The Mass Disruption of Oort Cloud Comets
The Mass Disruption of Oort Cloud Comets
复制标题
奥尔特云彗星的大规模破坏
DOI:
10.1126/science.1070226
复制
发表时间:
2002
期刊:
影响因子:
56.9
通讯作者:
W. Bottke
中科院分区:
文献类型:
--
作者:
H. Levison;A. Morbidelli;L. Dones;R. Jedicke;P. Wiegert;W. Bottke
We have calculated the number of dormant, nearly isotropic Oort cloud comets in the solar system by (i) combining orbital distribution models with statistical models of dormant comet discoveries by well-defined surveys and (ii) comparing the model results to observations of a population of dormant comets. Dynamical models that assume that comets are not destroyed predict that we should have discovered ∼100 times more dormant nearly isotropic comets than are actually seen. Thus, as comets evolve inward from the Oort cloud, the majority of them must physically disrupt.