Yuna Kwon (Caltech/IPAC): "Dust and Gas Cometary Comae (aka Cometary Activity) in a Nutshell"

Comets, as one of the most accessible primitive leftovers, are composed of dust and ice particles, whose properties are determined by the environments they have been exposed to since formation. Dedicated in situ space-based and ground-based observations in the last decade, coupled with the advancement of numerical modeling and laboratory experimental techniques, have greatly increased the resolution of our knowledge of comets from astronomical to geological scales, leading to a dramatic increase in our understanding of cometary activity. This presentation focuses on 1) the basic characteristics of comets (comet nuclei and ejecta), 2) current knowledge of cometary activity, and 3) their implications for solar system history. I hope that this will assist researchers who are interested in small bodies as research targets as well as those who wish to flag them for their sidereal target analysis.