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Detection of acetylene in the infrared spectrum of comet HyakutakeComets are rich in volatile materials, of which roughly 80% (by number) are water molecules. Considerable progress is being made in identifying the other volatile species, the abundances of which should enable us to determine whether comets formed primarily from ice-covered interstellar grains, or from material that was chemically processed in the early solar nebula. Here we report the detection of acetylene (C2H2) in the infrared spectrum of comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake). The estimated abundance is 0.3-0.9%, relative to water, which is comparable to the predicted solid-phase abundance in cold interstellar clouds. This suggests that the volatiles in comet Hyakotake may have come from ice-covered interstellar grains, rather than material processed in the accretion disk out of which the Solar System formed.
Document ID
20040173113
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Brooke, T. Y.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA United States)
Tokunaga, A. T.
Weaver, H. A.
Crovisier, J.
Bockelee-Morvan, D.
Crisp, D.
Date Acquired
August 22, 2013
Publication Date
October 17, 1996
Publication Information
Publication: Nature
Volume: 383
Issue: 6601
ISSN: 0028-0836
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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