A study of the distant activity of comet C/2006 W3 (Christensen) with Herschel and ground-based radio telescopes

Creators: Bockelée-Morvan, D.; Lis, D. C.; Emprechtinger, M.; Blake, G. A.

Abstract

Comet C/2006 W3 (Christensen) was observed in November 2009 at 3.3 AU from the Sun with Herschel.The PACS instrument acquired images of the dust coma in 70-μm and 160-μm filters and spectra covering several H_2O rotational lines. Spectra in the range 450–1550 GHz were acquired with SPIRE. The comet emission continuum from 70 to 672 μm was measured, but no lines were detected. The spectral energy distribution indicates thermal emission from large particles and provides a measure of the size distribution index and dust production rate. The upper limit to the water production rate is compared to the production rates of other species (CO, CH_3OH, HCN, H_2S, OH) measured with the IRAM 30-m and Nançay telescopes. The coma is found to be strongly enriched in species more volatile than water, in comparison to comets observed closer to the Sun. The CO to H_2O production rate ratio exceeds 220%. The dust-to-gas production rate ratio is on the order of 1.

Additional Information

© 2010 ESO. Received 31 March 2010, Accepted 7 May 2010, Published online 16 July 2010. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA. Figures 2, 5, 6 are only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org. PACS has been developed by a consortium of institutes led by MPE (Germany) and including UVIE (Austria); KU Leuven, CSL, IMEC (Belgium); CEA, LAM (France); MPIA (Germany); INAFIFSI/ OAA/OAP/OAT, LENS, SISSA (Italy); IAC (Spain). This development has been supported by the funding agencies BMVIT (Austria), ESA-PRODEX (Belgium), CEA/CNES (France), DLR (Germany), ASI/INAF (Italy), and CICYT/MCYT (Spain). SPIRE has been developed by a consortium of institutes led by Cardiff University (UK) and including Univ. Lethbridge (Canada); NAOC (China); CEA, LAM (France); IFSI, Univ. Padua (Italy); IAC (Spain); Stockholm Observatory (Sweden); Imperial College London, RAL, UCLMSSL, UKATC, Univ. Sussex (UK); and Caltech, JPL, NHSC, Univ. Colorado (USA). This development has been supported by national funding agencies: CSA (Canada); NAOC (China); CEA, CNES, CNRS (France); ASI (Italy); MCINN (Spain); Stockholm Observatory (Sweden); STFC (UK); and NASA (USA). Additional funding support for some instrument activities has been provided by ESA. HCSS/HSpot/HIPE are joint developments by the Herschel Science Ground Segment Consortium, consisting of ESA, the NASA Herschel Science Center, and the HIFI, PACS and SPIRE consortia. IRAM is an international institute co-funded by CNRS, France, MPG, Germany, and IGN, Spain. The Nançay radio observatory is cofunded by CNRS, Observatoire de Paris, and the Région Centre (France). D.B.-M. thanks M.A.T. Groenewegen and D. Ladjal for support in PACS data analysis, and V. Zakharov for useful discussions on gas and dust dynamics.

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