Published November 1987 | Version v1
Report Open

The rotation of P/Halley

Creators

  • 1. AN SSSR, Moscow. Inst. Yadernykh Issledovanij
  • 2. Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest. Central Research Inst. for Physics
  • 3. Arizona Univ., Tucson (USA). Lunar and Planetary Lab.
  • 4. Magyar Tudomanyos Akademia, Budapest. Csillagvizsgalo Intezete

Description

The nucleus of the comet Halley rotates as a slightly asymmetric top, the orientation of the rotation axis (the orientation of the angular momentum vector) is b=54 deg +-15 deg, l=219 deg +-15 deg in the ecliptic system. In the case of the rotation of an asymmetric top the rotation axis is not fixed rigidly to the body, which means that while the nucleus rotates around the axis with a period of 2.2+-0.05 d, its long axis 'nods' periodically with a period of 7.4+-0.05 d. The amplitude of the 'nodding' is about 15 deg +-3 deg in both directions relative to a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis. (author) 21 refs.; 6 figs.; 2 tabs

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Additional details

Publishing Information

Imprint Pagination
25 p.
Report number
KFKI--1987-75/C

INIS

Country of Publication
Hungary
Country of Input or Organization
Hungary
INIS RN
19048283
Subject category
S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; S71: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS;
Descriptors DEI
ANGULAR MOMENTUM; ANGULAR VELOCITY; HALLEY COMET; MOMENT OF INERTIA; PRECESSION; ROTATION; VEGA SPACE PROBES
Descriptors DEC
COMETS; SPACE VEHICLES; VELOCITY