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[41.05] New Two-Variable Fits for the Scale Lengths of CN and its Parent Molecule in Cometary Atmospheres: Application to the Identification of the CN Parent

B. Bonev (Bowling Green St. Univ./Univ. of Toledo), B. Komitov (Inst. of Astronomy - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences)

We provide new two-variable fits describing the variability of the Haser scale lengths of CN and its parent molecules. As in our previous reports on this subject we use the heliocentric distance and the 10.7-cm solar radio flux as independent variables. Such description reduces the error bars and avoids the systematic behavior observed in the residuals of the one-variable fits with only the heliocentric distance. The data for the CN parent scale length include 56 reported values from different comets over a period of two solar cycles. On that basis, using the connection between true and Haser scale lengths, we discuss the possible CN parents HCN and C₂N₂. These two molecules have been separately highlighted in different papers as the most probable candidates for a major CN parent. Our two-variable fit implies a brightness distribution of CN which may be explained under the assumption that the C₂N₂ molecule is the single CN parent.

The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: bbonev@astro1.panet.utoledo.edu