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R. Furusho (The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research), D. Boice (Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio), H. Kawakita (Gunma Astronomical Observatory)
The optical properties and size distribution function of dust particles in comet Hale-Bopp are studied in order to gain knowledge of cometary dust grains by analyzing imaging polarimetry and color observations using numerical simulations based on the Monte Carlo particle trajectory method. The observational data to be compared with the model result is obtained by 91-cm telescope at Okayama Astrophysical Observatory on March 17, 1997. The Okayama Optical Polarimeter and Spectrometer system (OOPS) was mounted on the telescope and the map of linear polarization degree, and the color maps were obtained for comet Hale-Bopp. Although several materials with different optical indices were used in the calculations, only the `modified astronomical silicate' (from the polarimetry results of comet P/Halley) could reproduce the observations of comet Hale-Bopp. The size distribution function of dust particles in comet Hale-Bopp should be enhanced in the range larger than 6.2 \mum compared to that of comet Halley.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: furshork@cc.nao.ac.jp