The Activity of Comets

彗星是行星形成过程中最没有改变的组成部分--它们的性质可以为我们提供一扇了解太阳系原行星盘的窗口。为了了解它们到底有多原始，我们需要更好地了解它们的演化，因为它们在接近太阳时被冰的升华侵蚀。这项观测项目将遵循各种彗星的彗星活动模式，包括不同类型和不同演化阶段的彗星。该项目将利用来自大型调查和望远镜档案的观测，并将包括在主要天文台获得新数据的可能性。它将涉及开发从单一观测到利用大型数据集的技术。

Comets are some of the most unaltered building blocks of planet formation - their properties can give us a window on the Solar System's protoplanetary disc. To understand just how pristine they are, we need to better understand their evolution as they are eroded by sublimation of ices when near the Sun. This observational project will follow the pattern of cometary activity for a large variety of comets, including comets of different types and at different stages of their evolution. The project will make use of observations from large surveys, from telescope archives, and will include the possibility of obtaining new data at major observatories. It will involve developing techniques to go from single observations to making use of large data sets.