Related papers: Hyperbolic Orbits in the Solar System: Interstella…
It is unknown if an Oort cloud reaches its maximum mass within its star's birth cluster or millions of years later. Complicating the Oort cloud evolution process is the fact that comets can be stripped from orbit due to perturbations from…
We present high resolution imaging observations of interstellar comet 2I/Borisov (formerly C/2019 Q4) obtained using the Hubble Space Telescope. Scattering from the comet is dominated by a coma of large particles (characteristic size 0.1…
The complete sample of large-perihelion nearly-parabolic comets discovered during the period 1901-2010 is studied starting from their orbit determination. Next, an orbital evolution that includes three perihelion passages…
The first confirmed interstellar interloper in our Solar System, 1I/`Oumuamua, is likely to be a minor body ejected from another star, but its brief flyby and faintness made it difficult to study. Two remarkable properties are its large (up…
The first discovered interstellar small object, `Oumuamua (1I/2017 U1), presents unique physical properties of extremely elongated geometric shape and dual characteristics of an asteroid and a comet. These properties suggest a possible…
We processed images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to investigate any morphological features in the inner coma suggestive of a peculiar activity on the nucleus of the interstellar comet 2I/Borisov. The coma shows an evident…
We show that the $P\sim8\,{\rm h}$ photometric period and the astrometrically measured $A_{\rm ng}\sim2.5\times10^{-4}\,{\rm cm\,s^{-2}}$ non-gravitational acceleration (at $r\sim1.4\,{\rm AU}$) of the interstellar object 1I/2017…
I present a re-analysis of the available observational constraints on the trajectory of 'Oumuamua, the first confirmed interstellar object discovered in the solar system. 'Oumuamua passed through the inner solar system on a hyperbolic…
Tidal disruption events (TDEs) provide a clue to the properties of a central supermassive black hole (SMBH) and an accretion disk around it, and to the stellar density and velocity distributions in the nuclear star cluster surrounding the…
1I/2017 U1 'Oumuamua is the first interstellar object recorded inside the Solar System. We try to answer the main question: where does it come from? To this aim we searched for close encounters between 'Oumuamua and all nearby stars with…
We are conducting a survey for extreme solar system objects to understand Sedna and 2012 VP113 and determine if an unknown massive planet exists in the outer solar system. Two new objects, 2014 SR349 and 2013 FT28, are extreme detached…
We show that the effects of radial galactic tides alone can change the dynamics of an Oort cloud of comets around a star in a highly sensitive manner. The Oort cloud dynamics depends primarily from the star's position in the Galaxy and its…
The Oort cloud and the scattered disk are the two primary reservoirs for long-period and short-period comets, respectively. In this review, we assess the known observational constraints on these reservoirs' properties and their formation.…
Comets are a remarkable feature in our night sky, visible on their passage through the inner Solar system as the Sun's energy sublimates ices and liberates surface material, generating beautiful comae, dust, and ion tails. Comets are also…
We study the dynamics of large dust grains >1 micron with orbits outside of the heliosphere (beyond 250 AU). Motion of the Solar System through the interstellar medium (ISM) at a velocity of 26 km/s subjects these particles to gas and…
In single star systems like our own Solar system, comets dominate the mass budget of bodies that are ejected into interstellar space, since they form further away and are less tightly bound. However 1I/`Oumuamua, the first interstellar…
Fractions of asteroidal particles, particles originating beyond Jupiter's orbit (including trans-Neptunian particles), and cometary particles originating inside Jupiter's orbit among zodiacal dust are estimated to be about 1/3 each, with a…
The outer solar system is populated by a broad aggregate of minor bodies, which occupy orbits whose dynamical character ranges from long-term stable to rapidly diffusive. We investigate the chaotic properties of known distant…
The detection of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos of extraterrestrial origin by the IceCube neutrino observatory in Antarctica has opened a unique window to the cosmos that may help to probe both the distant Universe and our cosmic…
We perform a comprehensive analysis of the superorbital modulation in the ultracompact X-ray source 4U 1820-303, consisting of a white dwarf accreting onto a neutron star. Based on RXTE data, we measure the fractional amplitude of the…