SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “COMETS”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,225 records · Page 68

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1984

Comet rendezvous

A Mariner Mark II spacecraft rendezvous mission with comet Kopff has been recommended by NASA's Solar System Exploration Committee, and is scheduled for a Shuttle launch in 1990. The spacecraft, which is scheduled to encounter the comet in 1994, will conduct a series of experiments including the study of the cometary nucleus, coma, and tail during perihelion passage; the determination of the nucleus and coma chemical/isotropic composition; the description of the nucleus's size, mass, rotation period, and pole occultation; distinctions of gas and dust hydrodynamics; and distinctions of solar wind interactions with the coma. The three-axis-stabilized spacecraft will be modular in design, and will incorporate a 490-Newton Insat engine, Viking Orbiter propulsion tanks, an Integrated Platform Pointing and Attitude Control Subsystem, and several scientific instruments. The spacecraft's Radio Frequency Subsystem will only use X-band telemetry with a downlink frequency of 8415 MHz, and an uplink frequency of 7161 MHz. The power sources in the present design include one radioisotope thermoelectric generator, three 3 Ah batteries, and a solar panel of approximately 7 sq m.

Draper, R. F.↗

NASA NTRS1984

From icy planetesimals to outer planets and comets

The growth of Neptune and Uranus and the origin of the Oort comet cloud are simulated numerically, applying the planetesimal-growth model developed by Greenberg et al. (1978) for the terrestrial planets. The results of 12 experiments are presented in graphs and tables and discussed in detail. In the model which best fits observations, the planets grow relatively quickly from icy planetesimals of diameter 10 km or less which form by gravitational clumping of grains as they settle nonhomologously to the midplane of the solar system; the comets then represent unaltered remnants of the original planetesimal populations in the zone.

Greenberg, R.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Extended atmospheres of outer planet satellites and comets

The lifetimes of hydrogen atoms in the environment of Saturn's magnetosphere can be expected to be quite long (approx. 10 to the 8th power s). Preliminary testing of a model of the Titan hydrogen torus for these long-lived orbits was begun. A draft of the paper describing the analysis of Pioneer Venus observations of Comet P/Encke was completed. Plans to analyze Comet P/Halley data, as well as the development of models for cometary carbon and oxygen, are also discussed.

Smyth, W. H.↗

NASA NTRS1985

An Idealized Short Period Comet Model: Surface Insolation, H2O Flux, Dust Flux and Mantle Evolution

The present cometary activity model integrates feedback processes that involve the transport of heat, gas, and dust, as well as dust mantle development, and includes the effects of latitude, rotation, and spin orientation. Attention is given to the development, structural change, and distribution of dust mantles and their mutual interaction with ice surface temperature and gas and dust production. The results obtained suggest that an initially homogeneous, short period comet with a cosmic dust to water ice ratio, as well as typical orbit, rotation rate, and grain size distribution, would develop only a thin, less than 1 mm cyclic mantle at all points on the nucleus. Most H2O dust histories deduced from brightness data are noted to be in reasonable agreement with the model, allowing for uncertainty in radius and albedo. The exceptional case of Comet Encke is discussed.

Fanale, F. P.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Comet Thermal Modeling

Past thermal models of cometary nuclei have tended to be restricted to hemispherical averages and have ignored many important effects such as surface heat flow, rotation period, or coma opacity. A computer based model called KRC/COM was developed which includes these and many other important effects to give a more accurate physical model of sublimation from icy cometary nuclei. Halley's Comet was used as a test case because of the high interest in the 1986 perihelion passage of that comet.

Weissman, P. R.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Dynamics of Long-period Comets

Dynamical studies of the origin and evolution of long period comets in the Oort cloud during the past year have concentrated on four areas: (1) interpretation of IRAS observations of dust shells around Vega and some 40 other main sequence stars as evidence for cometary clouds around each of these stars; (2) the dynamical plausibility of an unseen solar companion star orbiting in the Oort cloud and causing periodic cometary showers which result in biological extinction events on the earth; (3) a review of the current hypotheses for cometary formation with particular attention to how each mechanism supplies the required mass of comets to the Oort cloud; and (4) development of new dynamics software to simulate the passage of individual stars directly through the Oort cloud. Each of these efforts is described in detail.

Weissman, P. R.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Near-nucleus studies of Comet Halley

The near-nucleus dust coma structure of Comet Halley are studied using modern digital image processing techniques on photographs taken in 1910. Recent investigations carried out in conjunction with the Near-Nucleus Studies Net of the IHW to better understand the characteristics and behavior of Comet Halley are reviewed. A new image processing algorithm developed to enhance coma feature boundaries permits their evolution over as many as three days to be followed. The features can be modeled to derive information on the nucleus spin vector, particle sizes, ejection velocities and distribution of emission areas on the nucleus. Useful contributions by observers in the Astrometry Net are also discussed.

Larson, S.↗

NASA NTRS1984

The IHW reference star catalogs for Comets Halley and Giocobini-Zinner

The general categories of catalogs are observed and compiled. Observed catalogs are tabulations of positions determined with a single instrument (transit circle or astrograph) at a single location with a single approximate mean epoch. Compiled catalogs are produced from a combination of observed catalogs and have the advantage of many more observations per star. In addition, catalogs may be classified according to their density and type of instrument used to produce them. The specific catalogs that should be used for Halley's Comet and Giaobini-Zinner Comet are described.

Harrington, R. S.↗

NASA NTRS1984

The orbits of Comets Halley and Giocobini-Zinner

Ongoing activities to improve the orbits and ephemerides of comets Halley and Giacobini-Zinner are outlined. The nongravitational acceleration model of Marsden et al (1973) is used to represent the motion of these two comets over their observed intervals, and recent orbital updates are presented.

Yeomans, D. K.↗

NASA NTRS1984

The orbital motion of Comet Halley

Since comet Halley is to be studied with spacecraft, new requirements arise for the accuracy to which the position of the methodology of constructing an exact theory is presented. The effect of all kinds of errors in building a mathematical model of motion and the effect of a shift of Halley's center-of-mass relative to the optical center are analyzed. The theory is based on the optical, angular observations of 1911 back to 1759 reduced to the mean equator and epoch of 1950.0 as well as the relative observations of 1682. The observations of 1982 were used to control the accuracy of the theory developed. Deviations of calculated values from measured values do not exceed 1.5 which confirms the good degree of accuracy of this theory. The comet's orbit is obtained using current optical data.

Savchenko, V. V.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Precession model for the nucleus of periodic Comet Kopff

The existing data base on certain characteristics of the periodic Comet Kopff, a candidate for a NASA rendezvous mission in the 1990s, is summarized. The comet was discovered in 1906. The data are used to calculate limits to the nuclear mass (0.7-1.5 x 10 to the 16th g), equatorial radius (1.26-1.64 km), and a geometric albedo of 0.08. An equatorial rotation velocity of 8.1-10.7 hr is projected. The estimates are highly dependent on the present photometric data, which in turn depend on the insolation rate, which if different than assumed could mean that all parameters would be revised upward significantly.

Sekanina, Z.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Vibrational and rotational excitation of CO in comets Nonequilibrium calculations

Ultraviolet observations of atomic carbon in cometary comae show that carbon-bearing compounds must comprise a significant fraction (approximately equal to or greater than 10 percent) of the volatiles. One likely source is CO. This compound is an important constituent of at least some cometary nuclei, even though it may not be the ultimate source of atomic carbon in all comets. Feldman (1983) has suggested that the relative abundance of CO may be one of the few fundamental characteristics which distinguish one comet from another. The present investigation is, therefore, concerned with the vibrational and rotational excitation of the CO molecule in cometary comae. Two previously neglected factors are taken into account in the study. The fractional populations of CO as solutions to time-dependent differential equations are derived, and a nonisothermal and cold kinetic temperature profile for the inner coma is considered.

Chin, G.↗

NASA NTRS1984

An idealized short-period comet model - Surface insolation, H2O flux, dust flux, and mantle evolution

The present cometary activity model integrates feedback processes that involve the transport of heat, gas, and dust, as well as dust mantle development, and includes the effects of latitude, rotation, and spin axis orientation. Attention is given to the development, structural change, and distribution of dust mantles and their mutual interaction with ice surface temperature and gas and dust production. The results obtained suggest that an initially homogeneous, short period comet with a cosmic dust-to-water ice ratio, as well as typical orbit, rotation rate, and grain size distribution, would develop only a thin, less than 1 mm cyclic mantle at all points on the nucleus. Most H2O dust histories deduced from brightness data are noted to be in reasonable agreement with the model, allowing for uncertainty in radius and albedo. The exceptional case of Comet Encke is discussed.

Fanale, F. P.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Dust in space and comets; Proceedings of the Topical Meeting, Graz, Austria, June 25-July 7, 1984

Consideration is given to: the mass loading of planetary magnetospheres by rocky satellites; the effects of electrostatic forces on the vertical structure of planetary rings; and dust motion in Jupiter's tilted magnetic field. Other topics include: IRAS observations of cometary dust; dust environment models for Comet P/Halley; plasma processes and solar wind interaction; and cometary interplanetary field enhancements in the solar wind. Consideration is also given to: the impact of dust grains on fast fly-by spacecraft; EUV observations of Comet Halley; and the thermal model and thermo-mechanical stresses in cometary nuclei.

Morfill, G. E.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Thermal modeling of Halley's Comet

The comet thermal model of Weissman and Kieffer is used to calculate gas production rates and other parameters for the 1986 perihelion passages of Halley's Comet. Gas production estimates are very close to revised pre-perihelion estimates by Newburn based on 1910 observations of Halley; the increase in observed gas production post-perihelion may be explained by a variety of factors. The energy contribution from multiply scattered sunlight and thermal emission by coma dust increases the total energy reaching the Halley nucleus at perihelion by a factor of 2.4. The high obliquity of the Halley nucleus found by Sekanina and Larson may help to explain the asymmetry in Halley's gas production rates around perihelion.

Weissman, P. R.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Surface photometry of comet P/Encke

A scheme to clean cometary digital images from offending background-star trails, and this technique has been applied to a pair of deep Kitt Peak 4-m plates of comet P/Encke, taken in October 1980. Simultaneous and subsequent digital spectra have been obtained at Lick Observatory. The non-polluted coma images show a strong asymmetric sunward-oriented fan/jet, and an extended and rounder (mostly gaseous) main coma, out to approximately 100,000 km radius. The stellar-trail point-spread function has a narrow width (sigma approximately 0.6 arcsec), so that spatial resolution better than approximately 300 km is achieved at the comet. The photometric gradient near the nucleus is very steep, strongly suggesting an icy-grain component which evaporates quickly (at radii equal to or less than 500 km) in the sunlight. Further from the nucleus, the profile becomes shallower, bluer, and more gas dominated. The effect of solar radiation pressure on C2, CN, and other molecules is probably responsible for the rounding of the outer, fainter isophotes. The source of the molecules is likely to be larger than the nucleus itself, and a substantial fraction may originate in the jet. The technique described here may also be applicable in surface photometry of galaxies, in cases where the heavy image pollution by foreground stars is present.

Djorgovski, S.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Seeing Comet IRAS with a radar eye

IRAS data in April 1983 held evidence for the approach of a comet which would pass close enough to earth to bounce radar signals off the cometary nucleus. The closest pass was calculated to be 450,000 km. Ephemerides were prepared for the object while radio observatory tracking schedules were arranged. S-band observations were selected for the JPL 64 m antenna to obtain 2.7 arcmin resolution. A 400 kW signal was generated. Two 4 hr observational periods were achieved, revealing a rough, faceted surface by using S-band in the first run and the X-band in the second. The comet was concluded irregularly shaped and roughly elliptical, with a 2 d period.

Jurgens, R. F.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Colour, albedo and nucleus size of Halley's comet

Photometry of Halley's comet in the B, J, V, and K broadband filters during a time when the coma was very weak and presumed to contribute negligibly to the broadband photometry is reported. The V-J and J-K colors suggest that the color of the nucleus of Halley's comet is similar to that of the D-type asteroids, which in turn suggests that the surface of the nucleus has an albedo less than 0.1.

Cruikshank, D. P.↗