Summary

The purpose of this workshop is to bring together observers and EPOXI team members with all relevant available datasets of Comet 103P/Hartley 2 to answer questions about the rotation which may not be answerable from any single dataset. These include constraints on and evidence for a changing rotation period, non-principal axis rotation, and the direction of the angular momentum vector. Knowing the rotational state will help to interpret other observations of the comet (e.g. knowing which terminator is which, knowing how long it could have been slowing down, understanding chemical heterogeneity, etc.).

This workshop is aimed at people having data and/or data products bearing on the rotation of comet Hartley 2. Due to space and time constraints and in order to remain focused on the science goals and ensure that there is time for all data to be presented and discussed, the workshop will have a limited number of participants. Further, we expect that everyone attending has data or data products that they are willing to discuss with the group and will participate in the discussions.

Organizers

This workshop is being organized by Nalin Samarasinha and Matthew Knight  in coordination with Michael A’Hearn, Michael Belton, and David Schleicher. Please contact Nalin (nalin-at-psi.edu) with logistical questions or Matthew (knight-at-lowell.edu) with other inquiries.

Sponsors

Support for this workshop is being generously provided by the NASA EPOXI mission and National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO).

Last revised: 18 March 2011