TY - CONF
T1 - A Hundred Comets: The Visual-Wavelength Observations of the Survey of Ensemble Physical Properties of Cometary Nuclei (SEPPCoN)
AU - Bauer, James M.
AU - Fernandez, Y. R.
AU - Lowry, S. C.
AU - Meech, K. J.
AU - Fitzsimmons, A.
AU - Snodgrass, C.
AU - Pittichova, J.
AU - Weaver, H. A.
AU - Lisse, C. M.
AU - A'Hearn, M. F.
AU - Campins, H.
AU - Groussin, O.
AU - Kelley, M. S.
AU - Lamy, P. L.
AU - Licandro, J.
AU - Reach, W. T.
AU - Toth, I.
PY - 2010/5/1
Y1 - 2010/5/1
N2 - We present new results from SEPPCoN, a Survey of Ensemble Physical
Properties of Cometary Nuclei. This project is currently surveying 100
Jupiter-family comets (JFCs) to measure the mid-infrared thermal
emission and visible reflected sunlight of the nuclei. The scientific
goal is to determine the distributions of radius, geometric albedo,
thermal inertia, axial ratio, and color among the JFC nuclei. In the
past we have presented results from the completed mid-IR observations of
our sample [1]; here we present preliminary results from ongoing,
broadband visible-wavelength observations of nuclei obtained from a
variety of ground-based facilities (Mauna Kea, Cerro Pachon, La Silla,
La Palma, Apache Point, Table Mtn., and Palomar Mtn.), including
contributions from the Near Earth Asteroid Telescope project (NEAT)
archive. The nuclei were observed at high heliocentric distance (usually
over 4 AU) and so many comets show either no or little contamination
from dust coma. While several nuclei have been observed as snapshots, we
have multiepoch photometry for many of our targets. With our datasets we
are building a large database of photometry, and such a database is
essential to the derivation of albedo and shape of a large number of
nuclei, and to the understanding of biases in the survey. Support for
this work was provided by NSF and the NASA Planetary Astronomy program.
Reference: [1] Fernandez, Y.R., et al. 2007, BAAS 39, 827.
AB - We present new results from SEPPCoN, a Survey of Ensemble Physical
Properties of Cometary Nuclei. This project is currently surveying 100
Jupiter-family comets (JFCs) to measure the mid-infrared thermal
emission and visible reflected sunlight of the nuclei. The scientific
goal is to determine the distributions of radius, geometric albedo,
thermal inertia, axial ratio, and color among the JFC nuclei. In the
past we have presented results from the completed mid-IR observations of
our sample [1]; here we present preliminary results from ongoing,
broadband visible-wavelength observations of nuclei obtained from a
variety of ground-based facilities (Mauna Kea, Cerro Pachon, La Silla,
La Palma, Apache Point, Table Mtn., and Palomar Mtn.), including
contributions from the Near Earth Asteroid Telescope project (NEAT)
archive. The nuclei were observed at high heliocentric distance (usually
over 4 AU) and so many comets show either no or little contamination
from dust coma. While several nuclei have been observed as snapshots, we
have multiepoch photometry for many of our targets. With our datasets we
are building a large database of photometry, and such a database is
essential to the derivation of albedo and shape of a large number of
nuclei, and to the understanding of biases in the survey. Support for
this work was provided by NSF and the NASA Planetary Astronomy program.
Reference: [1] Fernandez, Y.R., et al. 2007, BAAS 39, 827.
M3 - Abstract
SP - 816
ER -