A High-Velocity Component of Atomic Hydrogen in Comet Bennett (1970 II)

H. U. Keller, Gary E. Thomas
1976 International Astronomical Union Colloquium  
The Lyman alpha emission from Comet Bennett (1970II) was measured near perihelion (March 1970) by the University of Colorado ultraviolet photometer experiment on OGO-5 The spectrometer field of view of about 3° crossed the cometary hydrogen coma four times. The hydrogen coma was observed to extend more than 30 x 106 km in the antisolar direction.A model for the hydrogen density was developed which took the actual cometary motion and the gradients of the forces of gravitation and radiation
more » ... re into account Exact trajectories of atoms in the orbital plane representing the column densities perpendicular to the plane were calculated. The variation of the hydrogen lifetime along the trajectory as well as the solar Lα profile were considered.
doi:10.1017/s0252921100500979 fatcat:7oychfjimzatlciadgnfluoaim