The Use of Photometric Structural Analysis and Digitized Positional Observation Data to Study Small Celestial Bodies

Abstract

The problems of the study of small celestial bodies are an important component of modern space research. This applies both to the study of physicochemical and evolutionary parameters and the search for the genetic relationships between meteor showers and their parent bodies. An important area of research is the structural analysis of comets and asteroids. The relevance of the study of comet bodies lies in the fact that comets contain information about the protosolar molecular cloud. Comet nuclei are solid bodies that consist of dust (silicates, polymers, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, etc.) and ice of various compositions (water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, ammonia, etc.). Comet nuclei are fragile and have an irregular shape due to their low density, mass, and gravity. The study of the structural and physicochemical characteristics of comets is a relevant and important task for the development of an evolutionary theory. Using the developed method and special software for brightness analysis of digital images, we created structural models of comets and obtained brightness isophotes of their nuclei, heads, and tails. Since comet nuclei are elements of dynamic evolution and processes in the protodisk of the Solar System, study of the digital structure of comets will help improve the theory of the formation and evolution of the Solar System.