Cometary X-ray emission is likely the result of charge exchange interactions between the highly charged solar wind and neutral material ablated from the nucleus. Recent measurements using Chandra coupled with precise laboratory measurements at EBIT lend support for this hypothesis. In fact we have successfully deconvolved the Chandra/ACIS observation of comet C/Linear using direct observations of charge exchanging plasmas at EBIT using a flight spare XRS detector system. Here, we propose to observe a magnitude 1 comet, 73P/SW 3, the brightest comet of the decade during May 2006 within only 0.08 AU of the earth using the XIS1 (BI) instrument on Suzaku. The exceptional low energy response of the XIS will allow us to unambiguously identify the x-ray emission mechanism in comets.
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The brightest comet of the decade during May 2006
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The brightest comet of the decade during May 2006
Cometary X-ray emission is likely the result of charge exchange interactions between the highly charged solar wind and neutral material ablated from the nucleus. Recent measurements using Chandra coupled with precise laboratory measurements at EBIT lend support for this hypothesis. In fact we have successfully deconvolved the Chandra/ACIS observation of comet C/Linear using direct observations of charge exchanging plasmas at EBIT using a flight spare XRS detector system. Here, we propose to observe a magnitude 1 comet, 73P/SW 3, the brightest comet of the decade during May 2006 within only 0.08 AU of the earth using the XIS1 (BI) instrument on Suzaku. The exceptional low energy response of the XIS will allow us to unambiguously identify the x-ray emission mechanism in comets.Tags: None
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The Comet's path
Here is a link to a great animation simulation of the comet?s path and Earth?s orbit showing just how close everything comes together.
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Re: The brightest comet of the decade during May 2006
NASA Statement from April 27th
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060427_cometsw3_noimpact.html
NASA Clarifies Threat
http://www.sploid.com/news/2006/05/nasa_clarifies.php
NASA?s JPL Comet-Orbital Simulator
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/db?rec=900495
Hubble Pics of Comet
http://www.spacetelescope.org/news/html/heic0605.html
Hubble Video clips
http://www.spacetelescope.org/videos/html/heic0605a.html
http://www.spacetelescope.org/videos/html/heic0605b.html
http://www.spacetelescope.org/videos/html/heic0605c.html
Wild reports
http://www.cyberspaceorbit.com/73P_comments.html#intel
CyberspaceOrbit is posting relevant information on the comet
http://www.cyberspaceorbit.com/
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