Abstract
Positively charged molecular ions, such as H2O+, which have been observed in cometary. comas, may be efficiently produced by the evaporation of positively charged clathrate grains of radii in the range ∼10−6–10−5 cm. Such grains may be expelled from nuclei of comets, along with gaseous molecules. Grain charging occurs via interaction with solar ultraviolet photons and/or solar wind protons. Observational data on the total quantities as well as the distributions of H2O and H2O+ in cometary comas are shown to be in accord with detailed model calculations.
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On leave from: Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay, India.
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Tarafdar, S.P., Wickramasinghe, N.C. On the production of positive molecular ions in cometary comas. Astrophys Space Sci 50, 163–171 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00648528
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00648528