MODELS OF THE STRUCTURE AND EVOLUTION OF COMET P WIRTANEN/

Model calculations are presented for the nucleus of comet P/Wirtanen, the main target of the upcoming Rosetta mission. A porous, spherical n ucleus, made of ice and dust in equal mass fractions is considered, as suming a few percent of CO and CO2 occluded in the amorphous ice. The main effects included in the code are: crystallization of amorphous ic e and release of occluded gases, condensation, sublimation and (Knudse n) flow of gases through the pores, changing pore sizes, flow of dust grains of different radii. Evolution is followed through several orbit s, for different initial parameter combinations. It is found that a st ratified structure develops for the outer layer of the nucleus a highl y porous dust mantle, a denser layer of crystalline ice and dust below it, followed by layers of amorphous ice and dust including frozen CO2 , and deeper down, frozen CO. The production rate of H2O varies strong ly with heliocentric distance; at perihelion the calculated rate is ve ry close to that inferred from observations. The CO production rate is maintained nearly constant throughout the orbit and that of CO2 varie s moderately. Outbursts are obtained for some models at large heliocen tric distances. Copyright (C) 1996 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd