TY - JOUR
T1 - Can ice survive in main-belt comets? Long-term evolution models of comet 133P/Elst-Pizarro
AU - Prialnik, Dina
AU - Rosenberg, Eric D.
PY - 2009/10
Y1 - 2009/10
N2 - We present detailed evolutionary calculations spanning 4.6 × 109 yr for a model representing main-belt comet 133P/Elst-Pizarro, considering different initial compositions: mixtures of ices and dust. We find that only crystalline H2O ice may survive in the interior of the nucleus, and may be found at depths ranging from ~50 to 150 m. Other volatiles will be completely lost. We further show, by means of fully three-dimensional evolutionary calculations, that if the ice is exposed, say as a result of a collision, the resulting activity is similar to the observed pattern of the behaviour of the comet for a large spin axis inclination, even if only a patch of ice is exposed.
AB - We present detailed evolutionary calculations spanning 4.6 × 109 yr for a model representing main-belt comet 133P/Elst-Pizarro, considering different initial compositions: mixtures of ices and dust. We find that only crystalline H2O ice may survive in the interior of the nucleus, and may be found at depths ranging from ~50 to 150 m. Other volatiles will be completely lost. We further show, by means of fully three-dimensional evolutionary calculations, that if the ice is exposed, say as a result of a collision, the resulting activity is similar to the observed pattern of the behaviour of the comet for a large spin axis inclination, even if only a patch of ice is exposed.
KW - Comets: general
KW - Comets: individual: 133P/Elst-Pizarro
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77951811330&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1745-3933.2009.00727.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1745-3933.2009.00727.x
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AN - SCOPUS:77951811330
SN - 1745-3933
VL - 399
SP - L79-L83
JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
IS - 1
ER -