Unexpected fading of comet C/2003 T4 (LINEAR) and disintegration of C/2012 S1 (ISON)

TL;DR

This paper investigates the unexpected fading and disintegration of comets C/2003 T4 (LINEAR) and C/2012 S1 (ISON), revealing insights into their mass loss, brightness asymmetry, and disintegration processes.

Contribution

It provides new estimates of comet nucleus mass, water loss, and disintegration behavior, highlighting differences from previously studied comets.

Findings

C/2003 T4 (LINEAR) lost over 13% of its nucleus mass.

C/2012 S1 (ISON) experienced significant disintegration.

Large non-gravitational forces indicate a nucleus mass nearly double that of some disintegrated comets.

Abstract

Comet C/2003 T4 (LINEAR) exhibit a large asymmetry in brightness before and after perihelion, when it became much fainter. Large non-gravitational forces shows that mass of nucleus doesn't exceed 2.51*10^11 kg, which is nearly double than previously disintegrated comets C/2012 S1 (ISON) and C/1999 S4 (LINEAR). Amount of water mass loss of C/2003 T4 in interval between 70 days before to 60 after perihelion, was nearly 3.16(+/- 0.60)*10^10 kg or >13 % of total nucleus mass and >21 % for C/2012 S1, which is much larger than value >7 % previously stated for C/1999 S4.