Continuous Fragmentation of Comet 157P/Tritton

Abstract

We observed the split comet 157P/Tritton in October - November 2022 and January 2024 with the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT). Our observations show that the splitting continued during the entire observing campaign. Fragmentation was associated with outbursts, consistent with the action of outgassing torques that spun up the nucleus and its fragments to the point of rotational instability. The outburst-fragmentation events can lead to a runaway process where the increasing spin rate, driven by outgassing torques, results in repeated mass loss, until the sublimating body completely disintegrates.