Secular and Rotational Light Curves of 6478 Gault. (arXiv:1906.10195v1 [astro-ph.EP])
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Ferrin_I/0/1/0/all/0/1">I. Ferrin</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Fornari_C/0/1/0/all/0/1">C. Fornari</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Acosta_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">A. Acosta</a>

We obtained 877 images of active asteroid 6478 Gault on 41 nights from
January 10th to June 8th, 2019, using several telescopes. We created the phase,
secular and rotational light curves of Gault, from which several physical
parameters can be derived. From the phase plot we find that no phase effect was
evident. This implies that an optically thick cloud of dust surrounded the
nucleus hiding the surface. The secular light curve (SLC) shows several zones
of activity the origin of which is speculative. From the SLC plots a robust
absolute magnitude can be derived and we find mV(1,1,alpha) = 16.11+-0.05. We
also found a rotational period Prot = 3.360+-0.005 h and show evidence that
6478 might be double. The parameters of the pair are derived. Previous works
have concluded that 6478 is in a state of rotational disruption and the above
rotational period supports this result. Our conclusion is that 6478 Gault is a
suffocated comet getting rid of its suffocation by expelling surface dust into
space using the centrifugal force. This is an evolutionary stage in the
lifetime of some comets. Besides being a MBC the object is classified as a
methuselah Lazarus comet.

We obtained 877 images of active asteroid 6478 Gault on 41 nights from
January 10th to June 8th, 2019, using several telescopes. We created the phase,
secular and rotational light curves of Gault, from which several physical
parameters can be derived. From the phase plot we find that no phase effect was
evident. This implies that an optically thick cloud of dust surrounded the
nucleus hiding the surface. The secular light curve (SLC) shows several zones
of activity the origin of which is speculative. From the SLC plots a robust
absolute magnitude can be derived and we find mV(1,1,alpha) = 16.11+-0.05. We
also found a rotational period Prot = 3.360+-0.005 h and show evidence that
6478 might be double. The parameters of the pair are derived. Previous works
have concluded that 6478 is in a state of rotational disruption and the above
rotational period supports this result. Our conclusion is that 6478 Gault is a
suffocated comet getting rid of its suffocation by expelling surface dust into
space using the centrifugal force. This is an evolutionary stage in the
lifetime of some comets. Besides being a MBC the object is classified as a
methuselah Lazarus comet.

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