Complex organic ions in the atmosphere of Comet Halley

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Complex organic ions in the atmosphere of Comet Halley

Mitchell, D.L. / Lin, R.P. / Anderson, K.A. / Carlson, C.W. / Curtis, D.W. / Korth, A. / Rème, H. / Sauvaud, J.A. / d'Uston, C. / Mendis, D.A.

Abstract

Abstract The ordered series of broad mass groups observed in thermal ion mass spectra taken in the coma of Comet Halley by the RPA2-PICCA instrument aboard the Giotto spacecraft is shown to be characteristic of molecules rich in hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, and does not imply the presence of a long chain polymer such as polyoxymethylene. Inside the ionopause (r < 4700 km), individual ion masses were resolved from 35 to 70 amu, due to the very low ion temperature (kT = 0.03 eV). The dominant ions are typically separated in mass by 2 amu, which indicates that the observed width of each mass group is not due to the stripping of hydrogen atoms from a characteristic parent molecule. Singly-bonded molecules composed of CH2, NH, O, and H units produce a mass spectrum which closely resembles the observed high resolution spectrum provided the nitrogen abundance is less than 8% and C/O ratio is 1.2 to 1.4. These molecules are likely to be associated with the abundant CHON dust particles observed at Comet Halley which have a similar composition. The complex molecules detected in laboratory analogs of icy interstellar dust grains, which may have been incorporated into comets, appear to be similarly composed of CH2, NH2, OH, and CO units connected by single bonds. All of these molecules fall within the mass groups observed by PICCA.

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Document information

Title :

Complex organic ions in the atmosphere of Comet Halley

Contributors:

Mitchell, D.L. (author) / Lin, R.P. (author) / Anderson, K.A. (author) / Carlson, C.W. (author) / Curtis, D.W. (author) / Korth, A. (author) / Rème, H. (author) / Sauvaud, J.A. (author) / d'Uston, C. (author) / Mendis, D.A. (author)

Published in:

Advances in Space Research ; 9 , 2 ; 35-39

Publication date :

1989-01-01

Size :

5 pages

ISSN :

0273-1177

DOI :

https://doi.org/10.1016/0273-1177(89)90361-X

Type of media :

Article (Journal)