Comet C/2010X1 (Elenin). Unrealized expectations

• Published in: Astrophysical bulletin Vol. 67; no. 4; pp. 414 - 424
• Main Authors: Korsun, P. P., Kulyk, I. V., Moiseev, A. V., Afanasiev, V. L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht SP MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica 01.10.2012; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Astronomy; Astrophysics; Astrophysics and Cosmology; Comets; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Scientific imaging; Spectrum analysis; comets: general; comets: individual: C/2010 X1 (Elenin)
• ISSN: 1990-3413; 1990-3421
• DOI: 10.1134/S1990341312040050

We present the analysis of the photometric and spectroscopic data obtained for comet C/2010 X1 (Elenin) when it was at a distance of 2.92 AU from the Sun. The observations were made at the prime focus of the 6-m BTA telescope with the SCORPIO focal reducer. The magnitude of the comet, measured in the R c -band with an 9″ aperture radius amounted to 16ṃ8 ± 0ṃ1. The computed dust production rate was estimated to be about 6 kg/s. The cometary coma manifested the emissions in the (0–0) band of the CN molecule violet system, and a number of emission band heads of the C 3 molecule. The gas production rate of the molecules is determined using the Haser model and amounts to 1.41 × 10 24 and 4.20 × 10 23 molecules per second for CN and C 3 , respectively. The ratio of gas production rates log[ Q (C 3 ) /Q (CN)] is equal to −0.85, which is close to the mean value, determined for a significant number of comets. A normalized gradient of the cometary dust reflectivity, calculated for the 4430–6840 Å spectral range amounts to 14.3 ± 1.2%.