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We present mid-infrared spectra and images from the GEMINI-N (+Michelle)observations of fragments SW3-[B] and SW3-[C] of the ecliptic (Jupiter Family)comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 pre-perihelion. We observed fragment B soonafter an outburst event (between 2006 April 16 - 26 UT) and detectedcrystalline silicates. The mineralogy of both fragments was dominated byamorphous carbon and amorphous pyroxene. The grain size distribution (assuminga Hanner modified power-law) for fragment SW3-[B] has a peak grain radius ofa_p ~ 0.5 micron, and for fragment SW3-[C], a_p ~ 0.3 micron; both valueslarger than the peak grain radius of the size distribution for the dust ejectedfrom ecliptic comet 9P/Tempel 1 during the Deep Impact event (a_p = 0.2 micron.The silicate-to-carbon ratio and the silicate crystalline mass fraction for thesubmicron to micron-size portion of the grain size distribution on the nucleusof fragment SW3-[B] was 1.341 +0.250 -0.253 and 0.335 +0.089 -0.112,respectively, while on the nucleus of fragment SW3-[C] was 0.671 +0.076 -0.076and 0.257 +0.039 -0.043, respectively. The similarity in mineralogy and grainproperties between the two fragments implies that 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 ishomogeneous in composition. The slight differences in grain size distributionand silicate-to-carbon ratio between the two fragments likely arises becauseSW3-[B] was actively fragmenting throughout its passage while the activity inSW3-[C] was primarily driven by jets. The lack of diverse mineralogy in thefragments SW3-[B] and SW3-[C] of 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 along with therelatively larger peak in the coma grain size distribution suggests the parentbody of this comet may have formed in a region of the solar nebula withdifferent environmental properties than the natal sites where comet C/1995 O1(Hale-Bopp) and 9P/Tempel 1 nuclei aggregated.

Mid-Infrared Spectrophotometric Observations of Fragments B and C of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3