum. The images were digitized by means of AMDPH-XY machine and then calibrated following the standard procedure. After subtraction of the dust continuum the distribution of surface brightness in the C₂ emission coma of comet Hale-Bopp was studied. We found an asymmetric brightness distribution both pre- and post-perihelion. On 21.77 April 1997 a secondary brightness peak is found at the distance of 1.03 × 10⁵ km from the nucleus. It is possible that this peak is related to the extended source of the C₂ molecules. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Physical conditions in the plasma tail of comet C/1987 P1 bradfield

Photometric measurements of photographic images of comet C/1987 P1 Bradfield have been carried out with a flat-bed scanner equipped with a slide module. Lengthwise and transverse photometric profiles of the cometary plasma tail have been obtained. Magnetic field induction and some other physical characteristics of the cometary plasma tail observed in November 1987 have been estimated with the use of the diffusion model for a cometary tail by Shul’man and Nazarchuk (1968). It has been shown that the scanned images of comets can be used for estimating the physical characteristics of cometary tails.     

Investigating the correlation between the motions of the images of close stars for laser communications experiments with the artemis satellite

We investigated the correlation between the motions of the images of the components of the double star α Gem. The angular distance between the components (4.8″) corresponds approximately to the laser communications experiments with the geostationary Artemis satellite. The images were acquired with CCD cameras at the ESA’s Optical Ground Station (the Canary Islands) and at the AZT-2 telescope of the Main Astronomical Observatory (Kyiv, Ukraine). Short exposures were made every second with narrow filters at a wavelength of about 850 μm. Mean photometric positions of the α Gem component images and their deviations were determined, and the correlation coefficients for the displacements of two images in the X and Y coordinates were calculated: K _X = 0.96 and K _Y = 0.95. The defocusing of the images was examined with the use of their full widths at half-maximum. We demonstrate that the atmospheric turbulence in the laser communications experiments with the geostationary satellite Artemis can be compensated for with the use of the data on the image motion observed in the direction toward the visible position of the satellite.     

Physical characteristics of the plasma tail of comet C/2009 R1 (McNaught)

We determined brightness distribution in the plasma tail of comet C/2009 R1 (McNaught) using observations with a small Newtonian reflector (200/1000) on June 9?C12, 2010. Images of the comet were detected using short exposures with a Canon CMOS APS-C camera. The brightness distribution is simulated and the parameters of the cometary plasma tail are obtained within the diffusion model. The magnetic field induction in the cometary tail, lifetime of light particles, and the lengthwise and transverse ion diffusion coefficients are estimated.     

DE-like event in the plasma tail of comet C/2006 M4 (SWAN)

We investigate a DE-like event of October 27, 2006, in the plasma tail of comet C/2006 M4 (SWAN). A set of phenomena in the comet??s tail after the brightness outburst on October 24.04, 2006, is described. The typical dimensions of the tail structure details that developed as a result of plasma instabilities are found. The velocity and acceleration of the disconnected tail fragment and the beginning time of the event are determined. The likely cause of the DE-like event is the comet??s encounter with a high-speed stream of solar wind.     

Evolution of C/2006 M4 (SWAN) comet tails

We studied variations in the structure of plasma and dust tails of the C/2006 M4 (SWAN) comet during a long observation period (September–December 2006). We found sizes of grains ejected by the comet from the synchronic-syndynamic analysis of comet images. We calculated solar wind speed for high heliographic latitudes from calculations of the aberration angle of the comet plasma tail. Rapid changes in the calculated values of the solar wind speed are caused by its variable transversal component.     

Ectomycorrhiza of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Larix sibirica</Emphasis> Ledeb. along the gradients of main ecological factors and elevation at the Northern and Subpolar Urals

Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) forests cover the largest areas in the Eurasian boreal zone, but there are insufficient data on its root system including the structure and functional traits of ectomycorrhizas (EM). The aim of this research is to find out if the morphological parameters of Larix sibirica EMs responded to the changes in elevation and main ecological factors (soil humidity, soil richness, soil acidity and habitat illumination). Using light microscopy, we studied EM diameter, root diameter, mantle width, and mantle volume share, share of tannin cells layers, EM density and EM length of Larix sibirica in two main types of plant communities along the elevation gradient at the Northern and Subpolar Urals. Differences in the environment were traced using phytoindication approach and the Ellenberg ecological scales. All the studied traits depend on the elevation and studied ecological factors. The diversity of fungal mantles is low, and the proportion of unstructured and pseudoparenchymatous mantles is high in response to the deterioration of the humidity, soil nitrogen content and acidity at higher-altitude habitats. Results of EM quantitative parameters measurements confirmed this pattern. We found a decline in the EM linear dimensions accompanied by a compensatory growth of the EM density with the raised elevation and the deterioration of environmental conditions.     

Comets C/2001 Q4 and C/2004 Q2: Structure of plasma tails

The plasma tails of comets C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) and C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) are investigated. For each comet we calculate the aberration angle, i.e., the angle between the cometary tail axis and the prolonged radius vector of the comet. The aberration angles are used to estimate the radial velocity of the solar wind in May 2004 and January–February 2005. The calculated velocities are compared to the solar wind velocities measured by space apparatuses in the circumterrestrial space. Possible causes of disagreement between these data are discussed     

Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact with Jupiter: Spectral peculiarities of the impact sites H,K, L,N, and D + G + S + R group

Long-slit CCD spectra of the impact parallel of Jupiter were obtained on July 20–21, 1994. Observations were made at Nasmith focus of the 2.6 m Shajn telescope of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory. Observed spectra covered 4600–10,250 Å at a resolution of 4.5 Å.Combined investigations of the Nasmith spectra, both the spatial profiles for different spectral regions and extracted spectra for different sites of the crash latitude, show that the impact spots have some spectral peculiarities. Detectable absorption in the observed wavelength region is the general peculiarity of the observed impact sites, except for CH₄ bands at 8900 Å and 1 m, where methane absorption was weakened. Also, our analysis evidenced that there are two types of the spectral peculiarities. One of them, related to the great spots D + G + R + S, K, and L, shows that the absorption in the impact sites is increasing gradually to the blue with respect to the unaffected sites. The other, related to the medium-sized spots, H and N, shows no obvious changes in the gradient of the spots' spectra over a wide wavelength region, except that for the green region, where absorption is slightly weakened.