Characterization of the Nucleus, Morphology, and Activity of Interstellar Comet 2I/Borisov by Optical and Near-infrared GROWTH, Apache Point, IRTF, ZTF, and Keck Observations

Bryce T Bolin; Carey M Lisse; Mansi M Kasliwal; Robert Quimby; Hanjie Tan; Chris M Copperwheat; Zhong-Yi Lin; Alessandro Morbidelli; Lyu Abe; Philippe Bendjoya; Kevin B Burdge; Michael Coughlin; Christoffer Fremling; Ryosuke Itoh; Michael Koss; Frank J Masci; Syota Maeno; Eric E Mamajek; Federico Marocco; Katsuhiro Murata; Jean-Pierre Rivet; Michael L Sitko; Daniel Stern; David Vernet; Richard Walters; Lin Yan; Igor Andreoni; Varun Bhalerao; Dennis Bodewits; Kishalay De; Kunal P Deshmukh; Eric C Bellm; Nadejda Blagorodnova; Derek Buzasi; S. Bradley Cenko; Chan-Kao Chang; Drew Chojnowski; Richard Dekany; Dmitry A Duev; Matthew Graham; Mario Juric; Shrinivas R Kulkarni; Thomas Kupfer; Ashish Mahabal; James D Neill; Chow-Choong Ngeow; Bryan Penprase; Reed Riddle; Hector Rodriguez; Roger M Smith; Philippe Rosnet; Jesper Sollerman; Maayane T Soumagnac

doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ab9305

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Characterization of the Nucleus, Morphology, and Activity of Interstellar Comet 2I/Borisov by Optical and Near-infrared GROWTH, Apache Point, IRTF, ZTF, and Keck Observations

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Characterization of the Nucleus, Morphology, and Activity of Interstellar Comet 2I/Borisov by Optical and Near-infrared GROWTH, Apache Point, IRTF, ZTF, and Keck Observations

Bryce T Bolin, Carey M Lisse, Mansi M Kasliwal, Robert Quimby, Hanjie Tan, Chris M Copperwheat, Zhong-Yi Lin, Alessandro Morbidelli, Lyu Abe, Philippe Bendjoya, …

The Astronomical journal, Vol.160(1), p.26

07-01-2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ab9305

Abstract

Astronomy & Astrophysics

Physical Sciences

Science & Technology

We present visible and near-infrared (NIR) photometric and spectroscopic observations of interstellar object (ISO) 2I/Borisov taken from 2019 September 10 to 2019 December 20 using the GROWTH, the Apache Point Observatory Astrophysical Research Consortium 3.5 m, and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility 3.0 m combined with pre- and postdiscovery observations of 2I obtained by the Zwicky Transient Facility from 2019 March 17 to 2019 May 5. Comparison with imaging of distant solar system comets shows an object very similar to mildly active solar system comets with an outgassing rate of similar to 10(27)mol s(-1). The photometry, taken in filters spanning the visible and NIR range, shows a gradual brightening trend of similar to 0.03 mag day(-1)since 2019 September 10 UTC for a reddish object becoming neutral in the NIR. The light curve from recent and prediscovery data reveals a brightness trend suggesting the recent onset of significant H2O sublimation with the comet being active with super volatiles such as CO at heliocentric distances >6 au consistent with its extended morphology. Using the advanced capability to significantly reduce the scattered light from the coma enabled by high-resolution NIR images from Keck adaptive optics taken on 2019 October 4, we estimate a diameter for 2I's nucleus of less than or similar to 1.4 km. We use the size estimates of 1I/'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov to roughly estimate the slope of the ISO size distribution, resulting in a slope of similar to 3.4 1.2, similar to solar system comets and bodies produced from collisional equilibrium.

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Title: Characterization of the Nucleus, Morphology, and Activity of Interstellar Comet 2I/Borisov by Optical and Near-infrared GROWTH, Apache Point, IRTF, ZTF, and Keck Observations
Creators: Bryce T Bolin - CALTECH, Div Phys Math & Astron, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Carey M Lisse - Johns Hopkins University
Mansi M Kasliwal - CALTECH, Div Phys Math & Astron, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Robert Quimby - San Diego State University
Hanjie Tan - Natl Cent Univ, Inst Astron, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan
Chris M Copperwheat - Liverpool John Moores University
Zhong-Yi Lin - Natl Cent Univ, Inst Astron, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan
Alessandro Morbidelli - Univ Cote Azur, Observ Cote Azur, CNRS, Lab Lagrange, Blvd Observ,CS 34229, F-06304 Nice 4, France
Lyu Abe - Univ Cote Azur, Observ Cote Azur, CNRS, Lab Lagrange, Blvd Observ,CS 34229, F-06304 Nice 4, France
Philippe Bendjoya - Univ Cote Azur, Observ Cote Azur, CNRS, Lab Lagrange, Blvd Observ,CS 34229, F-06304 Nice 4, France
Kevin B Burdge - CALTECH, Div Phys Math & Astron, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Michael Coughlin - CALTECH, LIGO Lab, West Bridge,Rm 257,MC 100-36, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Christoffer Fremling - CALTECH, Div Phys Math & Astron, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Ryosuke Itoh - Bisei Astron Observ, 1723-70 Ohkur A, Okayama 7141411, Japan
Michael Koss - Eureka
Frank J Masci - CALTECH, IPAC, Mail Code 100-22,1200 E Calif Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Syota Maeno - Bisei Astron Observ, 1723-70 Ohkur A, Okayama 7141411, Japan
Eric E Mamajek - CALTECH, Jet Prop Lab, 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91109 USA
Federico Marocco - CALTECH, IPAC, Mail Code 100-22,1200 E Calif Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Katsuhiro Murata - Tokyo Inst Technol, 2 Chome-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro, Tokyo 1528550, Japan
Jean-Pierre Rivet - Univ Cote Azur, Observ Cote Azur, CNRS, Lab Lagrange, Blvd Observ,CS 34229, F-06304 Nice 4, France
Michael L Sitko - Univ Cincinnati, Dept Phys, Cincinnati, OH 45221 USA
Daniel Stern - CALTECH, Jet Prop Lab, 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91109 USA
David Vernet - Univ Cote Azur, Observ Cote Azur, UMS Galilee, Nice, France
Richard Walters - CALTECH, Div Phys Math & Astron, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Lin Yan - CALTECH, Div Phys Math & Astron, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Igor Andreoni - CALTECH, Div Phys Math & Astron, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Varun Bhalerao - Indian Inst Technol, Dept Phys, Mumbai 400076, Maharashtra, India
Dennis Bodewits - Auburn University
Kishalay De - CALTECH, Div Phys Math & Astron, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Kunal P Deshmukh - Indian Inst Technol, Dept Met Engn & Mat Sci, Mumbai 400076, Maharashtra, India
Eric C Bellm - AVE (Czechia)
Nadejda Blagorodnova - Radboud University Nijmegen
Derek Buzasi - Florida Gulf Coast University
S. Bradley Cenko - NASA, Goddard Space Flight Ctr, Astrophys Sci Div, 8800 Greenbelt Rd, Greenbelt, MD 20771 USA
Chan-Kao Chang - Natl Cent Univ, Inst Astron, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan
Drew Chojnowski - New Mexico State University
Richard Dekany - CALTECH, Caltech Opt Observ, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Dmitry A Duev - CALTECH, Div Phys Math & Astron, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Matthew Graham - CALTECH, Div Phys Math & Astron, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Mario Juric - AVE (Czechia)
Shrinivas R Kulkarni - CALTECH, Div Phys Math & Astron, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Thomas Kupfer - Univ Calif Santa Barbara, Kavli Inst Theoret Phys, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA
Ashish Mahabal - CALTECH, Div Phys Math & Astron, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
James D Neill - CALTECH, Div Phys Math & Astron, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Chow-Choong Ngeow - Natl Cent Univ, Inst Astron, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan
Bryan Penprase - Soka University
Reed Riddle - CALTECH, Caltech Opt Observ, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Hector Rodriguez - CALTECH, Caltech Opt Observ, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Roger M Smith - CALTECH, Caltech Opt Observ, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Philippe Rosnet - Univ Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, LPC, IN2P3, Clermont Ferrand, France
Jesper Sollerman - Stockholm University
Maayane T Soumagnac - Cyclotron (Netherlands)
Publication Details: The Astronomical journal, Vol.160(1), p.26
Publisher: IOP PUBLISHING LTD; BRISTOL
Number of pages: 16
Grant note: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories; United States Department of Energy (DOE) IPAC Weizmann Institute for Science W. M. Keck Foundation; W.M. Keck Foundation Oskar Klein Center at Stockholm University Caltech Los Alamos National Laboratories; United States Department of Energy (DOE); Los Alamos National Laboratory 1545949 / GROWTH project - National Science Foundation under PIRE Humboldt University UK Science and Technology Facilities Council; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) TANGO Consortium of Taiwan 1106171; AST-1440341 / National Science Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF) University of Washington; University of Washington Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee 104-2923-M-008-004-MY5; 108-2112-M-008-001 / MoST NASA; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) University of Maryland NNH14CK55B / National Aeronautics and Space Administration; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
Identifiers: 99383431841606570
Academic Unit: College of Arts & Sciences
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

Characterization of the Nucleus, Morphology, and Activity of Interstellar Comet 2I/Borisov by Optical and Near-infrared GROWTH, Apache Point, IRTF, ZTF, and Keck Observations

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