Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The neutral atmospheres of comets

  • Published:
Astrophysics and Space Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper we have endeavored to critically evaluate our present understanding of cometary atmospheres. Following a brief introduction of the significance of the study of cometary atmospheres (Section 1), the relevant photometric and spectroscopic observations are summarized in Section 2.

The interaction with the solar radiation, with regard to both the excitation of the observed species as well as the dissociation of stable molecules evaporating from the nucleus, is considered in Sections 3 and 4. The gas phase chemistry likely to take place in the dense inner coma is next considered in Section 5.

The exospheric and hydrodynamic models of the expanding cometary atmosphere are considered in detail in Section 6, and both their limitations as well as possible improvements are discussed.

The observed chemical composition of the neutral atmosphere and the inferred chemical composition of the volatile component of the nucleus, together with possible variations between different classes of comets is next considered in Section 7, and their possible cosmogonic significance is discussed.

In conclusion, some of the important directions in which future research should progress, in order to provide more complete and secure knowledge of cometary atmospheres, are stressed (Section 8).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arpigny, C.: 1964,Ann. Astrophys. 27, 393.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arpigny, C.: 1965,Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 3, 351.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arpigny, C.: 1966,Nature et Origine des Comètes, 13th Liège Symp., p. 165.

  • Arpigny, C.: 1972, in G. P. Kuiper and E. Roemer (eds.),Proc. Tucson Comet Conference, July 1972, p. 84.

  • Bertaux, J. L. and Blamont, J.: 1970,Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. 270, 1581.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bertaux, J. L., Blamont, T. and Festau, M.: 1973,Astron. Astrophys. 23, 415.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biermann, L.: 1951,Z. Astrophys. 29, 274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biermann, L.: 1971,Quart. J. Roy. Astron. Soc. 12, 417.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biraud, F., Bourgois, G., Crovisier, J., Fillit, R., Gerard, E., and Kazes, I.: 1974,Astron. Astrophys. 34, 163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Black, J. H., Chaisson, E. J., Ball, J. A., Penfield, H., and Lilley, A. E.: 1974,Astrophys. J. 191, L45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Black, J. H., Chaisson, E. J., Ball, J. A., Penfield, H., and Lilley, A. E.: 1974,IAU Circ., No. 2621.

  • Blamont, T. E. and Festou, M.: 1974,Icarus 23, 538.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohlin, J. D., Drake, J. F., Jenkins, E. B., and Keller, H. U.: 1974, paper reported at theIAU Colloq. No. 25, ‘The Study of Comets’, GSFC, Greenbelt, Maryland, Oct.–Nov. 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  • Broadfoot, A. L., Belton, M. J. S., McElroy, M. B., and Kumar, S.: 1974, paper presented at theComet Kohoutek Workshop, Huntsville, Alabama.

  • Calvert, J. G. and Pitts, T. N.: 1966,Photochemistry, Wiley, N. Y., p. 485.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carruthers, G. R., Opal, C. B., Page, T. L., Meier, R. R., and Prinz, D. K.: 1974,Icarus 23, 526.

    Google Scholar 

  • Code, A. D., Houck, T. E., and Lillie, C. F.: 1970,IAU Circ. No. 2201.

  • Code, A. D. and Savage, B. D.: 1972,Science 177, 213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cosmovici, C. B., Draptz, S., Michel, K. W., Roche, A. E., and Wells, W. C.: 1974,Mitt. Astron. Ges. 36, 250.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Graff, B. and Calvert, J.: 1967,J. Am. Chem. Soc. 89, 2247.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delsemme, A. H.: 1966,Soc. Roy. Sci. Liège 12, 77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delsemme, A. H.: 1968, inExtraterrestrial Matter, Proceedings of the Argonne Conference, Northern Illinois Univ. Press, Dekalb Ill, p. 64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delsemme, A. H.: 1972,IAU/CERN Colloq., Nice, France (April 1972).

  • Delsemme, A. H.: 1973,Space Sci. Rev. 15, 89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delsemme, A. H.: 1973,Astrophys. Letters 14, 163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delsemme, A. H.: 1975,Icarus 24, 95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delsemme, A. H. and Wenger, A.: 1970,Planetary Space Sci. 18, 709.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delsemme, A. H. and Miller, D. C.: 1971,Planetary Space Sci. 19, 1229.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delsemme, A. H. and Moreau, J. L.: 1973,Astrophys. Letters 14, 181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delsemme, A. H. and Swings, P.: 1952,Ann. Astrophys. 15, 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donn, B.: 1974, paper presented at theIAU Colloq. No. 25, ‘The Study of Comets’, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, Oct.–Nov. 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dufay, J., Swings, P., and Fehrenbach, Ch.: 1965,Astrophys. J. 142, 1698.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eddington, A. S.: 1910,Monthly Notices Roy. Astron. Soc. 70, 442.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feldman, P. D., Takacs, P. Z., Fastie, W. G., and Donn, B.: 1974a,Science 185, 705.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feldman, P. D., Opal, C. B., Meier, R. R., and Nicolas, K. R.: 1974b, paper presented at theIAU Colloq. No. 25, ‘The Study of Comets’, GSFC, Greenbelt, Maryland, Oct.–Nov. 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finson, M. L. and Probstein, R. F.: 1968,Astrophys. J. 154, 327.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fokker, A. D.: 1953,Mem. Soc. Sci. Liège, Ser. 4 13, 201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gioumousis, G. and Stevenson, D. P.: 1958,J. Chem. Phys. 29, 294.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg, R. A. and Aikin, A. C.: 1973,Science 180, 294.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenstein, J. L.: 1958,Astrophys. J. 126, 106.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenstein, J. L. and Arpigny, C.: 1962,Astrophys. J. 135, 892.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, G. A.: 1974,Publ. Astron. Soc. Pacific 86, 552.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haser, L.: 1957,Liège Inst. Astrophys., Reprint No. 394.

  • Haser, L.: 1966,Nature et Origine des Comètes, 13th Liège Symp., p. 233.

  • Herbig, G. H.: 1974,Contr. Lick Obs., No. 398; paper presented at theIAU Colloq. No. 25, ‘The Study of Comets’, GSFC, Greenbelt, Maryland, Oct.–Nov. 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herbst, E. and Klemperer, W.: 1973,Astrophys. J. 185, 505.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huebner, W. F.: 1965,Z. Astrophys. 63, 22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huebner, W. F.: 1970, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory Reprint No. LA-4542 MS.

  • Ip, W.-H. and Mendis, D. A.: 1973,Nature 245, 197.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ip, W.-H. and Mendis, D. A.: 1974,Astrophys. Space Sci. 26, 153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ip, W.-H. and Mendis, D. A.: 1975,Icarus, in press.

  • Jackson, W. M. and Donn, B. D.: 1966,Nature et Origine des Comètes, 13th Liège Symp., p. 133.

  • Jackson, W. M., Clarke, T., and Donn, B.: 1974,IAU Circ., No. 2674.

  • Jackson, W. M.: 1974, paper presented at theIAU Colloq. No. 25 ‘The Study of comets’, GSFC, Greenbelt, Maryland, Oct.–Nov. 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, E. B. and Wingert, D. W.: 1972,Astrophys. J. 174, 697.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keller, H. U.: 1971,Mitt. Astron. Geselischaft 30, 143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keller, H. U.: 1973,Astron. Astrophys. 23, 269.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keller, H. U.: 1973,Astron. Astrophys. 27, 51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keller, H. U., Bohlin, J. D., and Tousey, R.: 1975,Astron. Astrophys. (in press).

  • Keller, H. U. and Lillie, C. F.: 1974,Astron. Astrophys. 34, 187.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keller, H. U. and Thomas, G. E.: 1973,Astrophys. J. 186, L89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keller, H. U. and Thomas, G. E.: 1975,Astron. Astrophys. 39, 7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lanzerotti, L. J., Robbins, M. F., and Tolk, N. H.: 1974a,Icarus 23, 618.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lanzerotti, L. J., Robbins, M. F., and Tolk, N. H.: 1974b, paper presented at theIAU Colloq. No. 25, ‘The Study of Comets’, GSFC, Greenbelt, Maryland (Oct.–Nov. 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  • Lillie, C. F.: 1974, paper presented at theIAU Colloq. No. 25, ‘The Study of Comets’, GSFC, Greenbelt, Maryland (Oct.–Nov. 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  • Litvak, M. M.: 1972, in T. R. Carson and M. J. Roberts (eds.),Atoms and Molecules in Astrophysics, Academic Press, London, p. 201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malaise, D.: 1966,Nature et Origine des Comètes, 13th Liège Symp., p. 199.

  • Malaise, D. J.: 1970,Astron. Astrophys. 5, 209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mango, S. A., Johnston, K. J., Chui, M. F., Cheung, A. C., and Matsakis, D.: 1974,Icarus 23, 590.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marsden, B. G., Sekanina, Z., and Yeomans, D. K.: 1973,Astron. J. 78, 211.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meisel, D. D. and Berg, A.: 1974,Icarus 23, 454.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mendis, D. A., Holzer, T. E., and Axford, W. I.: 1972,Astrophys. Space Sci. 15, 313.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mendis, D. A.: 1973, paper read at the AIAA/AGU Conference:Exploration of the Outer Solar System, Denver, Colorado, July 1973.

  • Mendis, D. A. and Ip, W.-H.: 1974,Nature 249, 536.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mendis, D. A. and Alfvén, H.: 1974, paper presented at theIAU Colloq. No. 25, ‘The Study of Comets’, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, Oct.–Nov., 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, F. D.: 1961,Astrophys. J. 134, 1007.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mocknatsch, D. O.: 1938,Leningrad State Univ. Annals. Astr. Series, Issue 4.

  • Narcisi, R. S.: 1968,Space Res. 8, 360.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ney, E. P.: 1974,Icarus 23, 551.

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Dell, C. R. and Osterbrock, D. E.: 1962,Astrophys. J. 136, 559.

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Dell, C. R.: 1971,Astrophys. J. 164, 511.

    Google Scholar 

  • Opal, C. B., Carruthers, G. R., Prinz, D. K. and Meier, R. R.: 1974,Science 185, 702.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oppenheimer, M.: 1974,Astrophys. J. 196, 251.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pittich, E. M.: 1972, in G. A. Chebotarev, H. J. Kazimirchack-Polonskaya, and B. G. Marsden (eds.), ‘The Motion, Evolution of Orbits, and Origin of Comets’,IAU Symp. 45, 283.

    Google Scholar 

  • Potter, A. E. and Del Duca, B.: 1964,Icarus 3, 103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rank, D. M., Townes, C. H., and Welch, W. J.: 1971,Science 174, 1083.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richter, N. B.: 1963,The Nature of Comets, Methuen, p. 181.

  • Roemer, E.: 1971, private communication.

  • Sagan, C.: 1972,Nature 238, 77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwarzchild, K. and Kron, E.: 1911,Astrophys. J. 34, 342.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seeds, M. A. and Michael, J. L.: 1974,Icarus 23, 630.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sekanina, Z. and Miller, F. D.: 1973,Science 179, 565.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shul'man, L. M.: 1969,Astrometriya i Astrofizika 4, 101, Kiev (NASA TT, F-599, p. 85).

    Google Scholar 

  • Shul'man, L. M.: 1972, in G. A. Chebotarev, H. J. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya, and B. G. Marsden (eds.), ‘The Motion, Evolution of Orbits, and Origin of Comets’,IAU Symp. 45, 265.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shul'man, L. M.: 1972,Dinamuka kometnikh atmosfer-neitralnu gas, Chap. 3, Kiev.

  • Snyder, L. E., Buhl, D., and Huebner, W.: 1974,IAU Circ., No. 2616; also 1974,Icarus 23, 580.

  • Stief, L. J., De Carlo, V. J., and Mataloni, R. J.: 1965,J. Chem. Phys. 42, 3113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stief, L. J.: 1972,Nature 237, 29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swings, P.: 1941,Lick Obs. Bull. 19, 131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swings, P.: 1965,Adv. Space Sci. Tech. 7, 393.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swings, P. and Haser, L.: 1956,Atlas of Representative Cometary Spectra, Astrophysical Institute, Univ. Liège, p. 20.

  • Traub, W. A. and Carleton, N. P.: 1974,Icarus 23, 585.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner, B. E.: 1974,Astrophys. J. Letters 189, L137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Urlich, B. L. and Conklin, E. K.: 1973,IAU Circ. No. 2607; also 1974,Nature 248, 121.

  • Urlich, B. L. and Conklin, E. K.: 1974,Nature 248, 121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vanýsek, V. and Wickramasinghe, N. C.: 1975,Astrophys. Space Sci.,33, L19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, L. V. and Miller, F. D.: 1958,Astron. J. 63, 213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallis, M.: 1973,Astron. Astrophys. 29, 29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallis, M. K.: 1974,Monthly Notices Roy. Astron. Soc. 166, 181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wehinger, P., Wyckoff, S., Herbig, G. H., Herzberg, G., and Lew, H., 1974,Astrophys. J., Letters,90, L43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whipple, F.: 1950,Astrophys. J. 111, 375.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whipple, F.: 1974, paper presented at theIAU Colloq. No. 25, ‘The Study of Comets’, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, Oct.–Nov. 1974.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wurm, K.: 1943,Mitt. Hamburger Sternw. 8, 51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wurm, K.: 1963, in B. M. Middlehurst and G. P. Kuiper (eds.),The Moon, Meteorites and Comets, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, p. 573.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyckoff, S. and Wehinger, P.: 1975, Tel-Aviv University preprint A-83-75.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Applied Physics and Information Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, Calif., USA

    D. A. Mendis & W. -H. Ip

Authors
  1. D. A. Mendis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. W. -H. Ip
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Astrophysics and Space Science Review Paper.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mendis, D.A., Ip, W.H. The neutral atmospheres of comets. Astrophys Space Sci 39, 335–385 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00648334

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00648334

Keywords

Search

Navigation