Comparative study of the dust polarimetric properties in split and normal comets

Our polarimetric database contains six comets, C/1975 V1 (West), 16P/Brooks 2, C/1988 A1 (Liller), D/1996 Q1 (Tabur), C/1999 S4 ( LINEAR), and C/2001 A2 (LINEAR), which can be related to the group of split comets. Comets West, S4 (LINEAR) and A2 (LINEAR) were observed during splitting. We compare the polarimetric measurements of the dust particles in these comets, sometimes together with available photometric and colorimetric data, with those in normal comets. We conclude that there is no significant evidence for differences of polarization between tidally split comets (e.g., Brooks 2), dissipating comets (e.g., Tabur), non-tidally split comets (e.g., West) and normal comets. The total disintegration of Comet S4 (LINEAR), however, did produce significant changes in the observed properties of dust.