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arXiv · 1408.3860

Unexpected fading of comet C/2003 T4 (LINEAR) and disintegration of C/2012 S1 (ISON)

Jakub Cerny
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Abstract

Comet C/2003 T4 (LINEAR) exhibit a large asymmetry in brightness before and after perihelion, when it became much fainter. Large non-gravitational forces shows that mass of nucleus doesn't exceed 2.51*10^11 kg, which is nearly double than previously disintegrated comets C/2012 S1 (ISON) and C/1999 S4 (LINEAR). Amount of water mass loss of C/2003 T4 in interval between 70 days before to 60 after perihelion, was nearly 3.16(+/- 0.60)*10^10 kg or >13 % of total nucleus mass and >21 % for C/2012 S1, which is much larger than value >7 % previously stated for C/1999 S4.

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Jakub Cerny. 2014-08-17. Unexpected fading of comet C/2003 T4 (LINEAR) and disintegration of C/2012 S1 (ISON). https://arxiv.org/abs/1408.3860

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