Abstract In order to prepare infrared sounding of comet Halley from the flyby VEGA probes, we have computed the synthetic spectrum between 2.5 and 15 μ of a typical comet at a heliocentric distance of ∼ 0.8 AU. The present paper is particularly devoted to the contribution from the cometary gases. For a selection of 20 possible parent molecules, the most efficient excitation process is resonant fluorescence by the solar radiation field. The H2O, CO, CO2, CH4, NH3 and H2CO molecules are the best candidates for detection by the IKS infrared spectrometers aboard the VEGA probes. For the water molecule, collisions are too rare to ensure thermal equilibrium in the whole coma ; therefore a limited number of fluorescence lines are expected to be present in the H2O vibrational bands.


    Access

    Check access

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    The infrared synthetic spectrum of comet Halley


    Contributors:
    Crovisier, J. (author) / Combes, M. (author) / Encrenaz, Th. (author) / Crifo, J.F. (author)

    Published in:

    Advances in Space Research ; 2 , 12 ; 159-162


    Publication date :

    1983-01-01


    Size :

    4 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English



    Plans for Comet Halley

    Rahe, J. | NTRS | 1981


    Comet Halley and history

    Marsden, B. G. | NTRS | 1979


    Rocket observation of the ultraviolet spectrum of Comet Halley

    Woods, T. N. / Feldman, P. D. / Dymond, K. F. et al. | NTRS | 1985


    Rocket observation of the ultraviolet spectrum of comet Halley

    Woods, T.N. / Feldman, P.D. / Dymond, K.F. et al. | Elsevier | 1985


    The spectrum of comet halley obtained by VEGA-2

    Werner, R. / Guineva, V. / Stoeva, P. et al. | Elsevier | 1989