Abstract
We have obtained curves for the evolution of the radius of spherical particles composed of water ice, following circular or elliptical orbits around the Sun. These curves were integrated numerically. The absorption efficiency was obtained using the exact Mie (1908) theory, while the temperature was calculated using the equation of energy balance. Our computations are valid for spherical particles of radius from 0.2 to 100 , and at distances to the Sun between 0.25 and 10 AU. We have found an error in a similar calculation by Patashnick and Rupprecht (1975); for particles larger than 10 , we find equilibrium temperatures which are much lower, and thus lifetimes which are much larger than theirs.
