P/2010 TO20 LINEAR-Grauer: A comet in transition from Centaurs to the Jupiter family

Author: Emel’yanenko V.   Emel’yanenko N.   Naroenkov S.   Andreev M.  

Publisher: MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica

ISSN: 0038-0946

Source: Solar System Research, Vol.47, Iss.3, 2013-05, pp. : 189-195

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Abstract

The object P/2010 TO20 LINEAR-Grauer, discovered at a heliocentric distance of over 5 AU, and at first classified as a Trojan, is now believed to be a comet. This paper reports special observations of the object that have allowed a significant refinement of its orbit and investigation of its dynamic evolution. It is shown that P/2010 TO20 LINEAR-Grauer is not a Trojan yet demonstrates unusual dynamic features. In particular, the object moves in a temporary satellite orbit relative to Jupiter over the observation interval. The comet has been in the Hill sphere for about two years and has made one revolution around the planet. The jovicentric distance function has two minima, and the smallest distance is 0.075 AU. Our estimates show that, with a probability of 0.76, the comet is likely to move in a Jupiter family orbit with a perihelion distance of less than 2.5 AU. The average time for such a transition is around forty thousand years.