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Title:
Understanding the Kreutz sungrazing comets
Authors:
Knight, M. M.; A'Hearn, M. F.; Biesecker, D. A.; Faury, G.; Hamilton, D. P.; Lamy, P.; Llebaria, A.
Publication:
36th COSPAR Scientific Assembly. Held 16 - 23 July 2006, in Beijing, China. Meeting abstract from the CDROM, #2697
Publication Date:
00/2006
Origin:
ADS
Bibliographic Code:
2006cosp...36.2697K

Abstract

We present the results of our study of the Kreutz family comets observed by SOHO-LASCO This is a continuation of earlier work by Biesecker et al 2002 and includes all Kreutz comets which reached perihelion in the SOHO-LASCO field of view by the end of 2005 a sample of over 900 comets We use physical models of the nucleus such as composition density porosity and production rates to explain the characteristic features of Kreutz light curves notably the slope of brightening the peak in brightness at 10-13 solar radii prior to perihelion and the rapid fading interior to this The possibility that there exists two distinct subgroups of Kreutz comets which reach peak brightness at slightly different heliocentric distances is reexamined and modeled We compare the Kreutz comets with other comets observed by SOHO-LASCO the sungrazing families Meyer Marsden and Kracht and other non-sungrazing comets and with observations of prominent sungrazers seen from the ground e g C 1965 S1 Ikeya-Seki to estimate production rates at larger heliocentric distances From these rates we improve the scaling relationship between size and apparent brightness and constrain the size distribution of the Kreutz family Finally we predict discovery rates of Kreutz comets by the upcoming STEREO mission and ground-based surveys such as Pan-STARRS This research was supported by NASA Planetary Atmospheres grant NAG513295
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