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Interstellar comet 2I/Borisov as seen by MUSE: C$_2$, NH$_2$ and red CN detections
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abstract
We report the clear detection of C$_2$ and of abundant NH$_2$ in the first prominently active interstellar comet, 2I/Borisov. We observed 2I on three nights in November 2019 at optical wavelengths 4800--9300 \AA with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) integral-field spectrograph on the ESO/Very Large Telescope. These data, together with observations close in time from both 0.6-m TRAPPIST telescopes, provide constraints on the production rates of species of gas in 2I's coma. From the MUSE detection on all epochs of several bands of the optical emission of the C$_2$ Swan system, a rich emission spectrum of NH$_2$ with many highly visible bands, and the red (1-0) bandhead of CN, together with violet CN detections by TRAPPIST, we infer production rates of $Q$(C$_2$) = $1.1\times10^{24}$ mol s$^{-1}$, $Q$(NH$_2$) = $4.8\times10^{24}$ mol s$^{-1}$ and $Q$(CN) = $(1.8\pm0.2)\times 10^{24}$ mol s$^{-1}$. In late November at 2.03~au, 2I had a production ratio of C$_2$/CN$=0.61$, only barely carbon-chain depleted, in contrast to earlier reports measured further from the Sun of strong carbon-chain depletion. Thus, 2I has shown evolution in its C$_2$ production rate: a parent molecule reservoir has started sublimating. At $Q$(NH$_2$)/$Q$(CN) = 2.7, this second interstellar object is enriched in NH$_2$, relative to the known Solar System sample.
Forward citations
Cited by 10 Pith papers
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3I/ATLAS becomes progressively water-dominated near perihelion, with CN production falling as r_h^-4.62 on the inbound leg and a green-to-red oxygen ratio comparable to 2I/Borisov.
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University of Hawaii 88-inch Telescope Observations of the Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS: Spectrophotometric Blue-Sensitive Spectral Time Series Spanning Two Months from Discovery
A two-month SNIFS spectral time series shows 3I/ATLAS had stable red colors while CN, Ni, and possible Fe emission developed during its pre-perihelion approach.
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JCMT Constraints on the Early-Time HCN and CO Emission and HCN Temporal Evolution of 3I/ATLAS
JCMT sets the earliest sub-mm HCN and CO upper limits for interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS; combined with later detections, HCN production follows a steep r_h^-12.7 power law.
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Precovery Observations of 3I/ATLAS from TESS Suggests Possible Distant Activity
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Recent Chemo-morphological Coma Evolution of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Simultaneous VLT/MUSE maps of dust, [OI], C2, NH2, and CN in comet 67P's 2021 coma reveal that NH2 and CN are linked to dust fans, with NH2 scale lengths 1.5-1.9 times longer in one region, hinting at extended sources.
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A portrait throughout perihelion of the NH$_2$-rich interstellar comet 2I/Borisov
2I/Borisov is confirmed as carbon-depleted and NH2-rich among measured comets, with a significant rise in NH2 production after its 2020 splitting event.
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Assessment of the Mass Loss and Radius Change of 3I/ATLAS Based on Observed Production Rates
The paper estimates 3I/ATLAS lost 1.05-6.56 meters of surface material (0.10-1.13% of its mass, or 10^9-10^10 kg) during its solar system passage based on observed production rates.
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The Kinematic Age of 3I/ATLAS and its Implications for Early Planet Formation
3I/ATLAS is likely an old, active comet about 2 km across, and its high speed implies it formed roughly 3 to 11 billion years ago around a low-metallicity star.
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Snapshot of a new interstellar comet: 3I/ATLAS has a red and featureless spectrum
The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has a red, featureless optical spectrum with no detected gas emission, indicating a dusty coma during early observations.
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