Volume 78, Numbers 1-3, 205-210, DOI: 10.1023/A:1006296932189

Evolution of Dust Shells and Jets in the Inner Coma of Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp)

O. LARDIÈRE, S. GARRO and J. -C. MERLIN

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Abstract

Comet Hale-Bopp was observed with the 80 cm reflector + CCD at the Haute-Provence observatory (OHP) and with the 62 cm reflector + CCD at the Saint-Véran observatory (Queyras, France). The morphology of the shells was followed from their first appearence on 1997 Jan. 30, until their disappearance on May 9. These shells spread from the nucleus region with a velocity in agreement with a nuclear rotation period of about 11.33 hours. We report also a short and bright dust ejection on May 8. CN images show a long spiral jet in the tailward side invisible on continuum images. The circumnuclear structures have been followed at Saint-Véran from Apr. 5 to Apr. 11, 1997 with a high spatial resolution (200 km/pixel). We have followed the emergence of a recurrent linear polar jet. Measurements of its expansion show a constant acceleration of material with typical expansion velocity of 1 km/s. The CCD frames show the interconnection between spiral jets and the successive shells.

Comets - individual - C/1995 O1 Hale-Bopp - dust shells - spiral jets

This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.

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