Title

Short-Wavelength Infrared (1.3-2.6 Μm) Observations Of The Nucleus Of Comet 19P/Borrelly

Keywords

19P/Borrelly; Borrelly; Comet; Deep Space 1; H-K color; Imaging spectrometer; Infrared spectra; J-H color; JHK color; Nitrogen organic molecules; Nucleus; Short-period comets; Short-wavelength infrared; Spectral absorption; SWIR; Temperature; Thermal emission

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 μm; the footprint of each spectrum was ∼160 m × 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 ∼0.82 and ∼0.43, respectively. Between 2.3-2.6 μm 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 ≤300 K near the terminator to a maximum of ∼340 K, the expected sub-solar equilibrium temperature for a slowly rotating body. A single absorption band at ∼2.39 μm 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. © 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Publication Date

1-1-2004

Publication Title

Icarus

Volume

167

Issue

1

Number of Pages

100-112

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2003.08.019

Socpus ID

1642420520 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/1642420520

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