Collaborative Research: SEPPCoN, a Survey of the Ensemble Physical Properties of Cometary Nuclei

合作研究：SEPPCoN，彗星核整体物理性质的调查

• 批准号: 0807521
• 负责人: Karen Meech
• 金额: $ 8.12万
• 依托单位: University of Hawaii
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-09-01 至 2012-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0807521&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; SEPPCoN; Survey; Ensemble

AST-0808004/0807521/0808139Fernandez/Meech/LowryThese collaborative awards support the group formed to carry out SEPPCoN, a Survey of the Ensemble Physical Properties of Cometary Nuclei. This is a large multi-wavelength project to understand the distribution of sizes, albedos, colors, shapes, and rotations of the current comet population in the Solar System, to investigate how comets have changed in the 4.6 billion years since their formation. This is important, because comets are used to probe the thermo-physical conditions of the proto-planetary disk that led to the formation of the solar system. Although this is a larger question than this survey can answer, SEPPCoN will address aspects related to the make-up of the nuclei themselves, including bulk strength, mass loss, fragmentation, albedos, colors, and axial ratios. Good understanding requires observing a significant sample of the comet population, and this project starts by focusing on Jupiter-family comets (JFCs) with an initial sample of 100 JFC nuclei. This is about 30% of the total known sample and is large enough for statistical rigor. The study uses data from the Spitzer Space Telescope and from ground-based facilities on Mauna Kea, La Silla, La Palma, and Palomar.The project employs undergraduates for the acquisition, reduction, and presentation of some of the datasets, providing them with a true research experience. Data from this project provide useful context for upper-level undergraduate courses on astronomical techniques. SEPPCoN is an international collaboration among researchers in France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and four U.S. states.

AST-0808004/0807521/0808139Fernandez/Meech/LowryThese协作性奖项支持为开展SEPPCoN而成立的小组，这是一项关于彗核整体物理性质的调查。这是一个大型的多波长项目，目的是了解太阳系当前彗星群的大小、反照率、颜色、形状和自转的分布，调查彗星自形成以来46亿年来的变化。这一点很重要，因为彗星被用来探测导致太阳系形成的原行星盘的热物理条件。虽然这是一个比这次调查所能回答的更大的问题，但SEPPCoN将解决与原子核本身的组成有关的方面，包括体积强度、质量损失、碎裂、反照率、颜色和轴比。很好的理解需要观察大量的彗星种群样本，这个项目首先关注木星家族彗星(JFC)，初始样本为100颗JFC核。这大约是已知样本总数的30%，对于统计严格性来说已经足够大了。这项研究使用了来自斯皮策太空望远镜和莫纳克亚、拉西拉、拉帕尔马和帕洛马岛的地面设施的数据。该项目雇佣了本科生来获取、减少和呈现一些数据集，为他们提供真正的研究体验。来自该项目的数据为天文技术方面的高级本科课程提供了有用的背景。SEPPCoN是法国、西班牙、英国和美国四个州的研究人员之间的国际合作。