Dust trails are observed in the orbits of some short-period comets. Large particles, having diameters in the submillimeter range and larger, are ejected by these comets into orbits close to that of the parent comet. By considering the effects of ejection and radiation forces, the spread of particles of different diameters along a parent comet's orbit, both ahead and behind the comet in mean anomaly were modeled. Using this model, the ages of the dust trail material associated with P/Tempel 2, P/Gunn, P/Encke, and P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 were estimated; they are found to consist of emissions occurring over a minimum of one to a few orbital periods. It also becomes possible to constrain the particle diameters in a trail segment forward of a comet's orbital position. Such a forward extension is observed in the Tempel 2 and Gunn dust trails, but not the Encke and S-W 1 dust trails. Relative particle sizes among these trails are discussed. The Tempel 2 dust trail is found to have an excess of particles with diameters greater than 1 mm.


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    Title :

    Preliminary analysis of cometary dust trails


    Contributors:
    Sykes, M. V. (author) / Hunten, D. M. (author) / Low, F. J. (author)

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    1986-01-01



    Type of media :

    Miscellaneous


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English


    Keywords :


    Preliminary analysis of cometary dust trails

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    Moroz, V.I. | Elsevier | 1985