Short-wavelength infrared (1.3-2.6 mu m) observations of the nucleus of Comet 19P/Borrelly

    Authors

    L. A. Soderblom; D. T. Britt; R. H. Brown; B. J. Buratti; R. L. Kirk; T. C. Owen;R. V. Yelle

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Icarus

    Keywords

    Comet; temperature; thermal emission; imaging spectrometer; short-wavelength infrared; SWIR; JHK color; nitrogen-bearing organic; molecules; H-K color; J-H color; infrared spectra; spectral absorption; nucleus; short-period Comets; 19P/Borrelly; Borrelly; deep space 1; P/AREND-RIGAUX; INTEGRATED CAMERA; JHK PHOTOMETRY; SOLAR-SYSTEM; WATER; ICE; HALLEY; SPECTROSCOPY; MOLECULES; ASTEROIDS; ALBEDO; Astronomy & Astrophysics

    Abstract

    During the last two minutes before closest approach of Deep Space 1 to Comet 19P/Borrelly, a long exposure was made with the short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) imaging spectrometer. The observation yielded 46 spectra covering 1.3-2.6 mum; the footprint of each spectrum was similar to 160 m x width of the nucleus. Borrelly's highly variegated and extremely dark 8-km-long nucleus exhibits a strong red slope in its short-wavelength infrared reflection spectrum. This slope is equivalent to J-K and H-K colors of similar to 0.82 and similar to 0.43, respectively. Between 2.3-2.6 mum thermal emission is clearly detectable in most of the spectra. These data show the nucleus surface to be hot and dry; no trace of H2O ice was detected. The surface temperature ranged continuously across the nucleus from less than or equal to 300 K near the terminator to a maximum of similar to 340 K, the expected sub-solar equilibrium temperature for a slowly rotating body. A single absorption band at similar to 2.39 mum is quite evident in all of the spectra and resembles features seen in nitrogen-bearing organic molecules that are reasonable candidates for compositional components of cometary nuclei. However as of yet the source of this band is unknown. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

    Journal Title

    Icarus

    Volume

    167

    Issue/Number

    1

    Publication Date

    1-1-2004

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    100

    Last Page

    112

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000187956100011

    ISSN

    0019-1035

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