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arXiv 1506.08545astro-ph.EP
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是什么驱动了彗星67 P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko的尘埃活动?

What drives the dust activity of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko?

B. Gundlach, J. Blum, H. U. Keller, Y. V. Skorov

摘要:

我们使用的引力不稳定性形成的慧星的情况下,得到的总尺寸,可以释放的气体压力从彗星67 P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko的核心为不同的日心距离和不同的挥发性冰。为了得到喷射的聚集体的大小,我们开发了一个模型的基础上的假设,即由表面吸收的全部热量消耗的升华过程中的一个挥发性物种。计算了彗星中三种最主要的挥发性物质:H_20冰、CO_2冰和CO冰。我们发现,尘埃聚集体的大小范围能够逃脱的核心进入太空的彗星接近太阳时,缩小日心距离的增加,因为聚集体的拉伸强度随着聚集体的大小而减小。与H_20冰相比,CO冰的活性能够从表面分离出小约一个数量级的聚集体。由于CO冰的较高升华速率,较大的聚集体另外能够从核的重力场逃逸。我们的模型可以解释OSIRIS相机在日心距离3.4 AU和3.7 AU之间观测到的67 P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko彗星内彗发中的大颗粒(半径从2 cm到1 m)。此外,该模型预测释放的分米大小的聚集体(trail粒子)接近日心的距离,气体驱动的尘埃活动消失。然而,气体驱动的尘埃活动不能解释彗发中小于1毫米的颗粒的存在,因为将这些颗粒从表面分离所需的高拉伸强度不能通过挥发性冰的蒸发来提供。这些较小的颗粒可以例如通过喷射的较大聚集体的旋转和离心质量损失来产生。

英文摘要:

We use the gravitational instability formation scenario of cometesimals to derive the aggregate size that can be released by the gas pressure from the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko for different heliocentric distances and different volatile ices. To derive the ejected aggregate sizes, we developed a model based on the assumption that the entire heat absorbed by the surface is consumed by the sublimation process of one volatile species. The calculations were performed for the three most prominent volatile materials in comets, namely, H_20 ice, CO_2 ice, and CO ice. We find that the size range of the dust aggregates able to escape from the nucleus into space widens when the comet approaches the Sun and narrows with increasing heliocentric distance, because the tensile strength of the aggregates decreases with increasing aggregate size. The activity of CO ice in comparison to H_20 ice is capable to detach aggregates smaller by approximately one order of magnitude from the surface. As a result of the higher sublimation rate of CO ice, larger aggregates are additionally able to escape from the gravity field of the nucleus. Our model can explain the large grains (ranging from 2 cm to 1 m in radius) in the inner coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko that have been observed by the OSIRIS camera at heliocentric distances between 3.4 AU and 3.7 AU. Furthermore, the model predicts the release of decimeter-sized aggregates (trail particles) close to the heliocentric distance at which the gas-driven dust activity vanishes. However, the gas-driven dust activity cannot explain the presence of particles smaller than ~1 mm in the coma because the high tensile strength required to detach these particles from the surface cannot be provided by evaporation of volatile ices. These smaller particles can be produced for instance by spin-up and centrifugal mass loss of ejected larger aggregates.

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