All Figures

$\begin{figure} \par\includegraphics[width=8.15cm,clip]{8527fi01.eps}\hspace*{1.5cm} \includegraphics[width=7.8cm,clip]{8527fi02.ps}\end{figure}$ Figure 1: Left panel: polarimetric image of SW3, component B on May 4. The left panel shows the image of the comet, decomposed into ordinary ( right strip) and extraordinary ( left strip) components by the Wollaston prism. The rectangular boxes at the top and bottom of the strips show the locations where sky measurements are taken. The instrument was rotated to bring the long side of the polarimetric strip mask perpendicular to the scattering plane of the dust in the coma. Orientation is as on sky with Sun direction up. Right panel, top: sky values measured sunward of the nucleus (boxes at the top of strip mask image) are presented versus sequential number of the image. Full line: perpendicular polarization, dotted line: parallel polarization in respect to the light scattering plane. Right panel, bottom: same as in the top right panel, but now measured tailward from the nucleus (boxes at the bottom of strip mask image). In both panels the horizontal lines centered between image 4 and 5 indicate the background level obtained from quasi-simulatenous exposures taken about 1 degree sunward of the comet. These levels are labeled with ``o-off'' and ``e-off'' for the measurement of the ordinary and extraordinary beam, respectively. The background measurements taken far from the comet at the end of the observing sequence are labeled with ``e,o-off''. In this latter case the background levels in the ordinary and extraordinary beams are practically identical (dark sky, see text).
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In the text

$\begin{figure} \par\includegraphics[width=8.2cm,clip]{8527fi03.ps}\end{figure}$ Figure 2: Field dependence of the instrument polarization.
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In the text

$\begin{figure} \par\includegraphics[width=17.4cm,clip]{8527fi04.eps}\end{figure}$ Figure 3: Surface brightness distribution in SW3 component B. Maps of 3, 4, 8, and 9 May 2006, respectively, are shown from left to right. Orientation as in the sky with the Sun up. The outermost contours are taken at 1- $\sigma$ above the sky background level.
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In the text

$\begin{figure} \par\includegraphics[width=17.4cm,clip]{8527fi05.eps}\end{figure}$ Figure 4: Same as in Fig. 3 but for SW3 component C. The brightness distribution of the coma around this fragment does not show any significant changes.
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In the text

$\begin{figure} \par\includegraphics[width=7.8cm,clip]{8527fi06.eps}\end{figure}$ Figure 5: Mean radial profiles of SW3 components B and C, derived from R filter images. Four different symbols are used to distinguish between the profiles from the different observing epochs. Dotted lines indicate the 1/ $\rho$ distribution, expected in the case of ``stationary'' radial outflow.
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In the text

$\begin{figure} \par\includegraphics[width=7.6cm,clip]{8527fi07.eps}\end{figure}$ Figure 6: $Af\rho { }$ -profiles of SW3 components B and C, derived from the R filter images. Note the substantial increase in the $Af\rho { }$ -level in component B on 8 May 2006, after an outburst of this fragment shortly before the measurement.
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In the text

$\begin{figure} \par\includegraphics[width=7.8cm,clip]{8527fi08.eps}\end{figure}$ Figure 7: Sun-tail profiles of the comae of SW3 components B and C. In the left panels the profiles are plotted in the direction toward the Sun (top direction in Figs. 3 and 4). The right panels show the profiles in a tailward direction. As shown in the lower right subpanel, different line styles are used for the results from different observing nights. The symmetric continuous lines indicate a 1/ $\rho$ profile in Sun and tailward directions. A profile $\propto$ $\rho ^{-1.8}$ fits best the tailward distribution of component B on 8 May 2006.
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In the text

$\begin{figure} \par\mbox{\includegraphics[width=4.5cm,clip]{8527fi09.ps}\include... ...1.ps}\includegraphics[width=4.5cm,height=8.1cm,clip]{8527fi12.ps} } \end{figure}$ Figure 8: Coma and tail structures in SW3 component C. The exposure series shows Laplace-filtered images, taken on 3, 4, 8, and 9 May 2006 ( left to right). Orientation as on sky with Sun up. Field of view is 160 $\times$ 295 arcsec equivalent to 14 000 $\times$ 25 700 km on 3 May, 13 200 $\times$ 24 200 km on 4 May, 11 000 $\times$ 20 200 km on 8 May, and 10 600 $\times$ 19 400 km on 9 May 2006 at the distance of component C. In the figure panels the various coma structures are identified as listed in Table 3.
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In the text

$\begin{figure} \par\mbox{\includegraphics[width=4.5cm,height=5.8cm,clip]{8527fi1... ...clip]{8527fi15.ps}\includegraphics[width=4.5cm,clip]{8527fi16.ps} } \end{figure}$ Figure 9: Coma and tail structures in SW3 component B. The exposure series shows Laplace-filtered images, taken on 3, 4, 8, and 9 May 2006 ( left to right). Orientation as on sky with Sun up. Field of view is 230 $\times$ 300 arcsec equivalent to 20 600 $\times$ 27 000 km on 3 May, 19 700 $\times$ 25 700 km on 4 May, 15 300 $\times$ 20 000 km on 8 May and 14 400 $\times$ 18 800 km on 9 May 2006 at the distance of component B. In the figure panels, the various coma structures are identified as listed in Tables 3 and 4.
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In the text

$\begin{figure} \par\includegraphics[width=7.4cm,clip]{8527fi17.eps}\end{figure}$ Figure 10: Phase-angle dependence of the linear polarization measured in a rectangular region of size 700 $\times$ 4000 km, centered on SW3 components B and C. The continuous line represents the ``standard phase dependence for dusty comets'', given by Eq. (4).
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In the text

$\begin{figure} \par\includegraphics[width=8.3cm,clip]{8527fi18.eps}\end{figure}$ Figure 11: Degree of linear polarization measured in the coma of SW3 component B on 4, 8, and 9 May 2006, and of component C on 9 May 2006. The profiles are taken along the sun-comet line. Sun direction is to the left. The broken lines indicate the polarization level according to Eq. (4).
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In the text

$\begin{figure} \par\includegraphics[width=8.2cm,clip]{8527fi03.ps}\end{figure}$	Figure 2: Field dependence of the instrument polarization.
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$\begin{figure} \par\includegraphics[width=17.4cm,clip]{8527fi04.eps}\end{figure}$	Figure 3: Surface brightness distribution in SW3 component B. Maps of 3, 4, 8, and 9 May 2006, respectively, are shown from left to right. Orientation as in the sky with the Sun up. The outermost contours are taken at 1- $\sigma$ above the sky background level.
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$\begin{figure} \par\includegraphics[width=17.4cm,clip]{8527fi05.eps}\end{figure}$	Figure 4: Same as in Fig. 3 but for SW3 component C. The brightness distribution of the coma around this fragment does not show any significant changes.
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$\begin{figure} \par\includegraphics[width=7.8cm,clip]{8527fi06.eps}\end{figure}$	Figure 5: Mean radial profiles of SW3 components B and C, derived from R filter images. Four different symbols are used to distinguish between the profiles from the different observing epochs. Dotted lines indicate the 1/ $\rho$ distribution, expected in the case of ``stationary'' radial outflow.
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$\begin{figure} \par\includegraphics[width=7.6cm,clip]{8527fi07.eps}\end{figure}$	Figure 6: $Af\rho { }$ -profiles of SW3 components B and C, derived from the R filter images. Note the substantial increase in the $Af\rho { }$ -level in component B on 8 May 2006, after an outburst of this fragment shortly before the measurement.
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$\begin{figure} \par\includegraphics[width=7.4cm,clip]{8527fi17.eps}\end{figure}$	Figure 10: Phase-angle dependence of the linear polarization measured in a rectangular region of size 700 $\times$ 4000 km, centered on SW3 components B and C. The continuous line represents the ``standard phase dependence for dusty comets'', given by Eq. (4).
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$\begin{figure} \par\includegraphics[width=8.3cm,clip]{8527fi18.eps}\end{figure}$	Figure 11: Degree of linear polarization measured in the coma of SW3 component B on 4, 8, and 9 May 2006, and of component C on 9 May 2006. The profiles are taken along the sun-comet line. Sun direction is to the left. The broken lines indicate the polarization level according to Eq. (4).
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