Related papers: Molecular Oxygen in Oort Cloud Comet 1P/Halley
It is widely assumed that dust opacities in molecular clouds follow a power-law profile with an index, $\beta$. Recent studies of the Orion Molecular Cloud (OMC) 2/3 complex, however, show a flattening in the spectral energy distribution…
One of the main aims of the ESA Rosetta mission is to study the origin of the solar system by exploring comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at close range. In this paper we discuss the origin and evolution of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in…
Radio observations from decimetric to submillimetric wavelengths are now a basic tool for the investigation of comets. Spectroscopic observations allow us i) to monitor the gas production rate of the comets, by directly observing the water…
The coma of comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS) is one of the most chemically peculiar ever observed, in particular due to its extremely high CO/H2O and N2+/H2O ratios}, and unusual trace volatile abundances. However, the complex shape of its CO…
The cometary materials are thought to be the reservoir of primitive materials in the Solar System. The recent detection of glycine and CH$_3$NH$_2$ by the ROSINA mass spectrometer in the coma of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko suggests that amino…
We present infrared images and spectra of comets 2P/Encke, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and C/2001 HT50 (LINEAR-NEAT) as part of a larger program to observe comets inside of 5 AU from the sun with the Spitzer Space Telescope. The nucleus of…
The D/H ratio in cometary water has been shown to vary between 1 and 3 times the Earth's oceans value, in both Oort cloud comets and Jupiter-family comets originating from the Kuiper belt. We present new sensitive spectroscopic observations…
The dominant form of oxygen in cold molecular clouds is gas-phase carbon monoxide (CO) and ice-phase water (H$_2$O). Yet, in planet-forming disks around young stars, gas-phase CO and H$_2$O are less abundant relative to their ISM values,…
We aim to determine the production rates of several parent and product volatiles and the 12C/13C isotopic carbon ratio in the long-period comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz), which is likely to originate from the Oort Cloud. The line emission from…
We report on magnetic field measurements made in the innermost coma of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in its low activity state. Quasi-coherent, large-amplitude ($\delta B/B \sim 1$), compressional magnetic field oscillations at $\sim$ 40 mHz…
Results. We found that gas-phase silicon was present throughout the Rosetta mission. Furthermore, the presence of sodium and iron atoms near the comet's perihelion confirms that sputtering cannot be the sole release process for refractory…
Molecular oxygen has been the subject of many observational searches as chemical models predicted it to be a reservoir of oxygen. Although it has been detected in two regions of the interstellar medium, its rarity is a challenge for…
We present Rosetta RPC case study from four events at various radial distance, phase angle and local time from autumn 2015, just after perihelion of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Pulse like (high amplitude, up to minutes in time)…
The apparition of bright comets C/2012 F6 (Lemmon) and C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) in March-April 2013 and January 2015, combined with the improved observational capabilities of submillimeter facilities, offered an opportunity to carry out…
Observing [O I] emission to calculate an "oxygen line ratio" has been proposed as a potential proxy for direct CO$_2$ measurement in comets. However, the photochemistry governing [O I] release into the coma is not well understood, and using…
The ESA Rosetta mission has acquired unprecedented measurements of comet 67/P-Churyumov-Gerasimenko (hereafter 67P) nucleus surface, whose composition, as determined by in situ and remote sensing instruments including VIRTIS (Visible,…
Ganymede's atmosphere is produced by charged particle sputtering and sublimation of its icy surface. Previous far-ultraviolet observations of the O{\small I\,}1356-{\AA} and O{\small I\,}1304-{\AA} oxygen emissions were used to infer…
This paper presents the past evolution of the orbital elements of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, target of the Rosetta spacecraft. The gravitational orbit of the comet is affected by the sublimation of ice from the nucleus that triggers…
A comet ionospheric model assuming the plasma to move radially outward with the same bulk speed as the neutral gas and not being subject to severe reduction through dissociative recombination has previously been tested in a series of case…
To study the formation of the [OI] lines - i.e., 5577 A (the green line), 6300 A and 6364 A (the two red lines) - in the coma of comets and to determine the parent species of the oxygen atoms using the green to red-doublet emission…