Abstract Spectrophotometric observations of comet Giacobini-Zinner were obtained on 11 September 1985. C2 and NH2 were found to be depleted in Giacobini-Zinner relative to an average comet by factors of 10 and 5, respectively. The ratio of the production rates, Q(NH 2)/Q(H 2 O) = 2 × 10−4 indicates a very low NH3/H2O abundance ratio if NH2 comes mostly from photodissociation of NH3. The water production rate for Giacobini-Zinner at the time of the ICE encounter was found to be 2.4 × 1028 molecules s−1, in good agreement with spacecraft results. Neither neutral Na nor C2 + ion was detected in the ground-based spectrum at the time of the ICE encounter. Therefore, Na+ and C2 + can be excluded from the candidates for the ions in the mass range 23 to 24 amu detected by the ICE ion composition instrument.


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    Title :

    Atomic and molecular abundances in comet Giacobini-Zinner


    Contributors:
    Konno, I. (author) / Wyckoff, S. (author)

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    1989-01-01


    Size :

    6 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English