The Composition of Comet Encke: is There Evidence for Volatile Depletion

Details The Composition of Comet Encke: is There Evidence for Volatile Depletion The Composition of Comet Encke: is There Evidence for Volatile Depletion

Jul 1993

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1993hst..prop.4349w&link_type=abstract

HST Proposal ID #4349

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Hst Proposal Id #4349

Scientific paper

Comet Encke has the shortest period and the smallest perihelion distance of any known comet. Thus, P/Encke should provide an excellent test of the hypothesis that ``old'' comets have become depleted of their most volatile constituents. The primary scientific objective of this proposal is to perform a ``deep'' search for two important cometary volatiles, CO and CO2. CO can be observed directly via fluorescence in the 4th Positive Group near 1500 A. The CO2 abundance will be probed by searching for ``prompt'' emission from the Cameron bands of CO, a new technique that was discovered during previous HST observations of comets. HST observations of P/Encke should provide abundance limits of approximately 3% relative to water for each species, which means that both species are in the detectable range if the nucleus is not de-volatilized. Another important objective is to obtain a comprehensive spectrum from 1150 A to 6820 A with the FOS, which can be used to compile an inventory of abundances for the most important C, N, O, and S bearing molecules in the nucleus. By extending the HST observations into the optical, we can tie ALL of the abundances derived from the HST observations to the very extensive set of ground-based data establishing an important perspective that would otherwise be missing.

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