Abstract
INFRARED and microwave spectroscopy can be used to identify and study the parent molecules directly sublimed from cometary nuclei. Here we report spectroscopic observations of comet Austin (1989c1) at millimetre wavelengths using the 30-m telescope of the Institut de Radio Astronomie Millimétrique (IRAM). We detected the rotational transitions of hydrogen cyanide and form-aldehyde, which were previously observed in comets Halley and Brorsen–Metcalf1. In addition, we identified hydrogen sulphide and methanol, neither of which has previously been detected in a comet. The presence of hydrogen sulphide provides severe constraints on the formation of cometary nuclei, whereas that of methanol supports the hypothesis that cometary nuclei have retained, at least in part, some primitive material originating from the solar nebula.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Crovisier, J. & Schloerb, F. P. in Comets in the Post-Halley Era (eds Newburn, R. et al.) (Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht) (in the press).
Bockelée-Morvan, D. et al. Astr. Astrophys. 180, 253–262 (1987).
Colom, P., Despois, D., Bockelée-Morvan, D., Crovisier, J. & Paubert, G. in Observations of Recent Comets (ed. Huebner W. F. et al.) 80–85 (Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, 1990).
Cosmovici, C. B. & Ortolani, S. Nature 310, 122–124 (1984).
Marconi, M. L. et al. Astr. J. 352, L17–L20 (1990).
Lee, L. C., Wang, X. & Suto, M. J. chem. Phys. 86, 4353–4361 (1987).
Huebner, W. F. & Carpenter, C. W. Los Alamos Informal Report LA-8085-MS (1979).
Bockelée-Morvan, D. & Crovisier, J. Astr. Astrophys. 187, 425–430 (1987).
Azoulay, G. & Festou, M. C. in Asteroids Comets Meteors II (eds Lagerkvist, C.-I., Lindblad, B. A., Lundstedt, H. & Rickman, H.) 273–277 (Uppsala University Press, 1986)
A'Hearn, M. F., Feldman, P. D. & Schleicher, D. G. Astr. J. 274, L99–L103 (1983).
Nee, J. B., Suto, M. & Lee, L. C. Chem. Phys. 98, 147–155 (1985).
Combes et al. Icarus 76, 404–436 (1988).
Encrenaz, T. & Knacke, R. in Comets in the Post-Halley Era (eds Newburn, R. et al.) (Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht) (in the press).
Baas, F., Grim, R. J. A., Geballe, W., Schutte, W. & Greenberg, J. M. in Dust in the Universe, 55–60 (eds Bailey, M. E. & Williams, D. A.) (Cambridge University Press, 1988).
Geballe, T. R., Baas, F., Greenberg, J. M. & Schutte, W. Astr. Astrophys. 146, L6–L8 (1985).
Yamamoto, T. Astr. Astrophys. 142, 31–36 (1985).
Colom, P., Crovisier, J., Paubert, G., Bockelée-Morvan, D. & Despois, D. IAU Circ. No. 5087 (1990).
Budzien, S. A., Feldman, P. D., Roettger, E. E., A'Hearn, M. F. & Festou, M. C. in Observations of Recent Comets (ed. Huebner, W. F. et al.) 64–68 (Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, 1990).
Bockelée-Morvan, D., Crovisier, J., Gérard, E. & Bourgois, G. in Observations of Recent Comets (ed. Huebner, W. F. et al.) 75–79 (Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, 1990).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bockelée-Morvan, D., Colom, P., Crovisier, J. et al. Microwave detection of hydrogen sulphide and methanol in comet Austin (1989c1). Nature 350, 318–320 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/350318a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/350318a0
This article is cited by
-
Detection of acetylene in the infrared spectrum of comet Hyakutake
Nature (1996)
-
Comets
The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review (1993)
-
Comets
The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review (1993)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.