The rotation and coma profiles of comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz)

TL;DR

This study determined the rotation period of comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) to be approximately 9.1 hours using CCD photometry, and analyzed its coma profile to estimate grain ejection velocity, providing insights into comet nucleus behavior.

Contribution

First measurement of the rotation period of comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) using high-resolution CCD photometry during close approach.

Findings

Rotation period of 9.1 hours with small uncertainty.

Estimated grain ejection velocity of approximately 1609 m/s.

Possible sampling of P/2 instead of P due to observational method.

Abstract

Aims. Rotation periods of cometary nuclei are scarce, though important when studying the nature and origin of these objects. Our aim is to derive a rotation period for the nucleus of comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz). Methods. C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) was monitored using the Merope CCD camera on the Mercator telescope at La Palma, Spain, in January 2005, during its closest approach to Earth, implying a high spatial resolution (50km per pixel). One hundred seventy images were recorded in three different photometric broadband filters, two blue ones (Geneva U and B) and one red (Cousins I). Magnitudes for the comet's optocentre were derived with very small apertures to isolate the contribution of the nucleus to the bright coma, including correction for the seeing. Our CCD photometry also permitted us to study the coma profile of the inner coma in the different bands. Results. A rotation period for the nucleus of P = 9.1 +/- 0.2 h was derived. The period is on the short side compared to published periods of other comets, but still shorter periods are known. Nevertheless, comparing our results with images obtained in the narrowband CN filter, the possibility that our method sampled P/2 instead of P cannot be excluded. Coma profiles are also presented, and a terminal ejection velocity of the grains v_gr = 1609 +/- 48 m/s is found from the continuum profile in the I band.