New Insights into Interstellar Object 1I/2017 U1 (‘Oumuamua) from SOHO/STEREO Nondetections
Abstract
Object 1I/2017 U1 (‘Oumuamua) is the first interstellar small body ever discovered in the solar system. By the time of discovery, it had already passed perihelion. To investigate the behavior of ‘Oumuamua around perihelion, we searched for it in Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) images from early 2017 September (preperihelion), but did not detect it. The nondetection of ‘Oumuamua by STEREO renders more stringent constraints on its physical properties thanks to the extreme forward-scattering observing geometry. Assuming a geometric albedo of p V = 0.1, the effective scattering cross-section of any dust coma was ≲ ≤ft(2.1+/- 0.2\right)× {10}4 m2. Assuming that it behaved like a typical solar system comet, this would correspond to a total mass of ≲20 ± 2 kg and a water production rate of ≲(6.1 ± 0.5) × 1025 s-1 at a heliocentric distance of r H = 0.375 au. If scaled to post-discovery r H, the water production rate would be smaller than any of the previously reported upper limits by at least an order of magnitude. To exhibit the reported nongravitational motion with our default assumptions requires a nucleus bulk density ≲40 kg m-3 higher bulk densities are possible for other assumptions. Alternatively, we show that thermal fracturing could have plausibly removed an inert surface layer between these observations and discovery, thus initiating activity after ‘Oumuamua left the field of view of STEREO.
- Publication:
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The Astronomical Journal
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- DOI:
- 10.3847/1538-3881/ab50b8
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1910.10303
- Bibcode:
- 2019AJ....158..256H
- Keywords:
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- Minor planets;
- Comets;
- Aperiodic comets;
- Astronomy data analysis;
- Near-Earth objects;
- 1065;
- 280;
- 52;
- 1858;
- 1092;
- Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 10 pages, 3 figures