The comet thermal model of Weissman and Kieffer is used to calculate gas production rates and other parameters for the 1986 perihelion passages of Halley's Comet. Gas production estimates are very close to revised pre-perihelion estimates by Newburn based on 1910 observations of Halley; the increase in observed gas production post-perihelion may be explained by a variety of factors. The energy contribution from multiply scattered sunlight and thermal emission by coma dust increases the total energy reaching the Halley nucleus at perihelion by a factor of 2.4. The high obliquity of the Halley nucleus found by Sekanina and Larson may help to explain the asymmetry in Halley's gas production rates around perihelion.


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    Title :

    Thermal modeling of Halley's Comet


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    1984-01-01



    Type of media :

    Miscellaneous


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English


    Keywords :


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