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Infrared observations of an outburst of small dust grains from the nucleus of Comet P/Halley 1986 III at perihelionA close examination of the 0.7- to 23-micron infrared data base acquired by Gehrz and Ney (1992), suggests that the nucleus of Comet P/Halley 1986 III emitted a burst of small dust grains during a 3-day period commencing within hours of perihelion passage on 1986 February 9.46 UT. The outburst was characterized by significant increases in the coma's grain color temperature T(sub obs), temperature excess (superheat: S = T(sub obs)/T(sub BB)), infrared luminosity, albedo, and 10-micron silicate emission feature strength. These changes are all consistent with the sudden ejection from the nucleus of a cloud of grains with radii of approximately 0.5 micron. This outburst may have produced the dust that was responsible for some of the tail streamers photographed on 1986 February 22 UT. The peak of the dust outburst occurred about 3 days before a pronounced increase in the water production rate measured by the Pioneer Venus Orbiter Ultraviolet Spectrometer. We suggest that jets that release large quantities of small particles may be largely responsible for some of the variable infrared behavior that has been reported for P/Halley and other comets during the past two decades. Such jets may also account for some of the differences IR Type I and IR Type II comets.
Document ID
19950059753
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Gehrz, R. D.
(University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN United States)
Johnson, C. H.
(University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN United States)
Magnuson, S. D.
(University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN United States)
Ney, E. P.
(University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN United States)
Hayward, T. L.
(Cornell University Ithaca, NY, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1995
Publication Information
Publication: Icarus
Volume: 113
Issue: 1
ISSN: 0019-1035
Subject Category
Astronomy
Accession Number
95A91352
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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