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Register a new userBIMA Array Detections of HCN in Comets LINEAR (C/2002 T7) and NEAT (C/2001 Q4)
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We present interferometric detections of HCN in comets LINEAR (C/2002 T7) and NEAT (C/2001 Q4) with the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association (BIMA) Array. With a 25.4x20.3 synthesized beam around Comet LINEAR and using a variable temperature and outflow velocity (VTOV) model, we found an HCN column density of N_T=6.4+-2.1x10^12 cm^-2, and a production rate of Q(HCN)=6.5+-2.2x10^26 s^-1, giving a production rate ratio of HCN relative to H_2O of ~3.3+-1.1x10^-3 and relative to CN of ~4.6+-1.5. With a 21.3x17.5 synthesized beam around Comet NEAT and using a VTOV model, we found an HCN column density of N_T=8.5+-4.5x10^11 cm^-2, and a production rate of Q(HCN)=8.9+-4.7x10^25 s^-1, giving a production rate ratio of HCN relative to H_2O of ~7.4+-3.9x10^-4 and relative to CN of ~0.3+-0.2. For both comets, the production rates relative to H_2O are similar to those found in previous comet observations. For Comet LINEAR the production rate relative to CN is consistent with HCN being the primary parent species of CN, while for Comet NEAT it is too low for this to be the case.
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We present an interferometric search for large molecules, including methanol, methyl cyanide, ethyl cyanide, ethanol, and methyl formate in comets LINEAR (C/2002 T7) and NEAT (C/2001 Q4) with the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association (BIMA) array. In addition, we also searched for transitions of the simpler molecules CS, SiO, HNC, HN13C and 13CO . We detected transitions of methanol and CS around Comet LINEAR and one transition of methanol around Comet NEAT within a synthesized beam of ~20. We calculated the total column density and production rate of each molecular species using the variable temperature and outflow velocity (VTOV) model described by Friedel et al.(2005).Considering the molecular production rate ratios with respect to water, Comet T7 LINEAR is more similar to Comet Hale-Bopp while Comet Q4 NEAT is more similar to Comet Hyakutake. It is unclear, however, due to such a small sample size, whether there is a clear distinction between a Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake class of comet or whether comets have a continuous range of molecular production rate ratios.
The 16OH/18OH and OD/OH isotope ratios are measured in the Oort-Cloud comet C/2002 T7 (LINEAR) through ground-based observations of the OH ultraviolet bands at 3063 A (0,0) and 3121 A (1,1) secured with the Very Large Telescope (VLT) feeding the Ultraviolet-Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES). From the 16OH/18OH ratio, we find 16O/18O = 425 +/- 55, equal within the uncertainties to the terrestrial value and to the ratio measured in other comets, although marginally smaller. We also estimate OD/OH from which we derive D/H = 2.5 +/- 0.7 10-4 in water. This value is compatible with the water D/H ratios evaluated in other comets and marginally higher than the terrestrial value.
We present an analysis of the results of photometric investigations of two distant comets, C/2002 VQ94 (LINEAR) and 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1, obtained with the 6m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The comets under study demonstrate sufficient activity out of the zone of water ice sublimation (at heliocentric distances longer than 5 AU). In the spectra of the investigated comets, we found the CO+ and N2+ emission. The presence of this emission may say that the comets were formed in the outer parts of the Solar System, in a protoplanetary cloud at a temperature <=25 K. We found that the photometric maximum of the ionosphere (in the CO+ filter) of the comet C/2002 VQ94 (LINEAR) is shifted relative to the photometric center of the dust coma by 1.4 arcsec (7.44*10^3 km) in the direction deflected by 63 deg from the direction to the Sun. Using special filters to process the images, we picked out active structures (jets) in the dust coma of the 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 comet.
HCN J=1-0 emission from the long-period comet C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy) was observed from the Onsala Space Observatory on multiple occasions during the month before its perihelion passage on December 22, 2013. We report detections for seven different dates, spanning heliocentric distances (R_h) decreasing from 0.94 to 0.82 au. Estimated HCN production rates are generally higher than previously reported for the same time period, but the implied increase in production rate with heliocentric distance, Q_{HCN} proportionate to R_h^{-3.2}, represent well the overall documented increase since it was first observed at R_h=1.35. The implied mean HCN abundance relative to water in R1 Lovejoy is 0.2%. We also report on a detection of HCN with the new 3 mm receiver system at Onsala Space Observatory in comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) on January 14, 2015, when its heliocentric distance was 1.3 au. Relative to comet C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy), the HCN production rate of C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) was more than 5 times higher at similar heliocentric distances, and the implied HCN abundance relative to water 0.09%.
We investigated three comets, which are active at large heliocentric distances, using observations obtained at the 6-m BTA telescope (SAO RAS, Russia) in the photometric mode of the focal reducer SCORPIO. The three comets, 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1, C/2003 WT42 (LINEAR), and C/2002 VQ94 (LINEAR), were observed after their perihelion passages at heliocentric distances between 5.5 and 7.08 AU. The dust production rates in terms of Afrho was measured for these comets. Using the retrieved values, an average dust production rate was derived under different model assumptions. A tentative calculation of the total mass loss of the comet nucleus within a certain observation period was executed. We calculated the corresponding thickness of the depleted uppermost layer where high-volatile ices completely sublimated. The results obtained in our study strongly support the idea that the observed activity of Comet SW1 requires a permanent demolition of the upper surface layers.
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