Origin of sungrazers - A frequent cometary end-state.
Abstract
The orbits of sungrazing comets originally have inclinations near 90 deg and perihelion distances in the approximate range 0-2 AU. Long-term secular perturbations cause correlated changes in the orbital elements, especially the perihelion distance, eccentricity, and inclination, which eventually lead to a temporary sungrazing state of extremely small perihelion distance. At such a time the comet may suffer tidal disruption or destruction by solar heating. The minimum perihelion distance occurs at intervals on the order of 1000 revolutions, at least ten times shorter than the dynamical ejection time scale. Long-period comets with initially high-inclination orbits and moderately small perihelion distance frequently become sungrazers; their destruction during episodes of small perihelion distance is an important cometary end-state and source of interplanetary matter.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- April 1992
- Bibcode:
- 1992A&A...257..315B
- Keywords:
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- Comets;
- Solar Orbits;
- Interplanetary Dust;
- Orbital Elements;
- Perturbation Theory;
- Secular Variations;
- Astrophysics