Work

Comet 108P/Ciffreo: The Blob

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: Short-period comet 108P/Ciffreo is known for its peculiar double morphology, in which the nucleus is accompanied by a comoving, detached, diffuse “blob.” We report new observations of 108P/Ciffreo taken with the Hubble Space Telescope and the Nordic Optical Telescope and use them to determine the cause of this unusual morphology. The separation and the longevity of the blob across several orbits together rule out the possibility of a single, slow-moving secondary object near the primary nucleus. We use a model of coma particle dynamics under the action of solar gravity and radiation pressure to show that the blob is an artifact of the turnaround of particles ejected sunward and repelled by sunlight. Numerical experiments limit the range of directions which can reproduce the morphology and explain why the comoving blob appearance is rare.

Source: The Astronomical Journal

DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/acba07

Authors: Yoonyoung Kim, David Jewitt, Jane Luu, Jing Li, Max Mutchler

Institutions: Technische Universität Braunschweig, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Oslo, Space Telescope Science Institute

Language: English

Topic: Astro and Planetary Science

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $4,499

Funders: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Space Telescope Science Institute, Volkswagen Foundation