Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
May 1981
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1981lastr..95..231c&link_type=abstract
L'Astronomie, vol. 95, May 1981, p. 231-241. In French.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Astronomical Spectroscopy, Comets, Radio Astronomy, Comet Nuclei, Comet Tails, Hydroxyl Emission, Luminous Intensity
Scientific paper
Contributions made by radioastronomical observations to the present understanding of the physicochemical processes occurring in comets are discussed. The working hypothesis of the cometary nucleus as a dirty snowball composed of a homogeneous mixture of refractory particles and frozen volatile elements is presented, and the molecules observed in cometary spectra are indicated. Radio observations of continuum and OH line fluorescence spectra are considered, along with OH maser emission excited by sky background radiation. Radioastronomical measurements of gaseous OH production rates in comets are presented which have demonstrated a direct proportionality between gas production rates and cometary luminosity, and the complementary nature of radio and visual observations is illustrated for the case of Comet Meier (1978 XXI). Radio measurements leading to determinations of the scale lengths and expansion velocities of cometary molecules are then considered, together with the potential offered by radio astronomy for the detection of mother molecules such as H2O evaporated from the cometary surface which are subsequently disociated to form daughter diatomic molecules.
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