IMAGING POLARIMETRY OF COMET C 1996 B2 (HYAKUTAKE) AT THE PERIGEE/

Polarimetric imaging of the inner coma of the comet. C/1996 B2 (Hyakut ake) was obtained in the BVRI bands while the comet was close to its p erigee passage in March 1996. During the observing period the comet ge ocentric distance was 0.13-0.17 AU and its solar phase angle varied be tween 37 and 101 degrees. The results show a strong and complex correl ation between comet activity and the degree of polarization. During th e first nights of observation, when the comet was relatively inactive, the images of the degree of polarization do not exhibit any structure , whereas during the last night, when several jets were visible and so me comet fragments were reported by other observations, an intense jet was visible in the polarization image. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.