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Nucleus properties of Comet 67P/Churyumov Gerasimenko estimated from non-gravitational force modeling

Gutiérrez, Pedro J.; Davidsson, Björn J. R.

By considering model comet nuclei with a wide range of sizes, prolate ellipsoidal shapes, spin axis orientations, and surface activity patterns, constraints have been placed on the nucleus properties of the primary Rosetta target, Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. This is done by requiring that the model bodies simultaneously reproduce the empirica…

Secular light curve of Comet 28P/Neujmin 1 and of spacecraft target Comets 1P/Halley, 9P/Tempel 1, 19P/Borrelly, 21P/Giacobinni Zinner, 26P/Grigg Skjellerup, 67P/Churyumov Gerasimenko, and 81P/Wild 2

Ferrín, Ignacio

We present the secular light curves of eight comets listed in the title. Two plots per comet are needed to study these objects: a reduced magnitude (to Δ=1 AU = geocentric distance) vs time, and a reduced magnitude vs Log R ( R=heliocentric distance). A total of over 16 new parameters, are measured from both plots, and give an unprecedented amount…