000002339 001__ 2339
000002339 005__ 20160701171704.0
000002339 0247_ $$2DOI$$a10.1051/0004-6361:20079225
000002339 037__ $$aASTROimport-496
000002339 100__ $$aReyniers, M.
000002339 245__ $$aThe rotation and coma profiles of comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz)
000002339 260__ $$c2009
000002339 520__ $$aAims: Rotation periods of cometary nuclei are scarce, though important when studying the nature and origin of these objects. Our aim is to derive a rotation period for the nucleus of comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz). Methods: C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) was monitored using the Merope CCD camera on the Mercator telescope at La Palma, Spain, in January 2005, during its closest approach to Earth, implying a high spatial resolution (50 km per pixel). One hundred seventy images were recorded in three different photometric broadband filters, two blue ones (Geneva U and B) and one red (Cousins I). Magnitudes for the comet's optocentre were derived with very small apertures to isolate the contribution of the nucleus to the bright coma, including correction for the seeing. Our CCD photometry also permitted us to study the coma profile of the inner coma in the different bands.  Results: A rotation period for the nucleus of P=9.1±0.2 h was derived. The period is on the short side compared to published periods of other comets, but still shorter periods are known. Nevertheless, comparing our results with images obtained in the narrowband CN filter, the possibility that our method sampled P/2 instead of P cannot be excluded. Coma profiles are also presented, and a terminal ejection velocity of the grains v_gr=1609±48 m s-1 is found from the continuum profile in the I band. Based on observations collected with the 1.2 m Mercator telescope at the Roque de los Muchachos observatory, La Palma, Spain. 
000002339 700__ $$a Degroote, P.
000002339 700__ $$a Bodewits, D.
000002339 700__ $$a Cuypers, J.
000002339 700__ $$a Waelkens, C.
000002339 773__ $$c379-389$$i1$$pAstronomy and Astrophysics$$v494$$y2009
000002339 85642 $$ahttp://esoads.eso.org/abs/2009A%26A...494..379R
000002339 905__ $$apublished in
000002339 980__ $$aREFERD