The Spin State of Comet 10P/Tempel 2

彗星 10P/Tempel 2 的自旋态

• 批准号: 0507601
• 负责人: Beatrice Mueller
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Planetary Science Institute
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-07-01 至 2006-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0507601&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Spin; State; Comet; 10P; Tempel

AST 0507601MuellerDrs Beatrice Mueller and Nalin Samarasinha will pursue a research project to determine the complete spin state of the well observed Jupiter family comet 10P/Tempel 2 combining their existing data taken at different observing geometries. They will confirm (or refute) the period change of this comet observed by Mueller and Ferrin. If the period change is confirmed, they will determine if comet 10P/Tempel 2 is spinning up or down. Mueller and Ferrin were not able to determine the sense of the period change. That comets should evolve rotationally is in theory not disputed, but models are not constrained due to the lack of observations. The measuring of changes in rotational periods has profound implications for understanding the influence of activity on the rotational state and on the eventual spin states of comets, the interior structure of cometary nuclei, their rigidity, and the efficiency of damping of mechanical energy. The interior structure of cometary nuclei is ultimately related to the formation and evolution of comets. This research by Drs Mueller and Samarasinha will add a complete spin state for a Jupiter family comet to the small existing data base of only a few spin states.Drs Mueller and Samarasinha will also investigate using a numerical light curve program if the period change in comet 10P/Tempel 2 is not due to an actual change in rotational period but rather due to the comet being in a slightly more energetic non-principal axis spin state. Most comets are expected to be in a non-principal axis spin state but that is not what is observed. There are two reasons for this discrepancy: (a) light curve observations are not accurate enough to detect slightly excited spin states and/or (b) the damping times and/or excitation times are incorrect. Drs Mueller and Samarasinha will mentor an undergraduate student with a focused project related to the above research that can be completed during the summer providing the student with experience in every aspect of this research. Drs Mueller and Samarasinha will submit images and photometry of comet 10P/Tempel 2 to the Small Bodies Node of the Planetary Data System, which gives access to the entire astronomical community. Their data can be combined with earlier and future data which will increase the science return beyond their results.***

AST 0507601MuellerDrs Beatrice Mueller和Nalin Samarasinha将继续进行一项研究项目，结合他们在不同观测几何位置获取的现有数据，确定经过充分观测的木星家族彗星10P/Tempel 2的完整自旋状态。他们将证实(或驳斥)米勒和费林观测到的这颗彗星的周期变化。如果周期变化得到确认，他们将确定10P/坦普尔2号彗星的自转速度是加快还是下降。穆勒和费林无法确定周期变化的意义。彗星应该旋转演化在理论上是没有争议的，但模型并不因为缺乏观测而受到限制。测量自转周期的变化对于理解活动对彗星的自转态和最终自旋态的影响、彗核的内部结构、彗核的刚性和机械能的阻尼率具有深远的意义。彗核的内部结构最终与彗星的形成和演化有关。Mueller博士和Samarasinha博士的这项研究将把一颗木星家族彗星的完整自旋状态添加到现有的仅有的几个自旋状态的小数据库中。Mueller博士和Samarasinha博士还将使用数值光曲线程序进行研究，如果10P/Tempel 2彗星的周期变化不是由于自转周期的实际变化，而是由于彗星处于稍微更高能量的非主轴自旋状态。大多数彗星预计将处于非主轴自旋状态，但这并不是我们所观察到的。造成这种差异的原因有两个：(A)光曲线观测不够准确，无法探测到轻微激发的自旋态和/或(B)衰减时间和/或激发时间不正确。Mueller博士和Samarasinha博士将指导一名本科生完成一个与上述研究相关的重点项目，该项目可以在夏季完成，为学生提供这项研究的各个方面的经验。Mueller博士和Samarasinha博士将向行星数据系统的小天体节点提交10P/坦普尔2彗星的图像和测光数据，这将使整个天文学社区得以访问。他们的数据可以与之前和未来的数据相结合，这将增加他们的结果之外的科学回报。*