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At least 631 records · Page 35
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

Formation of ions and radicals from icy grains in comets

Ion and radical formation in comets are thought to occur primarily by photodissociation of gas phase molecules. Experimental evidence and theoretical calculations are presented that show that some of the radical and ions can come directly from ice grains. The experimental evidence suggest that if the frozen molecules on the surface of grains undergo direct dissociation then they may be able to release radicals directly in the gas phase. If the molecules undergo predissociation it is unlikely that they will release radicals in the gas phase since they should be quenched. Calculations of this direct photodissociation mechanism further indicate that even if the parent molecule undergoes direct dissociation, the yield will not be high enough to explain the rays structure in comets unless the radicals are stored in the grains and then released when the grain evaporates. Calculations were also performed to determine the maximum number of ions that can be stored in an icy grain's radius. This number is compared with the ratio of the ion to neutral molecular density. The comparison suggests that some of the ions observed near the nucleus of the comet could have originally been present in the cometary nucleus. It is also pointed out that the presence of these ions in icy grains could lead to radical formation via electron recombination. Finally, an avalanche process was evaluated as another means of producing ions in comets.

Jackson, William M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

The interaction of active comets with the solar wind

The interaction of the solar wind with active comets is investigated based on observations of cometary plasma processes and studies of comets using telescopes and photographic plates. Data were also collected when a spacecraft flew through the tail of Comet Giacobini-Zinner in 1985 and five spacecraft encountered Comet Halley in 1986. The solar wind is considered to be supersonic (thermal Mach number 2-10) and to carry a magnetic field twisted into an Archimedean spiral by the rotation of the sun. Since the wind can change its properties during the time a spacecraft is inside the ionosphere or magnetosphere of the body being studied, it is difficult to separate spatial from temporal effects. Photoionization results in addition of plasma to the solar wind. Between the outer and inner edges of the cometosheath, the increasing rate of ion pickup causes the flow to slow down until it stagnates, while the plasma density and the magnetic field strength increase.

Neugebauer, Marcia↗
NASA NTRS1991

Nitrogen abundance in Comet Halley

Data on the nitrogen-containing compounds that observed spectroscopically in the coma of Comet Halley are summarized, and the elemental abundance of nitrogen in the Comet Halley nucleus is derived. It is found that 90 percent of elemental nitrogen is in the dust fraction of the coma, while in the gas fraction, most of the nitrogen is contained in NH3 and CN. The elemental nitrogen abundance in the ice component of the nucleus was found to be deficient by a factor of about 75, relative to the solar photosphere, indicating that the chemical partitioning of N2 into NH3 and other nitrogen compounds during the evolution of the solar nebula cannot account completely for the low abundance ratio N2/NH3 = 0.1, observed in the comet. It is suggested that the low N2/NH3 ratio in Comet Halley may be explained simply by physical fractionation and/or thermal diffusion.

Wyckoff, Susan↗
NASA NTRS1991

Combined energy and pitch angle diffusion of pickup ions at Comet Halley

It is well known that cometary pickup ions, e.g., H2O(+), OH(+), O(+), CO(+), H(+), initially form a ring-beam distribution in the solar wind reference frame, which is highly unstable to the growth of MHD waves (such as ion-cyclotron waves). The low-frequency magnetic fluctuations (or waves), which were observed upstream of Comet Halley, cannot only pitch-angle-scatter the pickup ions so that the distribution becomes at least partially isotropized, but also stochastically accelerate the ions, resulting in the energetic ion populations observed in the vicinity of Comet Halley. Here, numerical solutions of the quasi-linear diffusion equation were used to investigate the cometary ion pickup process at Comet Halley. Both pitch angle and energy diffusion are taken into account. Many quasi-linear models of cometary pickup ions exist which involve one type of diffusion or the other but not both types at once. It is found that the pitch angle scattering occurs faster than the energy diffusion, as expected. Moreover, the results demonstrate that the distribution of accelerated energetic ions is more isotropic than that of ions which have just been picked up. In fact, the ion distribution function on the initial pickup shell is quite anisotropic, even close to the Comet-Halley bow shock.

Ye, Gang↗
NASA NTRS1991

Thermal modeling of comet Kopff: Implications for the CRAF mission

A thermal model of periodic comet Kopff was developed to aid in planning for the Comet Rendezvous Asteroid Flyby mission. The model is based on the comet nucleus model, which estimates the surface temperature distribution and sublimation rates on a rotating icy sphere in heliocentric orbit. The model results are compared with the observed gas production rates from Kopff in 1983. It is found that approximately 15 percent of the sunlit nucleus surface is active, a relatively high fraction for a typical short-period comet. This suggests that the actual nucleus radius may be larger than the model value. The slope of the observed gas production curve with heliocentric distance is steeper than that predicted by the thermal model. This may indicate the existence of a more complex process than direct sublimation of surface ices, such as gas diffusion through a nonvolatile insulating crust.

Weissman, Paul↗
NASA NTRS1991

Physical observations of comets: Their composition, origin and evolution

The composition, origins, and evolution of comets were studied. The composition was studied using spectroscopic observations of primarily brighter comets at moderate and high resolution for the distribution of certain gases in the coma. The origins was addressed through an imaging search for the Kuiper belt of comets. The evolution was addressed by searching for a link between comets and asteroids using an imaging approach to search for an OH coma.

Cochran, Anita L.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Imaging studies of comets

The Joint Observatory for Cometary Research's (JOCR) historical mission has been to provide understanding of large-scale interactions between bright comets and solar wind using wide-angle (Schmidt) imagery and spacecraft data; in this pursuit the JOCR has excelled. The 16 inch Newtonian/Cassegrain telescope was upgraded to permit filtered, narrow-field charge coupled device (CCD) imaging of both bright and faint comets. Thus, the goal of obtaining narrow-band imagery of the near-nuclear region of bright comets was added to JOCR's original mission with emphasis on ionization processes and total gas production. A 300 mm lens/CCD system exists with 3 degree field of view (FOV) which uses comet filters; this system bridges the gap between the wide-field (8 x 10 deg) Schmidt plates and the several-arcmin. field of the 16 inch telescope. JOCR is located under dark skies on South Baldy Mountain (el. 10,600 ft.) near Socorro, NM, and is one of the last truly dark sites in the continental U.S.

Niedner, Malcolm B., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The relative importance of prebiotic synthesis on the Earth and input from comets and meteorites

The prebiotic synthesis of hydrogen cyanide and formaldehyde was studied by the action of electric discharges on various model primitive atmospheres containing CH4, CO, and CO2. Photochemical production rates would also have been important and were calculated for HCN and H2CO. A reasonable rate of synthesis of amino acids from these sources is about 10 n moles/(sq cm yr) or 0.10 moles/sq cm in 10(exp 7) yrs. This would give a concentration of 3 x 10(exp -4) M in an ocean of the present size (300 liters/sq cm). The amino acids cannot accumulate over a longer period because the entire ocean passes through the 350 C submarine vents in 10(exp 7) yrs, which decomposes all the organic compounds. A number of workers have calculated the influx of comets and meteorites on the primitive earth, both as a destructive process for organic compounds and for any life that was present, as well as a source of organic compounds. Some of the amino acids from the meteorite proposed to have hit the earth 65 x 10(exp 6) yrs ago were detected at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary sediments. The problem with proposing a large scale input of organic compounds from meteorites and comets is that they must survive passage through the atmosphere and impact. There are some processes that would allow survival such as showers of centimeter to meter sized meteorites and various aerodynamic braking processes for larger objects. Even if a significant amount of the organic material survived impact, the destructive processes in the hydrothermal vents would remove these compounds on the average in 10(exp 7) yrs or less. If it is assumed that the input rate was sufficient to overcome these destructive processes, then too much carbon and water, especially from comets, would have been added to the surface of the earth. It was concluded that while some organic material was added to the earth from comets and meteorites, the amount available from these sources at a given time was only a few percent of that from earth based syntheses.

Miller, S. L.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A parametric study of the solar wind interaction with comets

The Naval Research Laboratory's magnetohydrodynamic simulation code is used to simulate the solar wind interction with comet Halley for two different outgassing rates and several different solar wind states. The magnetic field is more strongly draped for fast solar wind conditions than slow. For higher mass loading rates, the tail becomes wider and contains more magnetic flux. The visual appearance of the comet differs for the case in which the interplanetary magnetic field lies in the plane of the sky from the case when it lies along the line of sight. The ion tail appears shorter in the latter case. Thus variation in the IMF direction can cause significant changes in the appearance of comets. The comet also creates a large momentum flux deficit in the solar wind with a narrow enhanced region within it corresponding to the ion tail.

Russell, C. T.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The seeding of life by comets

The chemical and morphological structures of comets and interstellar dust are reviewed to demonstrate the feasibility of comets providing the necessary prebiotic molecules for the formation of life on the early earth. The chemical evolution of interstellar dust is shown to be the source of organics in comets, and the molecules observed in the grains are listed as are the products resulting from grain photolysis. It is emphasized that comets could only transfer prebiotic molecules to the earth if they are fluffy aggregates that break up into fine fragments. The contributions to the early earth are considered in terms of the competition between the evolution of the living organisms and the destructive effects of impacts. It is considered that life began as the bombardment during the first 5 x 10 exp 8 years began to tail off.

Greenberg, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Encke, the comet

The observations, physical studies, and orbital investigations of Encke's comet are reviewed and its significance in the quest for understanding the evolution and nature of comets is discussed. Attention is given to Encke's study on the comet's anomalous orbital motion and the hypothesis of a resisting interplanetary medium. Consideration is given to recent major changes in both dynamic and physical investigations of the comet, including studies of its precession and rotation, the nature of the nongravitational anomaly, and the evolution of discrete active regions on the nucleus.

Sekanina, Zdenek↗
NASA NTRS1992

8-13 micron spectroscopy and IR photometry of Comet P/Brorsen-Metcalf (1989o) near perihelion

Thermal IR spectrophotometry of Comet P/Brorsen-Metcalf near perihelion was obtained during August 28-September 6, 1989, by the NASA IRTF; these data are presently compared with results for Comet P/Halley. The spectra, which lacked silicate emission, are consistent with 400-430 K grey body emission. The grains are on these bases inferred to have been larger than typical for either new comets or P/Halley. Attention is given to the composition, mass, temperature, and character of the cometary dust in view of Comet P/Halley study results.

Lynch, David K.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A study of ion composition and dynamics at Comet Halley

This report details the participation by Lockheed co-investigators in the reduction, analysis, and interpretation of data obtained by the Ion Mass Spectrometer onboard the Giotto mission to Comet Halley. The data analysis activities and much of the scientific collaboration was shared by this team. One objective of the effort under this contract was to use data obtained by the Giotto Ion Mass Spectrometer (IMS) during the encounter with comet Halley for the purpose of advancing our understanding of the chemistry and physics of the interaction of the solar wind with comets and obtaining new information on the comet's composition. An additional objective was to make this unique data set available in a format which can be easily used by the reset of the cometary science community for other analysis in the future. The IMS has two sensors: the High Intensity Spectrometer (HIS) and the High Energy Range Spectrometer (HERS).

Shelley, E. G.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Stochasticity of comet P/Slaughter-Burnham

Three comets are now known to be at or near the 1/1 resonance with Jupiter: P/Slaughter-Burnham, P/Boethin and the newly discovered P/Ge-Wang. Although details of the individual orbits differ, the three comets have very similar dynamical behavior: their orbits show many transitions between the different types of resonant motion (satellite libration, anti-satellite libration, and circulating motion). The stochastic character of such cometary orbits, mainly due to encounters with Jupiter is investigated using Lyapunov Characteristic Indicators. For each comet of the group, we study the influences on the stochasticity of initial eccentricity, inclination, longitude of node, and l-l(sub J) (mean longitude of comet minus mean longitude of Jupiter). We present here our first results for P/Slaughter-Burnham.

Benest, Daniel↗
NASA NTRS1992

Initial overview of disconnection events in Halley's Comet 1986

We present an initial overview of the disconnection events (DE's) in Comet Halley in 1986. Although disconnection events are arguably the most spectacular of all dynamic comet phenomena, the mechanisms by which they occur are not fully understood. It is generally believed that the solar wind plays a major role in determining when disconnection events occur, but the details of the solar wind/cometary interactions responsible for initiating the tail disconnection are still under debate. The three most widely accepted models are: (1) high speed streams in the solar wind cause the tail to disconnect due to pressure effects; (2) decreased production of cometary ions in a high speed stream allows magnetic field to slip away from the comet; and (3) the tail disconnects after frontside reconnection of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) as the comet crosses a magnetic field sector boundary. We find that the front-side magnetic reconnection model is the best explanation for the DE's we have considered.

Brandt, John C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The gas production rate of periodic comet d'Arrest

Comet P/d'Arrest is a potential target for a rendezvous mission to a short period comet. Its light curve is rather peculiar, the comet being active only after perihelion passage. One apparition out of two is easy to observe from the ground. The 1995 apparition of the comet will offer a unique opportunity to characterize the outgassing properties of its nucleus.

Festou, Michel C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The nature of comet nuclei

The icy-conglomerate model of comet nuclei has dominated all others since its introduction. It provided a basis for understanding the non-gravitational motions of comets which had perplexed dynamicists up to that time, and provided a focus for understanding cometary composition and origin. The image of comets as dirty snowballs was quickly adopted. Comet nuclei including their trail mass loss rates and refractory to volatile mass ratios are described.

Sykes, Mark V.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Comet outbursts and polymers of HCN

Dramatic cometary outbursts have been noted by observers for many years. These outbursts can sometimes increase the apparent brightness of a comet up to 9 mag and release energy on the order of 10 exp 19 ergs. A number of mechanisms have been suggested for outburst activity; however, none has been generally accepted. HCN is a known constituent of both interstellar icy grain mantles and cometary nuclei, and HCN polymers have been postulated to exist on the dark surface of comets such as P/Halley. Since polymerization is a strongly exothermic process, we investigate the possibility that HCN polymerization can provide the energy needed for outbursts. Polymerization may be continuing in the inhomogeneous interior of comets. In addition, the reactive CN groups in these oligomers can be hydrolyzed and may contribute to CO2 and CO pressure buildup in the interior of comets.

Rettig, Terrence W.↗