Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Dec 1997
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1997aas...191.7203l&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, 191st AAS Meeting, #72.03; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 29, p.1319
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
We present a comprehensive set of images of comet C/1995 O1 Hale-Bopp in the millimeter-wave emission of the gases HCN, CS, and HCO(+) . The HCN J=1-0 rotational transition was monitored from October, 1996 until June, 1997, using the QUARRY 15-element focal plane array receiver on the Five-College Radio Astronomy Observatory (FCRAO) 14-m antenna. In addition, maps of neutral CS J=2-1 and the ion HCO(+) J=1-0 were assembled over the time period from March to June of 1997. The HCO(+) emission is detectable over an extended region corresponding to 300,000 km at the comet, compared to the 100,000 km scale that characterizes HCN and CS. Maps show significant day-to-day variability in the structure of the HCO(+) coma with a common feature that the strongest emission does not typically coincide with the nucleus position. The peak neutral emission is typically symmetric about the nucleus, while the peak in HCO(+) is shifted anti-sunward by 100,000 km. Individual spectra within the HCO(+) maps display broad (approximately 4 km/s) lines, redshifted by 1-2 km/s or more from the nominal nuclear velocity, whereas neutral spectra are symmetric about 0 km/s. The observed features of the HCO(+) emission require not only that ions accelerate away from the sun, but that their formation is inhibited in a critical region surrounding the nucleus. We offer a simple formation path for HCO(+) , involving abundant constituents of the coma.
de Vries Christopher H.
Dickens James E. Jr.
Irvine William M.
Lovell Amy Jean
Schloerb Peter F.
No associations
LandOfFree
Neutral and Ionized Molecular Line Imaging of Comet C/1995 O1 Hale-Bopp does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Neutral and Ionized Molecular Line Imaging of Comet C/1995 O1 Hale-Bopp, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Neutral and Ionized Molecular Line Imaging of Comet C/1995 O1 Hale-Bopp will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1175063