Open AccessThe magnitude distribution, perihelion distribution and flux of long‐period comets
Author(s) -
Hughes David W.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2001.04544.x
Subject(s) - physics , orbital period , astrophysics , flux (metallurgy) , period (music) , magnitude (astronomy) , distribution (mathematics) , range (aeronautics) , astronomy , mass distribution , comet , galaxy , stars , mathematical analysis , materials science , mathematics , acoustics , metallurgy , composite material
The mass distribution and perihelion distribution of long‐period comets are re‐assessed. The mass distribution index is found to be 1.598±0.016 , indicating that the distribution is somewhat steeper than was obtained by previous analyses of an amalgam of all the available historical data. The number of long‐period comets that have orbital perihelion distances, q , that fall in a specific q to q+dq range is found to be independent of q . It is also noted that the flux of long‐period comets to the inner Solar system has remained constant throughout recorded history. The number of long‐period comets, , per 1‐au interval of perihelion distance, per year, brighter than H , entering the inner Solar system is found to be given by log 10 =−2.607+0.359H. It is therefore estimated that, for example, about 0.5, 30 and 2000 long‐period comets with absolute magnitudes brighter than 0, 5 and 10 respectively pass the Sun on orbits with perihelion distances less than 2.0 au, every century.