Photometry, spectroscopy, and polarimetry of distant comet C/2014 A4 (SONEAR)
Oleksandra Ivanova, Igor Luk'yanyk, Ludmilla Kolokolova, Himadri Sekhar Das, Marek Husárik, Vera Rosenbush, Viktor Afanasiev, Ján Svoreň, Nikolai Kiselev, Vadim Krushinsky
We analyze the dust environment of the distant comet C/2014 A4 (SONEAR), with a perihelion distance near 4.1~au, using comprehensive observations obtained by different methods. We present an analysis of spectroscopy, photometry, and polarimetry of comet C/2014 A4 (SONEAR), which were performed on November 5~--~7, 2015, when its heliocentric distance was 4.2~au and phase angle was 4.7$^\circ$. Long-slit spectra and photometric and linear polarimetric images were obtained using the focal reducer SCORPIO-2 attached to the prime focus of the 6-m telescope BTA (SAO RAS, Russia). We simulated the behavior of color and polarization in the coma presenting the cometary dust as a set of polydisperse polyshapes rough spheroids. No emissions were detected in the 3800~--~7200~$Å$ wavelength range. The continuum showed a reddening effect with the normalized gradient of reflectivity 21.6$\pm$0.2\% per 1000~$Å$ within the 4650~--~6200~$Å$ wavelength region. The fan-like structure in the sunward hemisphere was detected. The radial profiles of surface brightness differ for r-sdss and g-sdss filters, indicating predominance of submicron and micron-sized particles in cometary coma. The dust color (g--r) varies from 0.75$ \pm $0.05$^m$ to 0.45$ \pm $0.06$^m$ along the tail. For aperture radius near 20~000~km, the dust productions in various filters were estimated as $Afρ$~=~680$\pm$18~cm (r-sdss) and 887$ \pm $16~cm (g-sdss). The polarization map showed spatial variations of polarization over the coma from about --3\% near the nucleus to --8\% at cometocentric distance about 150~000~km. Our simulations show that the dust particles were dominated (or covered) by ice and tholin-like organics. Spatial changes in the color and polarization can be explained by particle fragmentation.
We report results of polarimetric observations of comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner made at phase angles, α=76-78 deg, between 10 and 17 of September 2018, and compare them with previous measurements. We find significant variations in the polarimetric signals that appear consistent with those reported previously. These variations and subsequent modeling suggest that the particles in the coma are replenished within a period of approximately one day. This period is significantly shorter for highly absorbing carbonaceous particles than for non-absorbing Mg-rich silicate particles. Such a difference in t…
We present the results of photometry, linear spectropolarimetry, and imaging circular polarimetry ofcomet C/2009 P1 (Garradd) performed at the 6-m telescope BTA of the Special Astrophysical Observatory(Russia) equipped by the multi-mode focal reducer SCORPIO-2. The comet was observed at two epochspost-perihelion: on February 2-14, 2012 at r=1.6 au and α=36 °; and on April 14-21, 2012 at r=2.2 au and α=27 deg. The spatial maps of the relative intensity and circular polarization as well as the spectral distribution of linear polarization are presented. There were two features (dust and gas tails…
A comprehensive study of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in the 2021/2022 apparition. II. Colorimetry, polarimetry, modeling
Astronomical Observatory of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv（基辅塔拉斯舍甫琴科国立大学天文台）；Astronomical Institute of Slovak Academy of Sciences（斯洛伐克科学院天文研究所）；Main Astronomical Observatory of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine（乌克兰国家科学院主天文台）；University of Maryland, College Park（马里兰大学帕克分校）；Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh（爱丁堡大学天体物理研究所）
We measure the degree of linear polarization of comet 46P/Wirtanen during two months, embracing the perihelion passage in 2018 December with phase angles ranging from α=18.1 to 46.4 deg. The polarimetric response PQ obtained resembles what was previously found in comet C/1975 V1 (West). This suggests 46P/Wirtanen belongs to a group of comets with high maximum positive polarization. We conducted BVRI photometry of 46P and found either neutral or blue colour of its dust which is in good accordance with measurements of C/1975 V1 (West). While aperture-average polarimetry of 46P/Wirtanen reveals a…
Multi-Wavelength Post-Perihelion Polarimetry of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
University of Helsinki（赫尔辛基大学）；Institute of Astronomy and National Astronomical Observatory, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences（保加利亚科学院天文研究所与国家天文台）；Armagh Observatory & Planetarium（阿马天文台与天文馆）；University of Maryland（马里兰大学）；TU Braunschweig（布伦瑞克工业大学）；INAF – Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino（意大利国家天体物理研究所都灵天文台）；Finnish Centre for Astronomy with ESO, University of Turku（图卢大学ESO芬兰天文学中心）；Luleå University of Technology（吕勒奥理工大学）
In this work, we introduce a comet dust model that incorporates multiple dust morphologies along with inhomogeneous mixture of silicate minerals and carbonaceous materials under power-law size distribution, to replicate the standard polarization-phase curve observed in several comets in the narrow-band continuum. Following the results from Rosetta/MIDAS and COSIMA, we create high porosity Hierarchical Aggregates (HA) and low porosity (< 10$\%$) Solids in the form of agglomerated debris. We also introduce a moderate porosity structure with solids in the core, surrounded by fluffy aggregates cal…
We present results of imaging polarimetry of comet 2P/Encke performed on January 23, 2017 at the heliocentric (1.052 au) and geocentric (1.336 au) distances and phase angle 46.8 deg, 46 days before perihelion. Observations were made through the medium-band SED500 (λ5019/246 Å) and broadband r-sdss (λ6200/1200 Å) filters with the multimode focal reducer SCORPIO-2 at the 6-m BTA telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory (Russia). Dust in comet 2P/Encke was mainly concentrated in the near-nucleus region of the coma: the maximum dust/gas ratios were 1.5 and 2.9 in the SED500 and the r-sds…
C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS) is an Oort cloud comet previously observed to be active at heliocentric distances r>20 au on what is likely its first passage through the inner solar system. We observed the comet on 2021 March 19-20 at r=6.82 au pre-perihelion and 8.35 deg phase angle with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and obtained high spatial resolution photometry and polarimetry mapping the properties of dust over the coma prior to the onset of water ice sublimation activity on the nucleus. We found clear radial gradients in the color and polarization of the coma: the F475W-F775W (g'-i') reflectan…
Aims. We aim to constrain the size and porosity of ejected dust particles from comet 252P/LINEAR and their evolution near the perihelion via near-infrared multiband polarimetry. A close approach of the comet to the Earth in March 2016 (~0.036 au) provided a rare opportunity for the sampling of the comet with a high spatial resolution. Methods. We made NIR JHKS bands polarimetric observations of the comet for 12 days near perihelion, interspersed between broadband optical imaging observations over four months. In addition, dynamical simulation of the comet was performed 1000 yr backward in time…
