Summary
Analysis of the data from Giotto’s Dust Impact Detection System experiment (DIDSY) is presented. These data represent measurement of the size of dust grains incident on the Giotto dust shield along its trajectory through the coma of comet P/Halley on 1986 March 13/14. First detection occurred at some 287000 km distance from the nucleus on the inbound leg; the majority of the DIDSY subsystems remained operational after closest approach (604 km) yielding the last detection at about 202000 km from the nucleus.
In order to improve the data coverage (and especially for the smallest grains, to approximately 10−19kg particle mass), data from the PIA instrument has been combined with DIDSY data. Flux profiles are presented for the various mass channels showing, to a first approximation, a 1/R 2 flux dependence, where R is the distance of the detection point from the cometary nucleus, although significant differences are noted. Deviations from this dependence are observed, particularly close to the nucleus. From the flux profiles, mass and geometrical area distributions for the dust grains are derived for the trajectory through the coma. Groundbased CCD imaging of the dust continuum in the inner coma at the time of encounter is also used to derive the area of grains intercepted by Giotto. The results are consistent with the area functions derived by Giotto data and the low albedo of the grains deduced from infrared emission.
For the close encounter period (− 5 min to + 5 min), the cumulative mass distribution function has been investigated, initially in 20 second periods; there is strong evidence from the data for a steepening of the index of the mass distribution for masses greater than 10−13 kg during passage through dust jets which is not within the error limits of statistical uncertainty. The fluence for dust grains along the entire trajectory is calculated; it is found that extrapolation of the spectrum determined at intermediate masses (cumulative mass index α = 0.85) is not able to account for the spacecraft deceleration as observed by the Giotto Radio Science Experiment and by ESOC tracking operations. Data at large masses (> 10−8 kg) recently analysed from the DIDSY data set show clear evidence of a decrease in the mass distribution index at these masses within the coma, and it is shown that such a value of the mass index can provide sufficient mass for consistency with the observed deceleration. The total particulate mass output from the nucleus of comet P/Halley at the time of encounter would be dependent on the maximum mass emitted if this change in slope observed in the coma were also applicable to the emission from the nucleus; this matter is discussed in the text.
The flux time profiles have been converted through a simple approach to modelling of the particle trajectories to yield an indication of nucleus surface activity. There is indication of an enhancement in flux at t t ≈ −29 s corresponding to crossing of the dawn terminator, but the flux detected prior to crossing of the dawn terminator is shown to be higher than predicted by simple modelling. Further enhancements corresponding to jet activity are detected around +190s and +270s.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Arnadeau, F., Winkelmuller, G., de Rouvray: 1984, Engineering Systems International, ESA/ESTEC, contract No. 4637/81, NL/AB-CCNO7
Chakaveh, S.C., Green, S.F., McDonnell, J.A.M., Hughes, D.W.: 1986, 20th ESLAB Symp. ESA SP-250, Vol. II, p. 163
Cosmovici, C. B., Green, S.F., Hughes, D.W., Keller, H.U., Mack, P., Moreno-Insertis, F., Schmidt, H.U.: 1986, 20th ESLAB Symp., ESA SP-250, Vol II, p. 375
Divine, N.: 1981, The Comet Halley Gas and Dust Environment,ESA SP-174, 25
Divine, N., Fechtig, H., Gombosi, T.I., Hanner, M.S., Keller, H.U., Larson, S. M., Mendis, D. A., Newburn, R.L., Jr., Reinhard, R., Sekanina, Z., Yeomans, D.K.: 1986, Space Sci. Rev. 43, 1
Edenhofer, P., Buschert, H., Bird, M.K., Volland, H., Porsche, H., Brenkle, J.P., Kursinsky, E.R., Mottinger, N.A., Stelreid, C.T.: 1986, 20th ESLAB Symp., ESA SP-250, Vol. II, p. 215
Edenhofer, P., Bird, M. K., Brenkle, J. P., Buschert, H., Esposito, P. B., Porsche, H., Volland, H.: 1986, Nature 321, 355
Edenhofer, P., Bird, M.K., Buschert, H., Esposito, P.B., Porsche, H., Volland, H.: 1986c, The Giotto Mission - Its Scientific Investigations,ESA SP-1077, 173
Fertig, J., Schwehm, G.H.: 1984, Adv. Space Res. 4, 9, 213 Gombosi, T. I.: 1986, 20th ESLAB Symp., ESA SP-250, Vol. II, p. 167
Grard, R.J.L., McDonnell, J.A.M., Grun, E., Gringauz, K.:1986, 20th ESLAB Symp.,ESA SP-250, Vol. III Poster B.327
Green, S.F., Hughes, D.W.: 1986, 20th ESLAB Symp., ESA SP-250, Vol. II, p. 157
Grun, E., Graser, U., Kohoutek, L., Thiele, U., Massone, L., Schwehm, G.: 1986, Nature 321, 144
Hanner, M.S., Giese, R. H., Weiss, K., Zerrull, R.: 1981, Astron. Astrophys. 104, 42
Hanner, M.S.: 1986, Adv. Space Res. 4, 9, 189
Hirao, K., Itoh, T.: 1986, Nature 321, 294
Hughes, D. W.: 1986, Proc. ESA Workshop Comet Nucleus Sample Return,ESA SP-249, 173
Keller, H.U., Arpigny, C., Barbieri, C., Bonnet, R.M., Cazes, S., Coradini, M., Cosmovici, C. B., Delamere, W. A., Huebner, W.F., Hughes, D.W., Jamar, C., Malaise, D., Reitsma, H.J., Schmidt, H.U., Schmidt, W.K.H., Seige, P., Whipple, F. L., Wilhelm, K.: 1986, Nature 321, 320
Kissel, J.: 1986, in The Giotto Mission - its Scientific Investigations,ESA SP-1077, 67
Kissel, J., Sagdeev, R.Z., Bertaux, J.L., Angrov, V.N., Audouze, J. E., Blamont, J.E., Buchler, K., Evlanov, E.N., Fechtig, H., Fomenkova, M.N., von Hoerner, H., Inogamov, N. A., Khromov, V.N., Knabe, W., Krueger, F.R., Langevin, Y.,Leonas, V. B., Levasseur-Regourd, A. C., Managadaze, G.G., Podkolzin, S. N. Shapiro, V.D., Tabaldyev, S.R., Zubkov, B.V.: 1986, Nature 321, 280
Krankowsky, D., Lämmerzahl, P., Herrwerth, I., Woweries, J., Eberhardt, P., Dolder, U., Herrmann, U., Schulte, W., Berthelier, J.J., Illiano, J.M., Hodges, R.R., Hoffmann, J.H.: 1986, Nature 321, 326
Labs, D., Neckel, H.: 1970, Solar Phys. 15, 79
Larson, S. M., Sekanina, Z.: 1984, Asstron. J. 89 571 and 600
Larson, S., Sekanina, Z., Levy, D., Tapia, S., Senay, M.: 1986, 20th ESLAB Symp., ESA-SP250, Vol II, p. 145
Maas, D., Aigner, S., Goller, J.R., Grun, E., Igenbergs, E., Rott, M., Weishaupt, U.: 1986, 20th ESLAB Symp.,ESA SP-250, Vol. III Poster B.337
Mazets, E. P., Aptekar, R. L., Golenetskii, S. V., Guryan, Yu. A., Dyachkov, A.V., Illyinski, V.N., Panov, V.N., Petrov, G.G., Savin, A.V., Sagdeev, R.Z., Sokolov, I. A., Khavenson, N.G., Shapiro, V.D., Shevchenko, V.I.: 1986, Nature 321, 276
McDonnell, J. A. M.: 1969, J. Sci. Instr. (J. Phys. E) 2, 2, 1026
McDonnell, J. A. M.: 1979, Proc. Workshop Comet Halley Probe Design,ESA SP-153, 93
McDonnell, J.A.M.: 1987, J. Phys. E 20, 741
McDonnell, J. A. M., Alexander, W. M., Lyons, D., Tanner, W., Anz, P., Hyde, T., Chen, A.-I., Stevenson, T.J., Evans, S.T.: 1984, Adv. Space Res. 4, 9, 297
McDonnell, J.A.M., Alexander, W.M., Burton, W.M., Busso-letti, E., Clark, D.H., Evans, G.C., Evans, S.T., Firth, J.G., Grard, R.J.L., Grun, E., Hanner, M.S., Hughes, D.W., Igenbergs, E., Kuczera, H., Lindblad, B. A., Mandeville, J.-C., Minafra, A., Reading, D., Ridgeley, A., Schwehm, G.H., Stevenson, T.J., Sekanina, Z., Turner, R.F., Wallis, M.K., Zarnecki, J.C.: 1986, The Giotto Mission - Its Scientific Investigations,ESA SP-1077, 85
McDonnell, J. A. M., Alexander, W. M., Burton, W. M., Bussoletti, E., Clark, D.H., Firth, J.G., Grard, R.J.L., Grun, E., Hanner, M S., Hughes, D. W., Igenbergs, E., Kuczera, H., Lindblad, B. A., Mandeville, J.-C., Minafra, A., Schwehm, G.H., Sekanina, Z., Wallis, M.K., Zarnecki, J.C., Chakaveh, S.C., Evans, G.C., Evans, S.T., Firth, J.G., Littler, A. N., Massonne, L., Olearczyk, R.E., Pankiewicz, G.S.A., Stevenson, T.J., Turner, R.F.: 1986, Nature 321, 338
Millis, R.L., Schleicher, O.G.: 1986, Nature 324, 646
Morley, T.A., Fertig, J.: 1986, ESA Bull. 46, 71
Pettengill, G. H.: 1984, paper presented at General Assembly of U.R.S.I., Florence
Sagdeev, R. Z., Szabo, F., Avenesov, G. A., Cruvellier, P., Szabo, L., Szego, K., Abergel, A., Balacz, A., Barinov, I.V., Bertaux, J.-L., Blamont, J., Detaille, M., Demorelis, E., Dul’nev, G.N., Endroczny, G., Gordos, M., Kanyo, M., Kostenko, V.I., Krasikov, V.A., Nguyen-Trong, T., Nyitrai, Z., Reny, I., Rusznyak, P., Shamis, V.A., et al.: 1986, Nature 321, 262
Schmidt, W.K.H., Keller, H.U., Wilhelm, K., Arpigny, C., Barbieri, C., Biermann, L., Bonnet, R. M., Cazes, S., Cosmovici, C.B., Delamere, W.A., Huebner, W.F., Hughes, D.W., Jamar, C., Malaise, D., D., D., Reitsma, H., Seige, P., Whipple, F.L.: 1986, The Giotto Mission - Its Scientific Investigations,ESA SP-1077, 149
Sekanina, Z.: 1986, Adv. Space Res. 5, 12, 307
Sekanina, Z.: 1987, Nature 325, 326
Sekanina, Z., Larson, S. M.: 1984, Astron. J. 89, 1408
Sekanina, Z., Larson, S. M.: 1986 a, Nature 321, 357
Sekanina, Z., Larson, S. M.: 1986b, Astron. J. 92, 462
Simpson, J. A., Sagdeev, R.Z., Tuzzolino, A.J., Perkins, M. A., Ksanfomality, L.V., Rabinowitz, D., Lentz, G., Afonin, V.V., Ero, J., Keppler, E., Kosorokov, J., Petrova, E., Szabo, L., Umlauft, G.: 1986, Nature 321, 278
Stone, R. P., Baldwin, J. A.: 1983, Monthly Notices Roy. Astron. Soc. 204, 347
Vaisberg, O.L., Smirnov, V., Omelchenko, A.: 1986, 20th ESLAB Symp., ESA SP-250, Vol. II, 17
Vaisberg, O. L., Smirnov, V. N., Gorn, L. S., Iovlev, M. V., Balikchin, M. A., Slimov, S. I., Savin, S. P., Shapiro, V. D., Shevchenko, V.I.: 1986, Nature 321, 274
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1988 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
McDonnell, J.A.M. et al. (1988). The dust distribution within the inner coma of comet P/Halley 1982i: encounter by Giotto’s impact detectors. In: Grewing, M., Praderie, F., Reinhard, R. (eds) Exploration of Halley’s Comet. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-82971-0_127
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-82971-0_127
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-82973-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-82971-0
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive