Astronomical School’s Report, 2012, Volume 8, Issue 1, Pages 75–79

https://doi.org/10.18372/2411-6602.08.1075
Download PDF
UDC 523.61, 523.64

Exploration of spectra of comet 81P/Wild 2 observed in March–April 2010

Churyumov K.I., Ponomarenko V.O., Kleshchonok V.V., Baransky O.R., Kovalenko N.S.

Astronomical Observatory, Kyiv Shevchenko National University, Ukraine

Abstract

Short period comet 81P/Wild 2 of Jupiter’s comet family was the main target of the space mission “Stardust” in 2005. Seven middle-resolution optical spectra of comet 81P/Wild 2 were obtained on 27–29 March and 2/3 April 2010 with the help of the 2-m Zeiss reflector and echelle-spectrograph of the High-mountain astronomical station of Institute of Astronomy of Russian Academy of Sciences and Main Astronomical Observatory of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine at Peak Terskol. The comet was at heliocentric distance 1.6 A.U. and geocentric one 0.7 A.U. and had the integral magnitude equal to 9.8 mag. We present the energy distribution in the spectra of comet 81P and the identification of the spectral emission lines in these spectra. Presence of luminescent continuum in the spectra of comet 81P is discussed and some physical parameters of luminescent continuum were calculated.

Keywords: comet 81P/Wild 2; spectrum; emission lines; luminescent continuum

References

  1. Brown M.E., Bouchez A.H., Spinrad H., Jons-Krull C.M. (1996). High-resolution spectra catalogue of cometary emissions lines. A.J., 1197–1202. https://doi.org/10.1086/118090
  2. Cochran A. A high spectral resolution Atlas of comet 122P/de Vico. 2001.
  3. Kurucz R.L., Furenlid I., Brault J., Testerman L. (1984). Solar flux atlas from 296 to 1300 nm. National Solar Observatory Atlas, Sunspot, New Mexico: National Solar Observatory.
  4. Shul'man L.M. (1970). Distribution of neutral matter density in the cometary atmosphere. Astrometry and Astrophysics (in Russian), 11, 26–30.
  5. Lukyanyk I.V., Churyumov K.I. (2002). Observations of Comet C/2001 A2 (LINEAR) with the Multipupil Fiber Spectrograph. Earth, Moon and Planets. – 90. – 1 (2002)., 33–41.
  6. Churyumov K.I., Lukyanyk I.V., Afanasiev V.L., et al. (2002). Exploration of the Comet 19/P Borrelly spectra, obtained with the MPFS and Scorpio of 6-m Telescope on Aug. 2001. Proceedings of Asteroids, Comets, Meteors (Technical University Berlin. – Germany)., 657–660.
  7. Lukyanyk I.V., Churyumov K.I., Afanasiev V.L., et al. (2002). Observation of Spectra and Monochromatic Images of Comet C/2001 A2 (LINEAR). Proceedings of Asteroids, Comets, Meteors (Technical University Berlin. – Germany)., 717–720.
  8. Picazzio E., de Almeida A., Churyumov K.I., Andrievskii S.M., Lukyanyk I.V. (2002). The Optical Spectroscopy and Near Infrared Observations of Comet C/2000 WM1 (Linear) in December, 2001 in Chile and Brazil. Earth, Moon and Planets, 90, 23–32. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1021594603149

Download PDF