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M. Küppers, P. Hartogh, G. Villanueva (MPI für Sonnensystemforschung)
We observed the dynamically new comets 2001 Q4 (NEAT) and 2002 T7 (LINEAR) on May 7-11 with the Sub-Millimeter Telescope (SMT) on Mt Graham Observatory. With the Chirp Transform Spectrometer, velocity resolution up to 60 m/s was reached. Emissions of HCN(3-2), HNC(3-2), CS (5-4), H2CO (312-211) and methanol (several lines) were detected. CO (2-1) was present close to the detection threshold.
We will compare the relative molecular abundances of the comets with that determined in previous observations (e.g. Biver et al., Earth, Moon & Planets 90, 323, 2002), where mostly dynamically old comets were studied. Models about the formation conditions and the evolution of comets will be constrained.
High resolution data of HCN will be used to study coma velocities. The hyperfine structure of HCN, which is visible in the data, reveals additional information about coma conditions. Coma temperature is derived from the intensity ratio between different methanol lines.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 #4
© 2004. The American Astronomical Soceity.