THE LIGHT-CURVE OF THE SHORT-PERIOD COMET TEMPEL-2 AND A NEW CRITERION FOR SELECTING THE MECHANISM OF COMET OUTBURST ACTIVITY

We construct and examine the light curves of visual integrated brightn ess of the short-period comet Tempel 2 for three of its apparitions in 1967, 1983, and 1988. The shape and asymmetry of the light curve, the sharp bends in the light curve that are symmetric with respect to per ihelion, and the comet's high outburst activity are preserved from app arition to apparition. We find that the brightness outbursts occur at the same heliocentric distances for different comet apparitions.