On 4 July 2005, many observatories around the world and in space observed the collision of Deep Impact with comet 9P/Tempel 1 or its aftermath. This was an unprecedented coordinated observational campaign. These data show that (i) there was new material after impact that was compositionally different from that seen before impact; (ii) the ratio of dust mass to gas mass in the ejecta was much larger than before impact; (iii) the new activity did not last more than a few days, and by 9 July the comet's behavior was indistinguishable from its pre-impact behavior; and (iv) there were interesting transient phenomena that may be correlated with cratering physics.

Our aim is to determine the isotopic ratios 12 C/ 13 C and 14 N/ 15 N in a variety of comets and link these measurements to the formation and evolution of the solar system. The 12 C/ 13 C and 14 N/ 15 N isotopic ratios are measured for the CN radical by means of high-resolution optical spectra of the R branch of the B-X (0, 0) violet band. 23 comets from different dynamical classes have been observed, sometimes at various heliocentric and nucleocentric distances, in order to estimate possible variations of the isotopic ratios in parent molecules. The 12 C/ 13 C and 14 N/ 15 N isotopic ratios in CN are remarkably constant (average values of, respectively, 91.0 ± 3.6 and 147.8 ± 5.7) within our measurement errors, for all comets whatever their origin or heliocentric distance. While the carbon isotopic ratio does agree with the terrestrial value (89), the nitrogen ratio is a factor of two lower than the terrestrial value (272), indicating a fractionation in the early solar system, or in the protosolar nebula, common to all the comets of our sample. This points towards a common origin of the comets independently of their birthplaces, and a relationship between HCN and CN.

From millimeter and optical observations of the Jupiter-family comet 17P/Holmes performed soon after its huge outburst of 2007 October 24, we derive 14 N/ 15 N p 139 ‫ע‬ 26 in HCN and 14 N/ 15 N p 165 ‫ע‬ 40 in CN, establishing that HCN has the same nonterrestrial isotopic composition as CN. The same conclusion is obtained for the long-period comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) after a reanalysis of previously published measurements. These results are compatible with HCN being the prime parent of CN in cometary atmospheres. The 15 N excess relative to the Earth's atmospheric value indicates that N-bearing volatiles in the solar nebula underwent important N isotopic fractionation at some stage of solar system formation. HCN molecules never isotopically equilibrated with the main nitrogen reservoir in the solar nebula before being incorporated in Oort Cloud and Kuiper Belt comets. The 12 C/ 13 C ratios in HCN and CN are measured to be consistent with the terrestrial value.

No abstract

High-resolution spectra of the CN B2 summation operator +-X2 summation operator + (0,0) band at 390 nanometers yield isotopic ratios for comets C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) and C/2000 WM1 (LINEAR) as follows: 165 +/- 40 and 115 +/- 20 for 12C/13C, 140 +/- 35 and 140 +/- 30 for 14N/15N. Our N isotopic measurements are lower than the terrestrial 14N/15N = 272 and the ratio for Hale-Bopp from measurements of HCN, the presumed parent species of CN. This isotopic anomaly suggests the existence of other parent(s) of CN, with an even lower N isotopic ratio. Organic compounds like those found in interplanetary dust particles are good candidates.

Determination of the nitrogen isotopic ratios in different bodies of the solar system provides important information regarding the solar system's origin. We unambiguously identified emission lines in comets due to the 15 NH 2 radical produced by the photodissociation of 15 NH 3 . Analysis of our data has permitted us to measure the 14 N/ 15 N isotopic ratio in comets for a molecule carrying the amine (-NH) functional group. This ratio, within the error, appears similar to that measured in comets in the HCN molecule and the CN radical, and lower than the protosolar value, suggesting that N 2 and NH 3 result from the separation of nitrogen into two distinct reservoirs in the solar nebula. This ratio also appears similar to that measured in Titan's atmospheric N 2 , supporting the hypothesis that, if the latter is representative of its primordial value in NH 3 , these bodies were assembled from building blocks sharing a common formation location.

No abstract

Abstract. We observed comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) at 4.6-2.9 AU pre-perihelion and 2.8-12.8 AU post-perihelion with optical long-slit spectroscopy. Emission bands of CN, C 3 , C 2 and NH 2 have been covered. Emission of C 3 was detected up to 7.0 AU, and CN could be followed up to 9.8 AU post-perihelion. Spatial column density profiles of the radicals have been used to derive effective parent Haser scale lengths for heliocentric distances beyond 3 AU. Production rates were derived based on these Haser scale lengths. The observations of CN are in agreement with HCN as the major parent molecule of this radical at large distances from the Sun (i.e. beyond ∼3 AU). We compare the measured CN production rate to sublimation rates of HCN from a simple nucleus sublimation model. The variation of CN production rates with changing heliocentric distance gives no indication for sublimation from the interior and is consistent with very little thermal lag of the nucleus.