Doubly ionized carbon observed in the plasma tail of comet Kudo-Fujikawa.
Comet C/2002 X5 (Kudo-Fujikawa) was observed near its perihelion of 0.19 astronomical unit by the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory spacecraft. Images of the comet reconstructed from high-resolution spectra reveal a quasi-spherical cloud of neutral hydrogen and a variable tail of C+ and C2+ that disconnects from the comet and subsequently regenerates. The high abundance of C2+ and C+, at least 24% relative to water, cannot be explained by photodissociation of carbon monoxide and is instead attributed to the evaporation and subsequent photoionization of atomic carbon from organic refractory compounds present in the cometary dust grains. This result serves to strengthen the connection between comets and the material from which the Solar System formed.
Povich
Matthew S
MS
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. mpovich@cfa.harvard.edu
Raymond
John C
JC
Jones
Geraint H
GH
Uzzo
Michael
M
Ko
Yuan-Kuen
YK
Feldman
Paul D
PD
Smith
Peter L
PL
Marsden
Brian G
BG
Woods
Thomas N
TN
D002244:Carbon; D006859:Hydrogen; D007477:Ions; D019110:Meteoroids; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D014867:Water
D007477:Ions; D014867:Water; D002244:Carbon; D006859:Hydrogen