DPS 35th Meeting, 1-6 September 2003
Session 28. Comets II: Gas Species
Oral, Chairs: S. Wyckoff and N. Biver, Thursday, September 4, 2003, 4:30-5:40pm, DeAnza III

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[28.07] Formation of Carbon Monoxide in the Near-Nucleus Coma of Comets

D. M. Pierce, M. F. A'Hearn (Univ. of Maryland)

Understanding the formation of carbon monoxide in the coma of comets remains one of the most important problems in cometary chemistry. In order to examine the potential impact of photochemistry and chemical reactions on the formation of CO in the coma, we have developed a 1-D gas model to examine the formation of CO in the near-nucleus coma by these processes. In particular, we demonstrate that a chemical reaction between CO2 and hot H dissociated from H2O yields significant amounts of CO. Relative contributions to the abundance of CO from various photochemical processes and chemical reactions will also be discussed.

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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 35 #4
© 2003. The American Astronomical Soceity.