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NASA NTRS1985

Dust emission of Comet Halley at large heliocentric distances

Comet Halley is currently approaching the inner solar system. Four spacecrafts (NASA's spacecraft, two Russian Vega probes and the Japanese MS-T5 spacecraft) have already been launched to encounter the comet in March 1986. Two additional Halley probes (the European Giotto spacecraft and another Japanese Planet-A probe) will be launched in mid-85 to join the armada. Observations of dust emissions from Halley's Comet are discussed. The evaporation of cometary ices causes the emission of particulates from the nucleus. These observations will be used to determine the fly-by strategy of the Giotto spacecraft by taking into account the distribution of dust in the vicinity of the nucleus and the associated hazard for the space mission.

Gruen, E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Extended atmospheres of outer planet satellites and comets

Model analysis of the extended atmospheres of outer planet satellites and comets are discussed. Understanding the neutral hydrogen distribution in the Saturn system concentrated on assessing the spatial dependence of the lifetime of hydrogen atoms and on obtaining appropriately sorted Lyman ALPHA data from the Voyager 1 UVS instrument. Progress in the area of the extended cometary atmospheres included analysis of Pioneer Venus Layman alpha observations of Comet P/Encke with the fully refined hydrogen cloud model, development of the basic carbon and oxygen models, and planning for the Pioneer Venus UVS observations of Comets P/Giacobini-Zinner and P/Halley.

Smyth, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Radioastronomical observations of comets IRAS-Araki-Alcock (1983d) and Sugano-Saigusa-Fujikawa (1983e)

Continuum and spectral-line radio observations of the comets IRAS-Araki-Alcock and Sugano-Saigusa-Fujikawa obtained at a number of observatories during May and June, 1983, are compiled in tables and briefly characterized. The species NH3, H2O, CO, and HCN are considered in detail; visible-range observations of CN are compared; and the implications of the results and the experience gained in performing and coordinating the observations for the detection of important species in other comets, especially Halley's Comet, are explored.

Irvine, W. M.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A radar study of Comet IRAS-Araki-Alcock 1983d

Radar echoes from Comet IRAS-Araki-Alcock at wavelengths 3.54 and 12.9 cm indicate that the comet's nucleus is very rough on a scale larger than the radar wavelengths; however, the low polarization ratio (25 percent at 3.54 cm) indicates that the scattering is not dominated by multiple reflections, internal reflections, or large abundances of sharp edges, cracks, and pits. The shape of the nucleus probably departs greatly from a sphere with average radii near 3-4 km. The nucleus does not appear to look significantly different from a number of Apollo and Amor asteroids except that: (1) there is a suggestion that minor structure moves rapidly across the spectra, and (2) the debris not gravitationally bound to the comet was detected, and contributes 25 percent of the total radar cross section at the 12.9-cm wavelength. Other considerations suggest that the pole was at least 45 deg away from the line of sight on two days of observation, and that the rotation period is approximately 1-2 days.

Goldstein, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The multiple modes of interaction of the solar wind with a comet as it approaches the sun

A quasi-steady one-dimensional hydrodynamic model is used to study the various modes of interaction between the solar wind and a medium-bright water-dominated comet approaching the sun. It is found through a series of calculations that at large heliocentric distances (greater than 5 AU) the solar wind penetrates to the surface of the comet. As mass loading reaches a critical value, a standing shock wave is created in the solar wind upstream from the cometary nucleus, and as distance decreases, the cometary atmosphere becomes dense enough to stand off the solar wind ahead of the nuclear surface. It is shown that the present scenario of solar wind/comet interaction is qualitatively valid for comets with different sizes, chemical compositions and optical properties.

Mendis, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Predictions of occultations of stars and radio sources by Comet Halley

Cataloged cometary ephemerides were compared with cataloged star and radio source positions to generate a comprehensive list of expected occultations by Halley's Comet. The comet path was integrated according of Yeoman's orbit no. 12 and account was taken of gravitational and nongravitational perturbations. A coma of 22,500 km was assumed for star occultation and a 675,000 km radius was projected for radio occultations, the latter to allow for effects of an ion tail. The ephemerides were projected back along the comet track and produced a good fit with observed fixes.

Bowell, E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Optical observations of the AMPTE artificial comet and magnetotail barium releases

The first AMPTE artificial comet was observed with a low light level television camera operated aboard the NASA CV990 flying out of Moffett Field, California. The comet head, neutral cloud, and comet tail were all observed for four minutes with an unifiltered camera. Brief observations at T + 4 minutes through a 4554A Ba(+) filter confirmed the identification of the structures. The ion cloud expanded along with the neutral cloud at a rate of 2.3 km/sec (diameter) until it reached a final diameter of approx. 170 km at approx. T + 90 s. It also drifted with the neutral cloud until approx. 165 s. By T + 190 s it had reached a steady state velocity of 5.4 km/sec southward. A barium release in the magnetotail was observed from the CV990 in California, Eagle, Alaska, and Fairbanks, Alaska. Over a twenty-five minute period, the center of the barium streak drifted southward (approx. 500 m/sec), upward (24 km/sec) and eastward (approx 1 km/sec) in a nonrotating reference frame. An all-sky TV at Eagle showed a single auroral arc in the far North during this period.

Hallinan, T. J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

To catch a comet: Technical overview of CAN DO G-324

The primary photographing of aboard STS 61-E. INTRODUCTION objective of the C.E. Williams Middle School Get Away Special "CAN DO" is the Comet Halley. As it is currently scheduled, G-324 will fly in March of 1986 The project will involve middle school students, grades 6 through 8, in the study and interpretation of astronomical photographs and techniques. -The-objectives of these studies are detailed in another paper to be presented at this symposium. 6-324 is contained in a 5 cubic foot G.A.S. Canister with an opening door and pyrex window for photography. It will be pressurized with one atmosphere of dry nitrogen. Three 35mm still cameras with 250 exposure film backs and different focal length lenses will be fired by a combination of automatic timer and an active comet detector. A lightweight 35mm movie camera will shoot single exposures at about 4 minute intervals to give an overlapping "skymap" of the mission. The fifth camera is a solid state television camera specially constructed for detection of the comet by the microprocessor. In addition to the photographic goals of CAN DO, the canister also contains a separate package of middle school student designed passive experiments. These-projects will be described in detail in the accompanying paper on educational goals.

Thomas J. O'Brien↗
NASA NTRS1986

The International Cometary Explorer (ICE) mission to Comets Giacobini-Zinner and Halley

Use of the ISEE-3 satellite (renamed ICE) to study the interaction between the solar wind and a cometary atmosphere by passing through the plasma tail by intercepting Comet Giacobini-Zinner on 11 September 1985 is described. Details of the targeting strategy are discussed. Additional scientific objectives following the tail intercept of Comet Giacobini-Zinner include the support of Comet Halley studies through the measurement of solar-wind conditions upstream of P/Halley in October 1985 and March 1986.

Brandt, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Emission by OD in comets

A calculation has been made of the complete fluorescent equilibrium of OD in sunlight including ultraviolet (A-X) transitions, vibrational and rotational transitions (A-A and X-X), and Lambda-doubling transitions in the X state. The dependence on heliocentric radial velocity is strong. No lines of OD are visible in any cometary spectra taken with IUE, but the limits vary, considerably from one comet to another. In the most favorable case, comet Austin 1982 VI, the limit is OD/OH less than 0.004. Optimum conditions for detecting OD in comet Halley are also discussed.

Ahearn, M. F.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A comet nucleus sample return mission

A comet nucleus sample return mission has been proposed for implementation near the end of this century. The objective of the mission is to collect a sample of undisturbed material from beneath the surface of an active comet and return it to earth in a minimally altered state. Potential targets include the short-period comets Encke, Tempel 2 and Wild 2. This paper defines such a mission and describes its requirements with regard to science, sampling, thermal protection and performance. It has been determined that with present launch capabilities, Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) is an enabling technology for this mission and total program costs would be in the 700 million to 1 billion (FY '84) dollar range.

Feingold, H.↗
NASA NTRS1985

C2 imagery of the inner coma of Comet IRAS-Araki-Alcock

May 10, 1983 observations of the comet IRAS-Araki-Alcock are analyzed to determine the spatial molecular abundance of C2 in the inner coma, via the Delta-v = +1 Swan band sequence near 4690 A. The observations indicate a deficiency of C2 emission across a projected diameter of about 2000 km that is centered on the peak of continuum emission. Comet imagery indicates a sunward-pointing coma that suggests an outburst of subsurface volatile ices through a nonvolatile surface crust, as predicted for periodic comets. These results are discussed in the framework of instrumental and observational constraints.

Oliversen, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The dust coma of periodic Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko (1982 VIII)

IR emission from the dust comet of Comet C-G was monitored at 1-20 microns with the 3-m NASA Infrared Telescope Facility at Mauna Kea, Hawaii during its perihelion passage from September 1982 to March 1983. The maximum dust production rate of approximately 200,000 g/sec was found to occur approximately one month after perihelion. It was also found that no obvious 1-micron silicate feature was present at 1.33 AU preperihelion, and that the ratio of dust/gas production was higher in other short-period comets observed in the infrared, particularly preperihelion. The low albedos derived for the dust grains (less than 0.05 micron) are noted to be plausible for mineral mixtures expected in cometary grains.

Hanner, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS1985

A re-evaluation of the Haser model scale lengths for comets

The scale lengths are examined for the Haser (1957) model using new, photoelectric, high signal-to-noise ratio data on a variety of comets. The comets have helicocentric distances from 0.75 to 1.81 AU. It is shown that the scale lengths for C2 and C3 compiled by A'Hearn and Newburn and Spinrad (1984) do not adequately represent the data for most of the comets considered. New scale lengths are derived for these two molecules. CN scale lengths are discussed. It is shown that an R-sub-h squared variation for the scale lengths works for most molecules but that the C2 parent scale length must vary by R-sub-h to the 2.5 power.

Cochran, A. L.↗
NASA NTRS1986

The structure of comet tails

Present models of the plasma tails of comets are described. The interaction of the solar wind with ions from the cometary atmosphere is discussed, and the phenomenon of magnetic reconnection observed in plasma tails is explained. The accomplishments of the ICE mission to the Comet Giacobini-Zinner are summarized, and the tasks and expected contributions from upcoming Soviet, European, and Japanese missions to Comet Halley are addressed.

Brandt, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Temperatures within comet nuclei

Knowledge of the temperature distribution within comet nuclei is critical to the understanding of the state and behavior of comets. The present study is concerned with the temperature profile below the surface of the nucleus and below any dust mantle which may be present. With respect to the physics, the considered model is in some respects similar to that discussed by Weissman and Kiefer (1981, 1984). However, the new model is improved in various respects. It represents the first attempt to investigate directly the detailed nature of thermal profiles within a comet nucleus. Included in the investigation are calculations which consider the effects of variations in latitude, nucleus spin axis orientation, surface albedo, and thermal emissivity. It is shown that the application of the model, together with in situ measurements of temperatures within a cometary nucleus, could significantly constrain the range of possible subsurface physical properties.

Squyres, S. W.↗
NASA NTRS1986

The dynamics of charged dust in the tail of Comet Giacobini-Zinner

A numerical simulation has been performed to calculate the distributions of dust particles of various sizes down the tail of comet P/Giacobini-Zinner. When the electrostatic charging of the grains in the plasma and radiative environment of the comet is taken into account, it is found that the distribution of the grains (particularly at the lowest end of the mass spectrum) in a plane normal to the orbital plane is entirely different from what is expected had the grains been uncharged. Although the NASA-ICE spacecraft, which will fly through the tail of this comet almost normal to its orbital plane on September 11, 1985, has no dedicated dust experiments, it is expected that the plasma wave instrument will serve as an indirect detector, even of the smallest grains, via the plasma clouds created by the high-velocity dust impacts. Knowledge of the spatial variation of the grain sizes encountered along the flight path of the spacecraft will provide us with the information necessary to calculate the electrostatic potential of the grains, which in turn will lead to an estimation of the role of the electromagnetic forces on the dynamics of such grains.

Horanyi, M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Comet Kopff - A case for mantle development

Comet Kopff was observed during its 1983 apparition. Intensified Dissector Scanner (IDS) spectra were obtained mapping the distribution of the gases in the coma. The comet appears to have a preperihelion brightness maximum in monochromatic light. This result is shown to be model independent. These data are consistent with a partial mantle developing due to the high obliquity of the comet.

Cochran, A. L.↗