Circular polarization of light scattered by a non-central
region of a comet
D. Guirado*, F. Moreno and O. Muñoz
- Instituto de Astrofósica de Andalucía (CSIC), Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n 18008, Granada, Spain.
A Monte-Carlo model of radiative transfer in comets has been developed. It calculates the four Stokes parameters of the light scattered by particles in the coma. By applying this model, non-negligible values of the DCP were obtained just by assuming conditions of multiple scattering by spherical optically inactive particles, and considering only light coming from a non-central small region of the coma of the comet. The calculated values are one or two orders of magnitude below the observed, but the mechanism fits all other features of the observations.
- * Corresponding author