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Comments on the Rotational State and Non-Gravitational Forces of Comet 46/WIRTANENWe apply our experience of modeling the rotational state and non-gravitational forces of comet 1 P/Halley and other comets to comet 46P/Wirtanen. While the paucity of physical data on 46P/Wirtanen makes this process somewhat speculative, this comet's place as target for the important Rosetta mission gives significance to such a study. Our arguments are based on the summary of observational data provided by Jorda and Rickman (1995) and a comparative study of the behavior of other periodic comets. We find 46P/Wirtanen to have a level of surface activity relative to its mass that is dynamically more akin to that found in comet 1 P/Halley than in a typical periodic comet. We show through an illustrative numerical example that this apparent fact should likely lead to an excited spin state for this comet and that significant changes in the spin period could occur in a single pass through perihelion. We argue that the available observations are not sufficient to substantiate the claim of Jorda and Rickman (1995) that the nucleus is undergoing retrograde rotation and it is possible that the rotation is either prograde as well as retrograde. The substantial requirements that must be placed on any future observing program necessary to determine the precise rotational state are outlined. We advocate an extended (approx. two month) southern hemisphere observing campaign to determine the nuclear rotational state in 1996 if possible before activity turns on.
Document ID
19960047586
Acquisition Source
Headquarters
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Samarasinha, Nalin H. (National Optical Astronomy Observatories Tucson, AZ United States)
Mueller, Beatrice E. A. (National Optical Astronomy Observatories Tucson, AZ United States)
Belton, Michael J. S. (National Optical Astronomy Observatories Tucson, AZ United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
December 1, 1995
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Report/Patent Number
NAS 1.26:202189
NASA-CR-202189
NOAO-Preprint-688
Accession Number
96N33229
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NASA Order W-16492
CONTRACT_GRANT: SNSF-8220-037209
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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