Search Publications
Destruction of Long-period Comets
Jewitt, David
We identify a sample of 27 long-period comets for which both nongravitational accelerations and Lyα-based gas production rates are available. Seven of the 27 comets (i.e., ~25%) did not survive perihelion because of nucleus fragmentation or complete disintegration. Empirically, the latter nuclei have the smallest gas production rates and the large…
The Lingering Death of Periodic Near-Sun Comet 323P/SOHO
Mutchler, Max; Kracht, Rainer; Tholen, David J. +4 more
We observed near-Sun comet 323P/SOHO for the first time using ground and space telescopes. In late 2020 December, the object was recovered at Subaru showing no cometary features on its way to perihelion. However, in our postperihelion observations, it developed a long narrow tail mimicking a disintegrated comet. The ejecta, composed of at least mi…
Solar Coronal Mass Ejections Plasma Diagnostics Expressed as Potential Stellar CME Signatures
Raymond, John C.; Wilson, Maurice L.
Solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) have a strong association with solar flares that is not fully understood. This characteristic of our Sun's magnetic activity may also occur on other stars, but the lack of successfully detected stellar CMEs makes it difficult to perform statistical studies that might show a similar association between CMEs and f…