Molecular ions in comet tails

Details Molecular ions in comet tails Molecular ions in comet tails

Mar 1976

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1976apj...204..604w&link_type=abstract

Astrophysical Journal, vol. 204, Mar. 1, 1976, pt. 1, p. 604, 605, 607-611, 613-615. Research supported by the Smithsonian Rese

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Comet Tails, Kohoutek Comet, Molecular Ions, Molecular Spectra, Photodissociation, Photoionization, Absorption Cross Sections, Abundance, Astronomical Spectroscopy, Gas Density, Photodecomposition, Spectral Energy Distribution, Spectrograms

Scientific paper

The paper presents absolute emission-band intensities of the molecular ions CH(+), CO(+), N2(+), and H2O(+), which were measured using tail spectra of comets Kohoutek (1973f) and Bradfield (1974b). All the spectrograms were obtained with the spectrograph slit parallel to the tail axis of the comet; the observed band intensities and luminosities refer only to emitting ions within a projected radial distance of about 10,000 km centered on the coma. Photoionization and photodissociation rates are computed for the presumed parent molecules (CH, CO, N2, H2O), and emission-rate g-factors for the observed bands are calculated for photoionization plus excitation as well as for resonance fluorescence. The column densities of all the ions in Kohoutek, and of H2O(+) in Bradfield, are estimated for a heliocentric distance of 0.5 AU. It is shown that resonance fluorescence is the dominant production mechanism at about 1 AU, and it is found that CO(+) is approximately 100 times more abundant than any of the other ions in Kohoutek. Possible places of origin and production mechanisms for the neutral parent molecules are briefly considered.

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