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Outgassing Behavior and Composition of Comet C/1999 S4 (LINEAR) During Its Disruption
Dominique Bockelée-Morvan,1Nicolas Biver,1Raphaël Moreno,2Pierre Colom,1Jacques Crovisier,1Éric Gérard,1Florence Henry,1Dariusz C. Lis,3Henry Matthews,4H. A. Weaver,5Maria Womack,6Michel C. Festou7
The gas activity of comet C/1999 S4 (LINEAR) was monitored at radio
wavelengths during its disruption. A runaway fragmentationof the
nucleus may have begun around 18 July 2000 and proceededuntil 23 July.
The mass in small icy debris (30-centimeter radius)was comparable to
the mass in the large fragments seen in opticalimages. The mass budget
after breakup suggests a small nucleus(~100- to 300-meter radius)
that had been losing debris for weeks.The HNC, H2CO,
H2S, and CS abundances relative to H2O measuredduring breakup are consistent with those obtained in other comets.However, a deficiency in CH3OH and CO is observed.
1 Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, F-92195, Meudon,
France.
2 Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique,
300 rue de la Piscine, Domaine Universitaire, F-38406, St. Martin
d'Hères Cedex, France.
3 Department of Physics,
California Institute of Technology, MS 320-47, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
4 Joint Astronomy Centre, 660 North A'ohoku Place, Hilo, HI
96720, USA.
5 Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles
Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-2686, USA.
6 St. Cloud State
University, 720 Fourth Avenue S, MS 324, St. Cloud, MN 56301-4498,
USA.
7 Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, 14 avenue
Edouard Belin, F-31400, Toulouse, France.
The editors suggest the following Related Resources on Science sites:
In Science Magazine
PERSPECTIVES
Hermann Boehnhardt (18 May 2001) Science292 (5520), 1307.
[DOI: 10.1126/science.1061654] |Summary »|Full Text »
REPORTS
H. A. Weaver, Z. Sekanina, I. Toth, C. E. Delahodde, O. R. Hainaut, P. L. Lamy, J. M. Bauer, M. F. A'Hearn, C. Arpigny, M. R. Combi, J. K. Davies, P. D. Feldman, M. C. Festou, R. Hook, L. Jorda, M. S. W. Keesey, C. M. Lisse, B. G. Marsden, K. J. Meech, G. P. Tozzi, and R. West (18 May 2001) Science292 (5520), 1329.
[DOI: 10.1126/science.1058606] |Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
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[DOI: 10.1126/science.1058929] |Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
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C. M. Lisse, D. J. Christian, K. Dennerl, K. J. Meech, R. Petre, H. A. Weaver, and S. J. Wolk (18 May 2001) Science292 (5520), 1343.
[DOI: 10.1126/science.292.5520.1343] |Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »|Supplemental Data »
REPORTS
Tony L. Farnham, David G. Schleicher, Laura M. Woodney, Peter V. Birch, Clara A. Eberhardy, and Lorenza Levy (18 May 2001) Science292 (5520), 1348.
[DOI: 10.1126/science.1058886] |Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
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The Spin Temperature of NH3 in Comet C/1999S4 (LINEAR).
H. Kawakita, J.-i. Watanabe, H. Ando, W. Aoki, T. Fuse, S. Honda, H. Izumiura, T. Kajino, E. Kambe, S. Kawanomoto, et al. (2001)
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Water Production of Comet C/1999 S4 (LINEAR) Observed with the SWAN Instrument.
J. T. T. Mäkinen, J.-L. Bertaux, M. R. Combi, and E. Quémerais (2001)
Science
292, 1326-1329
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HST and VLT Investigations of the Fragments of Comet C/1999 S4 (LINEAR).
H. A. Weaver, Z. Sekanina, I. Toth, C. E. Delahodde, O. R. Hainaut, P. L. Lamy, J. M. Bauer, M. F. A'Hearn, C. Arpigny, M. R. Combi, et al. (2001)
Science
292, 1329-1333
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Charge Exchange-Induced X-Ray Emission from Comet C/1999 S4 (LINEAR).
C. M. Lisse, D. J. Christian, K. Dennerl, K. J. Meech, R. Petre, H. A. Weaver, and S. J. Wolk (2001)
Science
292, 1343-1348
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Imaging and Photometry of Comet C/1999 S4 (LINEAR) Before Perihelion and After Breakup.
T. L. Farnham, D. G. Schleicher, L. M. Woodney, P. V. Birch, C. A. Eberhardy, and L. Levy (2001)
Science
292, 1348-1353
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30-centimeter radius) was comparable to
the mass in the large fragments seen in optical images. The mass budget
after breakup suggests a small nucleus (~100- to 300-meter radius)
that had been losing debris for weeks. The HNC, H2CO,
H2S, and CS abundances relative to H2O measured during breakup are consistent with those obtained in other comets. However, a deficiency in CH3OH and CO is observed.
