A&A 403, 313-322 (2003)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20030289

The dust activity of comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) between 3 AU and 13 AU from the Sun

M. Weiler¹, H. Rauer¹, J. Knollenberg¹, L. Jorda² and J. Helbert<sup>1

1</sup>  Institute of Space Sensor Technology and Planetary Exploration, DLR, Rutherfordstrasse 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
²  Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, Site Pereisc, 13376 Marseille Cedex 12, France

(Received 27 November 2002 / Accepted 20 February 2003 )

Abstract
The active comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) was target of an optical long-term monitoring program carried out at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) (Rauer et al. 1997, 2003). Longslit spectra and images were obtained at heliocentric distances from 4.6 AU to 2.9 AU preperihelion and 2.8 AU to 12.8 AU postperihelion. Based on these data, the dust activity of comet Hale-Bopp is analysed. The color of the dust coma and the Af parameter are determined. A model for the dust release from the cometary nucleus is presented and used to compute dust production rates. The dust to gas ratio is determined.

Key words: comets: general -- comets: individual: Hale-Bopp

Offprint request: M. Weiler, michael.weiler@dlr.de

© ESO 2003

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