Volatile Abundances and the D/H Ratio in Long-Period Comets

Details Volatile Abundances and the D/H Ratio in Long-Period Comets Volatile Abundances and the D/H Ratio in Long-Period Comets

Jul 2003

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2003hst..prop.9906w&link_type=abstract

HST Proposal ID #9906

Physics

Hst Proposal Id #9906 Solar System

Scientific paper

Comet NEAT {C/2001 Q4} is predicted to reach naked-eye visibility in the spring of 2004, under excellent conditions for observations with HST. Although predicting cometary magnitudes more than 1 year in advance is notoriously risky, C/NEAT seems likely to be exceptionally active, allowing us for the first time to perform sensitive measurements of the D/H and OD/OH ratios. Accurate measurements of the deuterium abundance in comets, which can vary in different species, are crucial for determining if comets retain a signature of their possible interstellar origin and if they supplied a significant fraction of the water on Earth. HST observations of C/NEAT will additionally provide accurate abundances for highly volatile ices in the nucleus, such as CO, CO2 {via Cameron band emission}, and S2, which also provide important insights on the comet's origin and evolution. This opportunity in cycle 12 is unique in the history of HST and is unlikely to be repeated during its remaining lifetime.

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