Detection of CO and depleted ethane in Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner: Evidence for variable chemistry in the outer solar nebula.

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

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Ethane and carbon monoxide were detected in a short-period comet of probable Kuiper belt origin. Ethane is substantially less abundant in Giacobini-Zinner compared with Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp, two comets of probable origin in the giant planet's nebular region. This difference suggests the presence of a heliocentric gradient in ethane in pre-cometary ices of the solar nebula. It is argued that processing by X-rays from the young sun may be responsible. The detection of methanol within the normal range of cometary abundances (Biver et al. 1999) argues against a general depletion of organic volatiles in G-Z. The depletion of ethane in this quintessential C2-depleted comet suggests that ethane will be depleted in the 1/3 Jupiter-family comets identified as carbon-chain depleted by A'Hearn et al. 1995.

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