Atomic Iron and Nickel in the Coma of C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake): Production Rates, Emission Mechanisms, and Possible Parents

Bromley, Steven M.; Neff, Brynna; Loch, S. D.; Marler, Joan; Országh, J.; Venkataramani, Kumar; Bodewits, Dennis

doi:10.3847/psj/ac2dff

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…-Metal atoms such as Fe have been observed by the Rosetta/ROSINA instrument in the coma of comet 67P/C-G, confirming remote observations in a suite of other comets (Manfroid et al 2021;Bromley et al 2021). These observations were performed while the comet was active near its perihelion and we obtained Si/H 2 O ∼ 2 × 10 −5 , Na/H 2 O ∼ 3 × 10 −6 , and Fe/H 2 O ∼ 5 × 10 −8 with substantial uncertainties of up to a factor of ten, respectively.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

“…Based on earlier identification of iron and nickel atoms in a suite of comets (Manfroid et al 2021;Bromley et al 2021) searched DFMS m/Q = 56 Da/e data for the presence of Fe. The spectra, one of row A and one of row B (cf.…”

Section: Iron (Fe)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Iron atoms, for instance, have been observed in the tail of comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught) at perihelion (Fulle et al 2007). More recently, abundant amounts of Fe and Ni atoms were detected in the coma of about 20 comets, with some of them far away from the Sun (Manfroid et al 2021;Bromley et al 2021). Furthermore, atomic Ni was observed in the interstellar object 2I/Borisov (Guzik & Drahus 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Refractory elements in the gas phase for comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Rubin

Altwegg

Berthelier

et al. 2022

A&A

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Context. Gas-phase sodium, silicon, potassium, and calcium were previously identified in mass spectra recorded in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the target of the European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission. The major release process for these atoms was identified as sputtering by the solar wind. More recently, remote observations of numerous comets over a range in heliocentric distances revealed the presence of metal atoms of iron and nickel that had been released either from the nucleus or from a distributed source with a short scale length. Sputtering, however, has been dismissed as a major release process due to the attenuation of the solar wind in the comae of some of the observed targets. Aims. We investigated the presence of refractory species in the gas phase of the coma of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. This investigation includes a period close to perihelion when the solar wind was likely absent from the near-nucleus region due to the increased cometary activity. Additionally, we extended our search to iron and nickel. Methods. We analyzed in situ data from the Rosetta/ROSINA Double Focusing Mass Spectrometer DFMS. Results. We found that gas-phase silicon was present throughout the Rosetta mission. Furthermore, the presence of sodium and iron atoms near the comet’s perihelion confirms that sputtering cannot be the sole release process for refractory elements into the gas phase. Nickel was found to be below the detection limit. The search for parent species of any of the identified gas phase refractories has not been successful. Upper limits for a suite of possible fragment species (SiH, SiC, NaH, etc.) of larger parent and daughter species have been obtained. Furthermore, Si did not exhibit the same drop in signal as do common cometary gases when the spacecraft is pointed away from the nucleus. The combined results suggest that a direct release of elemental species from small grains on the surface of the nucleus or from small grains in the surrounding coma is a more likely explanation than the previous assumption of release via the dissociation of gaseous parent molecules.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

Section: Iron (Fe)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Refractory elements in the gas phase for comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Rubin

Altwegg

Berthelier

et al. 2022

A&A

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“…In comparison, Fulle et al (2007) analyzed also the HI-1 images and reported a production rate of Q Fe ∼ 10 30 s −1 for comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught) at heliocentric distance r H = 0.25 au. Bromley et al (2021) and Manfroid et al (2021) measured the production rates of iron to be Q Fe ∼ 10 21 -10 24 s −1 for a list of comets at heliocentric distances of ∼0.7-3 au. As for sodium, for instance, comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) was measured to produce sodium atoms at a rate of ∼10 25 -10 26 s −1 at ∼1 au from the Sun (Cremonese et al 1997;Rauer et al 1998;Wilson et al 1998), and C/2012 S1 (ISON) had Q Na ∼ 10 23 -10 24 s −1 (Schmidt et al 2015).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Perihelion Activity of (3200) Phaethon is Not Dusty: Evidence from STEREO/COR2 Observations

Hui¹

2023

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We present an analysis of asteroid (3200) Phaethon using coronagraphic observations from 2008 to 2022 by the COR2 cameras onboard the twin Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory spacecraft. Although undetected in individual images, Phaethon was visible in stacks combined from the same perihelion observations, yet only at small (≲30°) but not large (≳150°) phase angles. The observations are in line with the contribution from a bare nucleus, thereby seriously contradicting the interpretation based on HI-1 observations that attributes the perihelion activity to the ejection of μm-sized dust. We obtained an upper limit to the effective cross section of μm-sized dust to be ≲105 m2, at least three orders of magnitude smaller than earlier estimates based on HI-1 data. On the contrary, the COR2 observations cannot rule out the existence of mm-sized or larger debris around Phaethon. However, the fact that no postperihelion debris tail has ever been detected for Phaethon suggests the unimportance of such dust in the perihelion activity. We thus conclude that the perihelion activity of Phaethon is highly unlikely relevant to the ejection of dust. Rather, we deduce that the activity is associated with gas emissions, possibly Fe i and/or Na D lines. To verify our conjecture and to fully understand the perihelion activity of Phaethon, more observations at small heliocentric distances are desired. We compile a list of observing windows ideal for the search of gas emissions of the asteroid from ground telescopes. The best opportunities will be during total solar eclipses.

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“…photon processing, solar/stellar wind, cosmic rays, magnetospheric and micrometeoroid bombardment. Furthermore, the detection of neutral atomic Fe and Ni in the coma of the comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) 33 as well as on 20 other comets 34 raises the question not only of the associated formation mechanisms of the two TMs, but what chemistry can be developed once Fe and/or Ni remain bound to the rocky surface displaying free valences. Regarding the selected Ni ligand sphere (Fig.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%