The Chemistry of Oxidized Carbon in Comet C/2002 T7 (LINEAR) through Infrared Spectroscopy

Details The Chemistry of Oxidized Carbon in Comet C/2002 T7 (LINEAR) through Infrared Spectroscopy The Chemistry of Oxidized Carbon in Comet C/2002 T7 (LINEAR) through Infrared Spectroscopy

Oct 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007dps....39.4804a&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #39, #48.04; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.507

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

Cometary nuclei are the most primitive remnants of the early Solar System. Their physical and chemical attributes allow a glimpse into the conditions in which icy bodies formed. Only in recent years has it been possible to routinely study parent volatiles in the infrared. A significant variation in composition among the comets sampled to date has been demonstrated. This will form the foundation of a cometary taxonomy based on chemical composition.
In spring 2004, we observed comet C/2002 T7 (LINEAR) using the facility echelle spectrometer (CSHELL) at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. CSHELL offers seeing-limited spatial resolution and sufficiently high spectral resolving power (R 2.5 x 104) to permit line-by-line intensities to be measured along its 30 arc second-long slit. Emission lines from multiple molecular species were targeted in the 3 to 5 micron infrared region. Our observations revealed an extremely rich chemistry in C/2002 T7. Here we present revised production rates, mixing ratios, and rotational temperatures for CO, H2O, H2CO and CH3OH spanning UT May 3-9 2004 (Rh = 0.66 - 0.71) and UT May 30 - June 2 2004 (Rh 1.0). Comparisons in chemical abundance with heliocentric distance will be examined as a test for possible compositional heterogeneity within the nucleus of C/2002 T7.
This research is supported by the NASA Planetary Astronomy Program (RTOP 344-32-98) and the NASA Astrobiology Program (RTOP 344-53-51).

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