Watching a Comet Turn On: High Spectral Resolving Power Observations of Comet C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS)
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arXiv
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| Autores principales: | , , |
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| Formato: | Preprint |
| Publicado: |
2025
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| _version_ | 1866915589662965760 |
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| author | Cochran, Anita L. McKay, Adam J. Moulane, Youssef |
| author_facet | Cochran, Anita L. McKay, Adam J. Moulane, Youssef |
| contents | We report high spectral resolving power optical observations of comet C/2017\,K2 (PanSTARRS) as it approached the Sun. This comet was discovered when it was 16\,{\sc au} from the Sun. At discovery, the comet had a large and relatively bright coma. However, the spectrum at discovery showed only signatures of dust. We used the coud{é} spectrograph on the McDonald Observatory 2.7\,m telescope to obtain spectra, starting when the comet was at a heliocentric distance of 5.06\,{\sc au} and following it until 2.47\,{\sc au}, to determine what spectral features would appear at each heliocentric distance. The first heliocentric distance for which we detected any emission from the gas was 3.39\,{\sc au}, when we first detected CN. As the comet continued inward towards the Sun, various other species were detected. We discuss the implications of the early turn-on of CN and of species first appearing at different heliocentric distances in the context of control of the activity by water. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_00239 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Watching a Comet Turn On: High Spectral Resolving Power Observations of Comet C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS) Cochran, Anita L. McKay, Adam J. Moulane, Youssef Earth and Planetary Astrophysics We report high spectral resolving power optical observations of comet C/2017\,K2 (PanSTARRS) as it approached the Sun. This comet was discovered when it was 16\,{\sc au} from the Sun. At discovery, the comet had a large and relatively bright coma. However, the spectrum at discovery showed only signatures of dust. We used the coud{é} spectrograph on the McDonald Observatory 2.7\,m telescope to obtain spectra, starting when the comet was at a heliocentric distance of 5.06\,{\sc au} and following it until 2.47\,{\sc au}, to determine what spectral features would appear at each heliocentric distance. The first heliocentric distance for which we detected any emission from the gas was 3.39\,{\sc au}, when we first detected CN. As the comet continued inward towards the Sun, various other species were detected. We discuss the implications of the early turn-on of CN and of species first appearing at different heliocentric distances in the context of control of the activity by water. |
| title | Watching a Comet Turn On: High Spectral Resolving Power Observations of Comet C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS) |
| topic | Earth and Planetary Astrophysics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.00239 |