Water and gas production rates from visual magnitude estimates of the small hyperactive comet 46P/Wirtanen
Abstract
As part of the Comet Wirtanen Observing Campaign for obtaining basic information regarding the physical properties of the small size hyperactive short-period comet 46P/Wirtanen, we determine water (and gas mass) production rates on the surface of the nucleus, derived from visual magnitudes measurements. For this purpose, we analyze a 1596 observations database comprising the apparitions of 1986, 1991, 1997, 2002, 2008 and 2018 and apply the Semi-Empirical Method of Visual Magnitudes (SEMVM). With this procedure, we determine the light curve of the comet, the variations of the water production rate with the heliocentric distance as well as compare the results with those ones from the literature. Analyzing the water production rates in the six returns we estimate that, at perihelion, the comet lost $\sim 245-539$ $kg/s$ of its total gas mass during the 2018 and 2002 returns, respectively. Combining the water production rates with a standard water vaporization model, we find active surface areas and make an analysis of the evolution of this parameter during the 2018 return. Also, a minimum value of $0.05$ $km$ is suggested for the nuclear radius of the comet.
- Publication:
-
43rd COSPAR Scientific Assembly. Held 28 January - 4 February
- Pub Date:
- January 2021
- Bibcode:
- 2021cosp...43E.292D