HST Observations of Periodic Comets

Details HST Observations of Periodic Comets HST Observations of Periodic Comets

Jul 1992

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1992hst..prop.3707w&link_type=abstract

HST Proposal ID #3707

Physics

Hst Proposal Id #3707

Scientific paper

The volatile composition of comets is a key diagnostic of cometary formation environments. The trace molecular composition of cometary nuclei, in particular, can be used to infer the physical and chemical state of the solar nebula or of the interstellar cloud from which the nebula condensed. Measuring these molecular abundances is extremely difficult due to the intrinsic weakness of the emissions from the trace species and can normally be attempted only on exceptionally bright comets. The advent of HST extends the feasibility of observing trace molecules to relatively faint, periodic comets, thus allowing a systematic comparison of ``new' and ``old' comets. We propose using the FOS to obtain the volatile inventory in Comet P/Schaumasse which will be observable during the spring of 1993. A comprehensive spectrum from 1150 A to 6820 A will be used to measure the abundances of the important carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur bearing species in the nucleus. In addition, the short and long term variability of the gas and dust emission from the comet will be monitored using a combination of temporally resolved FOS spectra and WFC images taken through a broadband red filter.

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