Interstellar comet

An interstellar comet is a comet that hypothetically exists in the interstellar medium,[1] that is, it is not gravitationally bound to a star.[2] Although none has yet been conclusively identified, it is suspected that there must be a large population of these bodies.[1] An interstellar comet can only be detected if it passes through our solar system, and could be distinguished from an Oort cloud comet by its strongly hyperbolic trajectory (indicating that it is not gravitationally bound to the Sun).[2] Comets with weakly hyperbolic trajectories have been observed, but the trajectories of these comets are consistent with having been knocked loose from the Oort cloud and do not indicate an origin in interstellar space.

Current models of Oort cloud formation indicate that more comets are ejected into interstellar space than are retained in the Oort cloud, by a factor of 3–100.[2] Other simulations suggest 90–99% of comets are ejected.[3] There is no reason to believe comets formed in other star systems would not be similarly scattered.[1]

If interstellar comets exist, they must occasionally pass through the inner solar system.[1] They would approach the solar system with random velocities, mostly from the region of the constellation Hercules because the solar system is moving in that direction.[4] The fact that no comet with a speed greater than the Sun's escape velocity[5] has yet been seen places upper limits to their density in interstellar space. A paper by Torbett indicates that the density is no more than 1013 comets per cubic parsec.[6] Other analyses, of data from LINEAR, set the upper limit at 4.5×10−4/AU3.[2]

An interstellar comet could, on rare occasions, be captured into a heliocentric orbit while passing through the Solar System. Computer simulations show that Jupiter is the only planet massive enough to capture one, and that this can be expected to occur once every sixty million years.[6] The comet Machholz 1 is a possible example of such a comet. It has an atypical chemical makeup for comets in our Solar system.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Valtonen, Mauri J.; Jia-Qing Zheng, Seppo Mikkola (March 1992). "Origin of oort cloud comets in the interstellar space". Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy (Springer Netherlands) 54 (1-3): 37–48. Bibcode 1992CeMDA..54...37V. doi:10.1007/BF00049542. http://www.springerlink.com/content/g43v16167077453u/. Retrieved 2008-12-30. 
  2. ^ a b c d Francis, Paul J. (2005-12-20). "The Demographics of Long-Period Comets". The Astrophysical Journal 635 (2): 1348–1361. arXiv:astro-ph/0509074. Bibcode 2005ApJ...635.1348F. doi:10.1086/497684. http://www.iop.org/EJ/article/0004-637X/635/2/1348/62880.web.pdf?request-id=035fe065-820f-4c15-b74e-1cb158b2a41d. Retrieved 2009-01-03. 
  3. ^ Choi, Charles Q. (2007-12-24). "The Enduring Mysteries of Comets". Space.com. http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/071224-mm-comet-mysteries.html. Retrieved 2008-12-30. 
  4. ^ Struve, Otto; Lynds, Beverly and Pillans, Helen (1959). Elementary Astronomy. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 150. 
  5. ^ a b MacRobert, Alan (2008-12-02). "A Very Oddball Comet". Sky & Telescope. http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/35379224.html. Retrieved 2010-03-26. 
  6. ^ a b Torbett, M. V. (July 1986). "Capture of 20 km/s approach velocity interstellar comets by three-body interactions in the planetary system". Astronomical Journal 92: 171–175. Bibcode 1986AJ.....92..171T. doi:10.1086/114148. 
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