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Caltech

Dix Planetary Science Seminar

Tuesday, June 9, 2020
4:00pm to 5:00pm
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Online Event
Observing Interstellar Comet 2I/Borisov in Polarized Light
Qicheng Zhang, Graduate Student, Planetary Science,
  • Internal Event

Abstract: Borisov is the first and only comet to date definitively identified as having originated from beyond the solar system. Since its discovery in 2019, it has been the focus of a detailed multispectral observing campaign involving a vast array of space and ground-based instruments to constrain similarities to, and identify differences from ordinary solar system comets. Its dust offers insight into properties of the comet nucleus and the environment in which it formed. Polarization is the characteristic of scattered light most directly related to the shape and structure of scattering particles, and provides a unique way to remotely probe grains in the coma and their physical evolution through the coma radiation environment. With its uniquely high spatial resolution over a wide field of view, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is well-suited for this task and was used to collect imaging polarimetry of 2I/Borisov's inner coma over seven epochs. In this presentation, I will discuss the detailed scientific objectives of this program in the context of existing polarimetry of solar system comets and other concurrent observing programs on 2I/Borisov, as well as provide a brief overview of preliminary results from several completed epochs.

For more information, please contact Shreyas Vissapragada by email at [email protected].