The Shadow of Comet Hale-Bopp in Lyman-Alpha
Abstract
For a few months around perihelion, the central part of the Hale-Bopp hydrogen cloud has been optically thick to the solar Lyα radiation, and has significantly reduced the solar flux available for the resonance glow of interstellar hydrogen beyond the comet. This shadowing effect on the interstellar gas is the first ever observed comet shadow. It is modeled and compared with SWAN observations. Shadow modelling will help to constrain the comet water production and radiative transfer effects in the interstellar ionisation cavity.
- Publication:
-
Earth Moon and Planets
- Pub Date:
- March 2002
- Bibcode:
- 2002EM&P...90...67L
- Keywords:
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- Comets;
- interstellar medium;
- solar system