[33.04] Spectroscopy of C/2000 WM1 (LINEAR) in the 3$\mu$m region using NIRSPEC

36th DPS Meeting, 8-12 November 2004
Session 33 Comets: Comae
Poster II, Thursday, November 11, 2004, 4:15-7:00pm, Exhibition Hall 1A

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[33.04] Spectroscopy of C/2000 WM1 (LINEAR) in the 3\mum region using NIRSPEC

C. Barone, K. Magee-Sauer (Rowan Univ.), M.J. Mumma (NASA's GSFC), H.A. Weaver (JHU/APL), N. Dello Russo (CUA at NASA's GSFC), M.A. DiSanti (NASA's GSFC), B. Bonev (Univ of Toledo at NASA's GSFC), E.L. Gibb (Notre Dame), G. Chin (NASA's GSFC)

We present results of spectroscopic observations of C/ 2000 WM1 (LINEAR) on UT 25 Nov 2001. The data were obtained using the NIRSPEC instrument at the Keck II telescope. NIRSPEC is a cross-dispersed cryogenic infrared spectrometer that permits a nearly complete high-dispersion survey of the 2.9 - 3.7 \mum region.

The 3 \mum region (3335 – 3285 cm^-1) in Comet WM1 includes emission from HCN, C₂H₂, OH, NH₂, and other strong emissions that are preliminarily consistent with hot bands of H₂O. Fourteen ro-vibrational lines of the \nu₃ band of HCN were detected in comet WM1, which permitted an accurate determination of its rotational temperature and production rate. Several lines of the \nu₃ band of C₂H₂were also detected. A full analysis of this spectrum, production rates, and rotational temperature will be presented.

KM-S would like to acknowledge support from the National Science Foundation RUI Program No. 0407052. MJM acknowledges support from the NASA Planetary Astronomy Program under RTOP 344-32-51-03.

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