Enabling a First in a Lifetime Multi-Wavelength Gas and Dust Coma Characterization of the Centaur 39P/Oterma
NASA Hubble Space Telescope General Observer Program-Cycle 29
PI: Charles Schambeau (University of Central Florida)
Non PSI Personnel: Olga Harrington (Co-Investigator, University of Central Florida), Yanga Fernandez (Co-Investigator, University of Central Florida), Theodore Kareta (Co-Investigator, University of Central Florida), Adam McKay (Co-Investigator, American University)
Project Description
We have been awarded two orbits of HST WFC3/UVIS imaging of the Centaur 39P/Oterma to acquire broadband visible imaging (F475W, F625W, and F775W) of its dust coma during awarded Cycle 1 JWST NIRSpec IFU gas coma characterizations. The awarded JWST observations are from program #2416 [McKay et al. 2021], which the PI and several Co-Is of #16921 are also included. Through program #16921 will image 39P in each filter three times, dithering between individual exposures. The WFC3 data will enable characterization of the inner dust coma of 39P at spatial resolutions like the NIRSpec IFU (WFC3 0.04’’/pixel and IFU’s 0.1’’/pixel). Observations with the unique high resolution and sensitivity provided by HST are needed to analyze the dust coma of 39P due to its relatively larger heliocentric and geocentric distances in the Centaur region beyond Jupiter and to accomplish our scientific goals. Using the WFC3 data we will characterize 39P’s coma dust production rate, coma color and color morphology, nucleus surface properties, and constrain 39P’s activity driving mechanism(s). The combination of the HST and JWST data will enable first in a lifetime investigation of the activity driving mechanism(s) in the Centaur regions and the compositional nature of 39P’s coma and nucleus. As this is the first such dataset and analysis for a Solar System Centaur the results will be of high scientific impact.
