The observation of the VUV spectrum of comets from rockets and satellites has brought to light some new clues on those primitive bodies that could be the link between interstellar molecules and early planetary atmospheres as well as the bridge between stellar and planetary astrophysics.
F. Giovane, G. Eichhorn, J. McKisson, J. L. Weinberg, A. Weisenberger, P. Lamy, A. Llebaria, M. Detaille, A. C. Levasseur-Regourd, and J. M. Le Blanc Appl. Opt. 30(18) 2579-2591 (1991)
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References for this table are in Ref. 55.
Average factor 1.35 is used to normalize the solar scale with the meteoritic scale of abundances (see Cameron 1973).
This is carbon in gaseous compounds. Carbon in dust may easily double this abundance.
Tables (7)
Table I
Observed Species in Cometary Spectra
Organic
C
C2
C3
CH
CN
CO
CS
HCN
CH3CN
Inorganic
H
NH
NH2
O
OH
H2O
S
Metals
Na
K
Ca
V
Mn
Fe
Co
Ni
Cu
Ions
C+
CO+
CH+
H2O+
OH+
Ca+
CN+
Dust
Silicates (IR reflection spectrum)
Table II
History of First Spectral Identifications in Comets. I: Dark Ages of Cometary Spectra
Comet
Author
First observation
Final interpretation
Tempel
1864 II
Donati (1864)
Visual spectrum
Three bands of C2 were visible
p/Tempel-Tuttle
1866 I
Huggins (1866)
Continuum
Dust reflecting sunlight
Winnecke
1868 II
Huggins (1868)
First molecular identific.
C2 Swan bands confirmed
“The Great Comet”
1881 III
Janssen (1881)
First photograph
Large (dust) tail
Huggins (1881)
First spectrogram
CN, C2, C3, CH, Na
Huggins (1881)
Doppler shift
Radial velocity of Na
Draper (1881)
First objective-prism sp.
(Poor)
“The Great September Comet”
1882 II
Lohse and Copeland (1882)
Metallic lines (Fe, Ni) (with spectroscope)
Metals vaporized from dust during sun grazing (0.0077 a.u.)
Perrine
1902 III
de la Baume-Pluvinel (1902)
First good objective-prism spectrum
Molecular bands (ions) tailwards
Daniel
1907 IV
Baldet (1907)
Sharp tail bands
CO+ (identif. Fowler 1909)
Morehouse
1908 III
Baldet (1908)
Tail doublets resolved
CO+ (Fowler 1909)
Halley
1910 II
Bobrovnikoff (1931)
C12 C13; CH?
First isotopic band; CH proposed; CH confirmed (A2Δ → X2π) by Nicolet (1938)
Brooks
1911 V
Lockyer (1911)
First UV features
(OH?)
Table III
History of First Spectral Identifications in Comets. II: Modern Times in Cometary Spectra
Comet
Author
First observation
Final interpretation
Cunningham
1941 I
Swings et al. (1941)
Resolution and identification of first UV bands
OH (0–0:3090)
NH (0–0:3358Q)
3369P)
Swings (1942)
Identification of new ions
CH+ (0–0:4231, 4238, 4254)
OH+ (0–0:3565, 3572)
Swings (1941)
Anomalous rotational structure of CN band
Role of Fraunhofer lines in fluorescence excitation
Swings et al. (1943)
First triatomic molecule
NH2 (0-11-0:5429 Å to 0-6-0:6967 Å)
Bester
1948 I
Swings and Page (1950)
First triatomic ion
(0–0:3505–351 Å)
Mrkos
1957 V
Swings and Greenstein (1950)
First forbidden line
O(1D) produced by molecular dissociation
Humason
1962 VIII
Dossin (1962)
First ion observed at 5 a.u.
CO+: anomalous comet
Ikeya
1963 I
Stawikovski and Greenstein (1964)
First isotope ratio measured
C12/C13 ≅ 70 ± 15
Ikeya-Seki
1965 VIII
Preston (1967)
Spectrogram of metal lines
K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu
Tago-Sato-Kosaka
1969 IX
Code et al. (1970)
From orbit (OAO-2; from 16 Jan. 1970)
Immense hydrogen halo (Lyman-α)
Jenkins and Wingert (1972)
From rocket (Aerobee, 25 Jan. 1970)
Immense hydrogen halo (Lyman-α)
Bennett
1970 II
Maas et al. (1970)
IR features
Silicate signature
Lillie (1975)
CO(X1Σ+) 4th positive system (OAO)
(Still dubious)
Table IV
History of First Spectral Identifications in Comets. III: Dawn of Contemporary Times
Comet
Authors
First observation of
Identification
Kohoutek 1973 XII
Feldman et al. (1974)
5 Jan. 1974
{
VUV resonance lines of several elements (Rocket)
CI (1657 Å) OI (1304 Å)
Opal et al. (1974)
8 Jan. 1974
Blamont and Festou (1974)
3000-Å range without atmospheric absorption (NASA’s Convair)
OH (3090 Å) stronger than expected
Huppler et al. (1975)
6 Dec. 1973
}
Balmer-α resolved
{
Fabry-Perot
HI (6562 Å) Doppler-shifted from geocorona
Lanzerotti et al. (1974)
4 Jan. 1974
McMath Solar
Benvenuti and Wurm (1974)
New tail bands in red
Presumably new ion
Herzberg and Lew (1974)
Identification of new tail bands
H2O+
Merril (1974)
Structure of silicate band (16 points from 8 to 12 μm)
Confirmation of silicates in tail dust
Ulrich and Conklin (1974) (1 Dec. 1973)
Molecule in mm waves (2.7 mm)
CH3 CN, probably produced in excited state (dissoc. or reaction)
References for this table are in Ref. 55.
Average factor 1.35 is used to normalize the solar scale with the meteoritic scale of abundances (see Cameron 1973).
This is carbon in gaseous compounds. Carbon in dust may easily double this abundance.
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