Related papers: Isotopic ratios in outbursting comet C/2015 ER61

We observed comet C/2016 R2 (PANSTARRS) with the ARO 10-m SMT, and report the first detection of CO emission from this comet with amounts high enough to be the primary driver of activity. We obtained spectra and maps of the CO J=2-1…

We report high spectral resolving power optical observations of comet C/2017\,K2 (PanSTARRS) as it approached the Sun. This comet was discovered when it was 16\,{\sc au} from the Sun. At discovery, the comet had a large and relatively…

Observations of comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS) have revealed exceptionally bright emission bands of N$_2^+$, the strongest ever observed in a comet spectrum. Alternatively, it appears to be poor in CN compared to other comets, and remarkably…

Comets are primitive remnants of the early Solar System whose composition offers fundamental clues to their formation and evolution. High-resolution, broad-wavelength spectroscopy is crucial for identifying volatile species and constraining…

Comet 12P/Pons-Brook exhibited multiple large and minor outbursts in 2023 on its way to its 2024 perihelion, as it has done during its previous apparitions. We obtained long-slit optical spectra of the comet in 2023 August and 2023 November…

We present an optical and near-infrared (hereafter NIR) polarimetric study of a comet C/2013 US10 (Catalina) observed on UT 2015 December 17-18 at phase angles of $\alpha$=52.1 deg - 53.1 deg. Additionally, we obtained an optical spectrum…

We present optical and near-infrared (NIR) observations of the outbursting, Halley-type comet 12P/Pons-Brooks. Three NIR spectra were obtained during two outbursts in October and November 2023, with the 3-meter Infrared Telescope Facility…

Outbursts are known to begin with a sudden appearance and steep brightening of a "stellar nucleus" --- an unresolved image of a plume of material on its way from the comet's surface and an initial stage of an expanding halo of ejecta. Since…

Context. The increased sensitivity and high spectral resolution of millimeter telescopes allow the detection of an increasing number of isotopically substituted molecules in the interstellar medium. The 14N/ 15N ratio is difficult to…

Comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS) has a peculiar volatile composition, with CO being the dominant volatile as opposed to H$_2$O and one of the largest N$_2$/CO ratios ever observed in a comet. Using observations obtained with the \textit{Spitzer…

We present time-resolved photometric observations of Jupiter family comet 17P/Holmes during its dramatic outburst of 2007. The observations, from the orbiting Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI), provide the most complete measure of the…

The discovery of the first active interstellar object 2I/Borisov provides an unprecedented opportunity to study planetary formation processes in another planetary system. In particular, spectroscopic observations of 2I allow us to constrain…

We present a multi-wavelength study of comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS). This comet was observed on 23-24 January 2018 with the IRAM 30m telescope, and in January to March 2018 with the Nan\c{c}ay radio telescope. Visible spectroscopy was…

Nitrogen isotopic ratios are a key tool for tracing Galactic stellar nucleosynthesis. We present the first study of the $^{14}$N/$^{15}$N abundance ratio in the outer regions of the Milky Way (namely, for galactocentric distances, $R_{\rm…

Jupiter family comet 17P/Holmes underwent a remarkable outburst on UT 2007 Oct. 24, in which the integrated brightness abruptly increased by about a factor of a million.We obtained near infrared (0.8 - 4.2 micron) spectra of 17P/Holmes on…

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…

We report on the spectral and timing properties of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar IGR J00291+5934 observed by XMM-Newton and NuSTAR during its 2015 outburst. The source is in a hard state dominated at high energies by a…

We have carried out a continuous multi-band photometric monitoring of the nuclear activity of comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 from 2008 to 2010. Our main aim has been to study the outburst mechanism on the basis of a follow-up of the…

Comet C/2017 K2 (Pan-STARRS) provided a rare opportunity to investigate the evolution of coma composition and outgassing patterns over a transitional heliocentric distance (Rh) range where activity drivers in comets are thought to change…

Isotopic ratios of heavy elements are a key signature of the nucleosynthesis processes in stellar interiors. The contribution of successive generations of stars to the metal enrichment of the Universe is imprinted on the evolution of…