Comet P/2010 TO20 LINEAR-Grauer as a Mini-29P/SW1
Abstract
Discovered in 2010 October by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) survey, P/2010 TO20 LINEAR-Grauer (P/LG) was initially classified as an inert Jupiter Trojan. Subsequent observations obtained in 2011 October revealed P/LG to be a Jupiter-family comet (JFC). P/LG has one of the largest perihelia (q = 5.1 au) and lowest eccentricities (e = 0.09) of the known JFCs. We report on observations of P/LG taken on 2011 October 29 and numerical simulations of its orbital evolution. Analysis of our data reveals that P/LG has a small nucleus (<3 km in radius) with broad-band colours (B - R = 0.99 ± 0.06 mag, V - R = 0.47 ± 0.06 mag) typical of JFCs. We find a model-dependent mass-loss rate close to 100 kg s-1, most likely powered by water-ice sublimation. Our numerical simulation indicates that the orbit of P/LG is unstable on very short (10-100 yr) time-scales and suggest that this object has recently evolved into its current location from a more distant, Centaur-type orbit. The orbit, dynamics and activity of P/LG share similarities with the well-known case of comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- January 2013
- DOI:
- 10.1093/mnras/sts164
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1208.0598
- Bibcode:
- 2013MNRAS.428.1818L
- Keywords:
-
- methods: data analysis;
- techniques: photometric;
- comets: individual: P/2010 TO20 LINEAR-Grauer;
- minor planets;
- asteroids: general;
- Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 10 pages, 12 Figures, 5 Tables, accepted for publication on MNRAS