Mt. Wendelstein Imaging of the Post-Perihelion Dust Coma of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2015/2016

TL;DR

This study used Mt. Wendelstein Observatory to monitor the dust coma and tail of comet 67P over several months, revealing dust properties, activity decline, and structural features post-perihelion.

Contribution

First detailed imaging and analysis of 67P's dust coma and tail during post-perihelion, including dust distribution, phase function, and structural features.

Findings

Dust activity decreased with heliocentric distance after perihelion.

Dust coma exhibited a quasi-steady-state profile from late September 2015.

Identified three fan-shaped dust structures and a short ejection event.

Abstract

Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P) was imaged with the 2m telescope at Mt. Wendelstein Observatory in the Alps. Coma and tail monitoring was performed during 51 nights between 22 August 2015 and 9 May 2016. The images through r and i Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) filters show the dust distribution around the comet, while images in the SDSS g filter indicate also the presence of coma gas in early September 2015. The dust color of 67P implies intrinsic reddening of 9 %/100nm. After maximum shortly after perihelion passage the dust activity decreased with a heliocentric exponent of 4.1 to 4.2 from late September 2015 until May 2016. The opposition surge during early 2016 can be explained by a linear light scattering phase function (beta ~ 0.04) or an asteroid-like HG-type phase function (G ~ 0.15). The radial brightness profile indicates a 'quasi-steady-state' dust coma from late September to the end of 2015. Dust fragmentation during about a month after perihelion may be responsible for radial coma profiles with slopes below unity, while dust accumulation due to very slow dust expansion velocity may result in steeper than unity profiles during 2016. Three fan-shape dust structures are characterized in the coma of 67P. A short dust ejection event on 22 -23 August 2015 has produced a dust arc-let and jet feature in the coma. In September 2015 the appearance of cometary dust tail is dominated by young dust produced around perihelion. The older dust dominates the tail appearance as of mid November 2015.