None of the approximately 750,000 known asteroids and comets in the Solar System is thought to have originated outside it, despite models of the formation of planetary systems suggesting that orbital ...migration of giant planets ejects a large fraction of the original planetesimals into interstellar space. The high predicted number density of icy interstellar objects (2.4 × 10
per cubic astronomical unit) suggests that some should have been detected, yet hitherto none has been seen. Many decades of asteroid and comet characterization have yielded formation models that explain the mass distribution, chemical abundances and planetary configuration of the Solar System today, but there has been no way of telling whether the Solar System is typical of planetary systems. Here we report observations and analysis of the object 1I/2017 U1 ('Oumuamua) that demonstrate its extrasolar trajectory, and that thus enable comparisons to be made between material from another planetary system and from our own. Our observations during the brief visit by the object to the inner Solar System reveal it to be asteroidal, with no hint of cometary activity despite an approach within 0.25 astronomical units of the Sun. Spectroscopic measurements show that the surface of the object is spectrally red, consistent with comets or organic-rich asteroids that reside within the Solar System. Light-curve observations indicate that the object has an extremely oblong shape, with a length about ten times its width, and a mean radius of about 102 metres assuming an albedo of 0.04. No known objects in the Solar System have such extreme dimensions. The presence of 'Oumuamua in the Solar System suggests that previous estimates of the number density of interstellar objects, based on the assumption that all such objects were cometary, were pessimistically low. Planned upgrades to contemporary asteroid survey instruments and improved data processing techniques are likely to result in the detection of more interstellar objects in the coming years.
The detection of interstellar objects passing through the solar system offers the promise of constraining the physical and chemical processes involved in planetary formation in other extrasolar ...systems. While the effect of outgassing by 1I/2017 U1 ('Oumuamua) was dynamically observed, no direct detection of the ejected material was made. The discovery of the active interstellar comet 2I/Borisov means spectroscopic investigations of the sublimated ices is possible for this object. We report the first detection of gas emitted by an interstellar comet via the near-UV emission of CN from 2I/Borisov at a heliocentric distance of r = 2.7 au on 2019 September 20. The production rate was found to be Q(CN) = (3.7 0.4) × 1024 s−1, using a simple Haser model with an outflow velocity of 0.5 km s−1. No other emission was detected, with an upper limit to the production rate of C2 of 4 × 1024 s−1. The spectral reflectance slope of the dust coma over 3900 < λ < 6000 is steeper than at longer wavelengths, as found for other comets. Broadband Rc photometry on 2019 September 19 gave a dust production rate of Af = 143 10 cm. Modeling of the observed gas and dust production rates constrains the nuclear radius to 0.7-3.3 km assuming reasonable nuclear properties. Overall, we find the gas, dust, and nuclear properties for the first active interstellar object are similar to normal solar system comets.
The hydrogen-isotope deuterium/hydrogen (D/H) ratio of Earth can be used to constrain the origin of its water. However, the most accessible reservoir, Earth's oceans, may no longer represent the ...original (primordial) D/H ratio, owing to changes caused by water cycling between the surface and the interior. Thus, a reservoir completely isolated from surface processes is required to define Earth's original D/H signature. Here we present data for Baffin Island and Icelandic lavas, which suggest that the deep mantle has a low D/H ratio (δD more negative than –218 per mil). Such strongly negative values indicate the existence of a component within Earth's interior that inherited its D/H ratio directly from the protosolar nebula.
'Oumuamua (1I/2017 U1) is the first known object of interstellar origin to have entered the Solar System on an unbound and hyperbolic trajectory with respect to the Sun
. Various physical ...observations collected during its visit to the Solar System showed that it has an unusually elongated shape and a tumbling rotation state
and that the physical properties of its surface resemble those of cometary nuclei
, even though it showed no evidence of cometary activity
. The motion of all celestial bodies is governed mostly by gravity, but the trajectories of comets can also be affected by non-gravitational forces due to cometary outgassing
. Because non-gravitational accelerations are at least three to four orders of magnitude weaker than gravitational acceleration, the detection of any deviation from a purely gravity-driven trajectory requires high-quality astrometry over a long arc. As a result, non-gravitational effects have been measured on only a limited subset of the small-body population
. Here we report the detection, at 30σ significance, of non-gravitational acceleration in the motion of 'Oumuamua. We analyse imaging data from extensive observations by ground-based and orbiting facilities. This analysis rules out systematic biases and shows that all astrometric data can be described once a non-gravitational component representing a heliocentric radial acceleration proportional to r
or r
(where r is the heliocentric distance) is included in the model. After ruling out solar-radiation pressure, drag- and friction-like forces, interaction with solar wind for a highly magnetized object, and geometric effects originating from 'Oumuamua potentially being composed of several spatially separated bodies or having a pronounced offset between its photocentre and centre of mass, we find comet-like outgassing to be a physically viable explanation, provided that 'Oumuamua has thermal properties similar to comets.
Aims. The discovery of the first active interstellar object 2I/Borisov provides an unprecedented opportunity to study planetary formation processes in another planetary system. In particular, ...spectroscopic observations of 2I allow us to constrain the composition of its nuclear ices. Methods. We obtained optical spectra of 2I with the 4.2 m William Herschel and 2.5 m Isaac Newton telescopes between 2019 September 30 and October 13, when the comet was between 2.5 au and 2.4 au from the Sun. We also imaged the comet with broadband filters on 15 nights from September 11 to October 17, as well as with a CN narrow-band filter on October 18 and 20, with the TRAPPIST-North telescope. Results. Broadband imaging confirms that the dust coma colours (B − V = 0.82 ± 0.02, V − R = 0.46 ± 0.03, R − I = 0.44 ± 0.03, B − R = 1.28 ± 0.03) are the same as for Solar System comets. We detect CN emission in all spectra and in the TRAPPIST narrow-band images with production rates between 1.6 × 1024 and 2.1 × 1024 molec/s. No other species are detected. We determine three-sigma upper limits for C2, C3, and OH production rates of 6 × 1023 molec/s, 2 × 1023 molec/s and 2 × 1027 molec/s, respectively, on October 02. There is no significant increase of the CN production rate or A(0)fρ during our observing period. Finally, we place a three-sigma upper limit on the Q(C2)/Q(CN) ratio of 0.3 (on October 13). From this, we conclude that 2I is highly depleted in C2, and may have a composition similar to Solar System carbon-chain depleted comets.
The Excited Spin State of 1I/2017 U1 'Oumuamua Belton, Michael J. S.; Hainaut, Olivier R.; Meech, Karen J. ...
Astrophysical journal. Letters,
04/2018, Letnik:
856, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
We show that 'Oumuamua's excited spin could be in a high-energy long axis mode (LAM) state, which implies that its shape could be far from the highly elongated shape found in previous studies. CLEAN ...and ANOVA algorithms are used to analyze 'Oumuamua's lightcurve using 818 observations over 29.3 days. Two fundamental periodicities are found at frequencies (2.77 0.11) and (6.42 0.18) cycles/day, corresponding to (8.67 0.34) hr and (3.74 0.11) hr, respectively. The phased data show that the lightcurve does not repeat in a simple manner, but approximately shows a double minimum at 2.77 cycles/day and a single minimum at 6.42 cycles/day. 'Oumuamua could be spinning in either the LAM or short axis mode (SAM). For both, the long axis precesses around the total angular momentum vector with an average period of (8.67 0.34) hr. For the three LAMs we have found, the possible rotation periods around the long axis are 6.58, 13.15, or 54.48 hr, with 54.48 hr being the most likely. 'Oumuamua may also be nutating with respective periods of half of these values. We have also found two possible SAM states where 'Oumuamua oscillates around the long axis with possible periods at 13.15 and 54.48 hr. In this case any nutation occurs with the same periods. Determination of the spin state, the amplitude of the nutation, the direction of the total angular momentum vector (TAMV), and the average total spin period may be possible with a direct model fit to the lightcurve. We find that 'Oumuamua is "cigar-shaped," if close to its lowest rotational energy, and an extremely oblate spheroid if close to its highest energy state.
(3200) Phaethon exhibits both comet- and asteroid-like properties, suggesting it could be a rare transitional object such as a dormant comet or previously volatile-rich asteroid. This justifies ...detailed study of (3200) Phaethon's physical properties as a better understanding of asteroid-comet transition objects can provide insight into minor body evolution. We therefore acquired time series photometry of (3200) Phaethon over 15 nights from 1994 to 2013, primarily using the Tektronix 2048 x 2048 pixel CCD on the University of Hawaii 2.2 m telescope. We utilized light curve inversion to (1) refine (3200) Phaethon's rotational period to P = 3.6032 + or - 0.0008 hr; (2) estimate a rotational pole orientation of lambda = +85degrees + or - 13degrees and beta = -20degrees + or - 10degrees; and (3) derive a shape model. We also used our extensive light curve data set to estimate the slope parameter of (3200) Phaethon's phase curve as G ~ 0.06, consistent with C-type asteroids. We discuss how this highly oblique pole orientation with a negative ecliptic latitude supports previous evidence for (3200) Phaethon's origin in the inner main asteroid belt as well as the potential for deeply buried volatiles fueling impulsive yet rare cometary outbursts.
The discovery of the second interstellar object 2I/Borisov on 2019 August 30 raises the question of whether it was ejected recently from a nearby stellar system. Here we compute the asymptotic ...incoming trajectory of 2I/Borisov, based on both recent and pre-discovery data extending back to December 2018, using a range of force models that account for cometary outgassing. From
Gaia
DR2 astrometry and radial velocities, we trace back in time the Galactic orbits of 7.4 million stars to look for close encounters with 2I/Borisov. The closest encounter we find took place 910 kyr ago with the M0V star Ross 573, at a separation of 0.068 pc (90% confidence interval of 0.053–0.091 pc) with a relative velocity of 23 km s
−1
. This encounter is nine times closer than the closest past encounter identified for the first interstellar object 1I/‘Oumuamua. Ejection of 2I/Borisov via a three-body encounter in a binary or planetary system is possible, although such a large ejection velocity is unlikely to be obtained and Ross 573 shows no signs of binarity. We also identify and discuss some other recent close encounters, recognizing that if 2I/Borisov is more than about 10 Myr old, our search would be unlikely to find its parent system.
Comet 2I/Borisov, the first unambiguous interstellar comet ever found, was discovered in 2019 August at ∼3 au from the Sun on its inbound leg. No pre-discovery detection beyond 3 au has yet been ...reported, mostly due to the comet's proximity to the Sun as seen from the Earth. Here we present a search for pre-discovery detections of comet Borisov using images taken by the Catalina Sky Survey, Pan-STARRS, and the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), with a further comprehensive follow-up campaign being presented in Bolin et al. We identified comet Borisov in ZTF images taken in 2019 May and use these data to update its orbit. This allowed us to identify the comet in images acquired as far back as 2018 December, when it was 7.8 au from the Sun. The comet was not detected in 2018 November when it was 8.6 au from the Sun, possibly implying an onset of activity around this time. This suggests that the activity of the comet is either driven by a more volatile species other than H2O, such as CO or CO2, or by exothermic crystallization of amorphous ice. We derive the radius of the nucleus to be <7 km using the non-detection in 2018 November, and estimate an area of ∼0.5- has been active between 2018 December and 2019 September, though this number is model-dependent and is highly uncertain. The behavior of comet Borisov during its inbound leg is observationally consistent with dynamically new comets observed in our solar system, suggesting some similarities between the two.
The first detected interstellar object, 'Oumuamua, which passed within 0.25 au of the Sun on 2017 September 9, was presumably ejected from a stellar system. We use its newly determined non-Keplerian ...trajectory together with the reconstructed Galactic orbits of 7 million stars from Gaia DR2 to identify past close encounters. Such an "encounter" could reveal the home system from which 'Oumuamua was ejected. The closest encounter, at 0.60 pc (0.53-0.67 pc, 90% confidence interval), was with the M2.5 dwarf HIP 3757 at a relative velocity of 24.7 , 1 Myr ago. A more distant encounter (1.6 pc) but with a lower encounter (ejection) velocity of 10.7 was with the G5 dwarf HD 292249, 3.8 Myr ago. Two more stars have encounter distances and velocities intermediate to these. The encounter parameters are similar across six different non-gravitational trajectories for 'Oumuamua. The ejection of 'Oumuamua by scattering from a giant planet in one of the systems is plausible, but requires a rather unlikely configuration to achieve the high velocities found. A binary star system is more likely to produce the observed velocities. None of the four home candidates have published exoplanets or are known to be binaries. Given that the 7 million stars in Gaia DR2 with 6D phase space information is just a small fraction of all stars for which we can eventually reconstruct orbits, it is a priori unlikely that our current search would find 'Oumuamua's home star system. As 'Oumuamua is expected to pass within 1 pc of about 20 stars and brown dwarfs every Myr, the plausibility of a home system also depends on an appropriate (low) encounter velocity.
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