Scattering Properties of Cometary Dust Based on Polarimetric Data

Abstract

AbstractReferring to the dust model in Mukai and Mukai(1990), where the scattering by large rough particles and Mie scattering by small particles are taken into account, a phase function of linear polarization of several comets is examined, especially in a region of phase angles α near a maximum polarization. A lower maximum polarization observed in comet Austin(1989c1) than those in comets West(1975n) and P/Halley leads a speculation that a mixing ratio of rough scattering to Mie scattering in comet Austin increases from a sun-comet distance r of 0.6 AU to 1.2 AU. This implies that a shortage of large particles in comet Austin occured in r <1 AU.