Palomar observations of the R impact of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9: II. Spectra
Creators
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1.
Cornell University
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2.
California Institute of Technology
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3.
National Air and Space Museum
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Goddard Space Flight Center
Abstract
We present mid-infrared spectroscopic observations from Palomar observatory of the impact of fragment R of comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter on 21 July 1994. Low-resolution 8–13 µm spectra taken near the peak of the lightcurve show a broad emission feature that resembles the silicate feature commonly seen in comets and the interstellar medium. We use this feature to estimate the dust content of the impact plume. The overall infrared spectral energy distribution at the time of peak brightness is consistent with emission from an optically-thin layer of small particles at ∼600 K. Integrating over the spectrum and the lightcurve, we obtain a total radiated energy from the R impact of ≥ 2 × 10^(25) ergs and a plume mass of ≥ 3 × 10^(13) g.
Additional Information
Copyright 1995 by the American Geophysical Union. (received December 5, 1994; revised March 1, 1995; accepted March 10, 1995.) Paper number 95GL01067. We would like to thank the staff of Palomar Observatory for their extra efforts on behalf of this project, which required unusual telescope and instrument operations. James Graham and Imke dePater generously provided advance copies of the Keck lightcurve, from which the 2.3 µm points in Fig. 2 were taken. This research was supported by the NASA Planetary Astronomy Program.Attached Files
Published - grl8310.pdf
Files
grl8310.pdf
Additional details
Identifiers
- Eprint ID
- 51014
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20141029-131913132
Funding
- NASA
Dates
- Created
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2014-10-29Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-10Created from EPrint's last_modified field