Preliminary results of Galileo direct imaging of S-L 9 impacts
Abstract
Direct Galileo imaging data were obtained of the Jupiter impact sites for Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 fragments K, N, and W during their early, high-energy phases. Initial ∼5s-long flashes for all 3 impacts result from radiant bolides; analogous, abrupt onsets of luminosity observed by the Galileo photopolarimeter for other impacts must also be the bolide phase. The 3 bolides were dim at 0.56 or 0.89µm (few percent of total Jupiter) and had similar amplitudes, despite huge late-stage differences observed from Earth. Subsequent, continuous luminosity lasting ∼40s for K and ∼10s for N is optical radiation as the initial bolide train erupts into a "fireball". The K light curve may show (a) two impacts 10s apart or (b) delayed evolution of the fireball.
Additional Information
© 1995 American Geophysical Union. Received December 20, 1994; accepted February 20, 1995. We thank all SL9 observers for their accurate, timely reports, which were essential to the success of the Galileo experiments. We particularly thank P. Chodas and D. Yeomans of JPL for their tireless efforts to provide the latest, best ephemerides and timing information. We thank H. Hammel, G. Orton, M. Boslough, K. Zahnle, and M.-M. Mac Low for discussions. W. Cunningham(JPL) led the Galileo engineers who developed, tested, and loaded the on-chip mosaicking flight software ahead of schedule, enabling our experiment. Finally, we appreciate all the women and men of the Galileo Project, who took on the challenge of observing SL9 on short notice, while preparing for Galileo's prime Jupiter mission under trying circumstances. They made it happen. This is Contribution #328 of the Planetary Science Institute, a division of San Juan Capistrano Research Institute. The Galileo Project is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with NASA.Attached Files
Published - 95GL01030.pdf
Files
| Name | Size | Download all |
|---|---|---|
|
md5:ebb5257c15a23e551c2b6e9d7c5f8bfd
|
493.1 kB | Preview Download |
Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 36276
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20130109-130823593
- NASA/JPL/Caltech
- Created
-
2013-01-09Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
-
2021-11-09Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Caltech groups
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
- Other Numbering System Name
- Planetary Science Institute
- Other Numbering System Identifier
- 328