Infrared Investigation of Parent Molecules in Comet C/Lee (1999 H1)

Details Infrared Investigation of Parent Molecules in Comet C/Lee (1999 H1) Infrared Investigation of Parent Molecules in Comet C/Lee (1999 H1)

Sep 1999

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1999dps....31.3205w&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #31, #32.05

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

Infrared observations of C/Lee were made preperihelion using CSHELL at the IRTF and CGS4 at the UKIRT. Using high spectral resolution (lambda /delta lambda ~ 10,000) CSHELL data taken on UT May 20.3 (r=1.22 AU, Delta =0.86 AU), we detected the (r}Q_{2) (F=5.9 x 10(-18) W m(-2) in a 2'' x 4'' aperture) and (r}Q_{3) (F=8.7 x 10(-18) W m(-2) ) subbands of the C2H6 nu_ {7} band near 3.35 mu m, from which we estimate a production rate of ~ 0.7-1.4 x 10(27) s(-1) for T_{rot = 50 K.} The CH4 P2 lines were possibly detected at the 3sigma level (F=1.9 x 10(-18) W m(-2) ) in the same spectral region, and we derive a production rate of ~ 4.5 x 10(26) s(-1) for T_{rot = 50 K.} Moderate resolution (lambda /delta lambda ~ 1000-7000) CGS4 spectra of C/Lee were taken during UT 20-29 May (1.10 <= r <= 1.24 AU, 0.84 <= Delta <= 1.02 AU) and covered the wavelength range from 2.94 to 4.75 mu m. We detected strong emissions in the C-H stretch region near 3.4 mu m and a broad emission feature centered near 3.27 mu m that may be associated with PAHs. Assuming that all of the flux in the emission feature centered near 3.51 mu m (F=4.0 x 10(-17) W m(-2) in a 0.''61 x 1.''83 aperture) is due to fluorescence from CH3OH, we derive a preliminary production rate of ~ 2 x 10(27) s(-1) . No day-to-day temporal variability was observed at the 20% level during the entire period of CGS4 observations. Post-perihelion CSHELL and CGS4 observations of C/Lee are planned for the first week of September 1999, and we hope to present preliminary results from those. We gratefully acknowledge financial support for this work from NASA through grant NAG5-7186 from the Planetary Astronomy Program and through grant 96-07-02-03-01-3 from the Korean Science and Engineering Foundation.

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