Organic Depletion and Low Rotational Temperatures in Comet 2P/Encke, Revealed Through Infrared Spectroscopy

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We present high-resolution infrared spectra of the ecliptic comet 2P/Encke, acquired on 4-6 Nov. 2003 with the Near Infrared Echelle Spectrograph on the Keck II telescope. Comet 2P/Encke has the shortest period (3.3 years), among comets studied through infrared spectroscopy, and is a valuable addition to our sample. We extracted rotational temperatures and production rates for the following parent volatiles: H2O, HCN, CH4, C2H2, C2H6, H2CO, CH3OH and CO. 2P/Encke is depleted in C2H6, C2H2, HCN, CH4 and CO, and is normal in H2CO and CH3OH. Rotational temperatures extracted for H2O and HCN are very low (20 - 30 K), compared to other comets. We report rotational temperatures, water production rates, and mixing ratios of organic volatiles, and present the overall composition of comet 2P/Encke in perspective (compared to organics-enriched, organics-normal, and organics-depleted comets). This contributes to the study of compositional diversity of cometary nuclei, which hold important clues to the origin and evolution of our Solar System.

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