Opposition effect of comet 28P/Neujmin observed with Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam

Abstract

We present an observational study of the nucleus of comet 28P/Neujmin at a heliocentric distance exceeding 10 au, where coma contamination is effectively minimized. Observations were conducted in the $g$, $r$, and $y$ bands with the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) on the 8.2-m Subaru Telescope. The measured colors, $g - r = 0.67\pm0.17$ and $r - y = 0.41\pm0.19$, yield a spectral index of $S' = 8.8\pm4.2\%/100$ nm, comparable to that of D-type asteroids. By incorporating new observational data at a phase angle $\alpha = 0.334^{\circ}$ with previous observations, we determined the phase function for the nucleus of 28P and confirmed an opposition surge at small phase angles. The derived opposition effect amplitude depends on the adopted phase coefficient, which is uncertain due to potential systematic effects in multi-apparition phase curves. Nevertheless, even under conservative assumptions, the opposition effect of 28P suggests a larger coherent backscattering contribution than is typical for C- and D-type asteroids. The Subaru HSC observations suggest that, although the nucleus color resembles that of D-type asteroids, the surface microstructure of comet 28P's nucleus likely differs from those of C- and D-type asteroids. Future single-apparition observations covering a wide phase angle range from near-opposition to larger angles, combined with polarimetric measurements, will be essential to definitively establish the physical mechanisms responsible for the opposition effects of cometary nuclei.