The Composition of Comet C/2012 K1 (PanSTARRS) and the Distribution of Primary Volatile Abundances Among Comets

On 2014 May 22 and 24 we characterized the volatile composition of the dynamically new Oort cloud comet C/2012 K1 (PanSTARRS) using the long-slit, high resolution (λ/Δλ 25,000) near-infrared echelle spectrograph (NIRSPEC) at the 10 m Keck II telescope on Maunakea, Hawaii. We detected fluorescent emi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Astronomical journal 2017-04, Vol.153 (4), p.168-168
Main Authors: Roth, Nathan X., Gibb, Erika L., Bonev, Boncho P., DiSanti, Michael A., Mumma, Michael J., Villanueva, Geronimo L., Paganini, Lucas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ABUNDANCE
AMMONIA
astrobiology
ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
CARBON
CARBON MONOXIDE
Cometary composition
COMETS
comets: individual: (C/2012 K1 (PanSTARRS))
Depletion
Emission
Enrichment
ETHANE
FLUORESCENCE
HYDROCYANIC ACID
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
METHANE
METHANOL
methods: observational
MIXING RATIO
MOLECULES
Near infrared radiation
Oort cloud
PLANETS
planets and satellites: formation
RESOLUTION
SATELLITES
techniques: spectroscopic
TELESCOPES
VOLATILITY
WATER
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Summary:On 2014 May 22 and 24 we characterized the volatile composition of the dynamically new Oort cloud comet C/2012 K1 (PanSTARRS) using the long-slit, high resolution (λ/Δλ 25,000) near-infrared echelle spectrograph (NIRSPEC) at the 10 m Keck II telescope on Maunakea, Hawaii. We detected fluorescent emission from six primary volatiles (H2O, HCN, CH4, C2H6, CH3OH, and CO). Upper limits were derived for C2H2, NH3, and H2CO. We report rotational temperatures, production rates, and mixing ratios (relative to water). Compared with median abundance ratios for primary volatiles in other sampled Oort cloud comets, trace gas abundance ratios in C/2012 K1 (PanSTARRS) for CO and HCN are consistent, but CH3OH and C2H6 are enriched while H2CO, CH4, and possibly C2H2 are depleted. When placed in context with comets observed in the near-infrared to date, the data suggest a continuous distribution of abundances of some organic volatiles (HCN, C2H6, CH3OH, CH4) among the comet population. The level of "enrichment" or "depletion" in a given comet does not necessarily correlate across all molecules sampled, suggesting that chemical diversity among comets may be more complex than the simple organics-enriched, organics-normal, and organics-depleted framework.
ISSN:0004-6256
1538-3881
1538-3881
DOI:10.3847/1538-3881/aa5d18