Published August 1989 | Version v1
Journal article

Icy particles from comets

  • 1. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik, Heidelberg (Germany, F.R.)
  • 2. Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Ishikawa (Japan)

Description

Orbital changes at the moment of ejection are the bases of the present evaluation of survival probability for particles ejected from a comet. It is established that a portion of the dirty water-ice grains thus ejected can attain bound orbits. Surviving grains taking the orbits with perihelion distances of less than 7 AU completely lose their water-ice component, primarily due to sublimation. Grains moving on orbits with greater-than-7 AU perihelion distances change their orbits to a significant degree, due to the Poynting-Robertson effect, when grain radii are less than 100 microns, and are destroyed by collisions when grain radii are greater than 100 microns. 26 refs

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Icarus
Journal Volume
80
Series
Icarus.
Journal Page Range
254-266
ISSN
0019-1035
CODEN
ICRSA

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
United States
INIS RN
21021780
Subject category
S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY;
Descriptors DEI
COMETS; ICE; INTERPLANETARY SPACE; INTERSTELLAR GRAINS; MASS TRANSFER; ORBITS; POYNTING THEOREM; RADIATION PRESSURE; SCATTERING; SUBLIMATION
Descriptors DEC
EVAPORATION; PARTICLES; PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS; SPACE