Study of some comets through imaging polarimetry

Comets C/2007 N3 (Lulin), C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS) and 290P/Jager were observed at phase angles <40○<40○; between 2009 and 2014; with the 0.8 m Telescope at Haute-Provence Observatory (OHP) in France. The observations were polarimetric and mainly carried out in the red and near infra-red wavelength domains to reduce gaseous contaminations. The overall shape of the coma of comet Lulin is about circular without evident jet structure. The coma of comet C/2011 L4 is enlarged in the antisolar direction. Jets in a fan-like structure have been noticed between position angles 135°–245° in the treated intensity images. A correlated higher polarization region is noted on the corresponding polarization map. The shape of the coma of 290P/Jager is slightly elongated in the antisolar direction. Deeper negative polarization is found in the inner coma. The whole coma polarization values of these three comets correspond to the synthetic phase curve for comets at similar phase angles and wavelength.