Engineering topics

Watanabe, Jun-Ichi

Publications and source records attributed to Watanabe, Jun-Ichi.

4 records

NASA NTRS1992

Light curve and fan-shaped coma of comet P/Tempel 2 in 1988-1989

Visual and Photographic Monitoring observations of comet P/Tempel 2 were carried out by a Japanese amateur group 'Hoshi-no-Hiroba' in 1988-1989. We analyzed the light curve and the time variation of the fan-shaped coma. The light curve was asymmetric to the perihelion passage. The fan angle in September-October was wider than that in December. The direction of the fan generally coincided with Sekanina's prediction (1988).

Akisawa, Hiroki↗

NASA NTRS1992

Lightcurve of comet Austin(1989c1) and its dust mantle development

Brightness variations of comet Austin(1989c1) were investigated in terms of the variations of water production rate. We translated the visual brightness data into water production rates using Newburn's semi-empirical law. The curve of the water production rates as a function of heliocentric distance was compared with the model calculations that assumed energy balance between the solar incident and vaporization of water. Thermal flow in a dust mantle at a surface of the nucleus is also included in the model. The model calculations including the dust mantle are more favorable for the observed rate than non-dust mantle cases. The extinction after the perihelion passage suggests that the dust mantle developed gradually.

Hasegawa, Hitoshi↗

NASA NTRS1992

Rotation of split cometary nuclei

A simple model for the rotational motion of split cometary nuclei is studied. A large-amplitude precession is easily excited due to the change of the moments of inertia even if the perturbation is small at the splitting. The damping timescale of the excited precession is widely ranged because of the uncertainty of the physical parameter of cometary nuclei. Another possibility for clarifying the evolution of the short period comets by studying the split cometary nuclei is also discussed.

Watanabe, Jun-Ichi↗

NASA NTRS1992

Meteor radiant mapping with MU radar

The radiant point mapping of meteor showers with the MU radar by using a modified mapping method originally proposed by Morton and Jones (1982) was carried out. The modification is that each meteor echo was weighted by using the beam pattern of the radar system. A preliminary result of the radiant point mapping of the Geminids meteor shower in 1989 is presented.

Watanabe, Jun-Ichi↗