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Astrobiology: Future Perspectives pp 179–203Cite as

The Molecular Complexity of Comets

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Part of the book series: Astrophysics and Space Science Library ((ASSL,volume 305))

Abstract

By delivering prebiotic molecules to the Earth, comets could have played a role in the early phases of the development of life on our planet. In order to explore this possibility, we present here an assessment of the molecular content of comets. The current methods of investigations — by both in situ analysis and remote sensing — are reviewed. The present status of our knowledge of the composition of cometary ices is reviewed. We probably now know most of the main components, but we still have a very partial view of the minor ones. A large diversity of composition from comet to comet is observed, so that no “typical comet” can be defined. No clear correlation between the composition and the region of formation of the comets and their subsequent dynamical history can yet be established. A crucial cometary component, both for cometary coma chemistry and for the possible delivery of organics to the Earth, is the (semi-)refractory high molecular-mass organic material present in grains. From the advent of new instrumentation, we can expect the detection of many new molecular species in future bright comets. However, the identification of really complex molecules will need in situ analysis or the return to Earth of nucleus samples.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Observatoire de Paris, F-92195, Meudon, France

    Jacques Crovisier

Authors
  1. Jacques Crovisier
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Leiden Observatory, The Netherlands

    Pascale Ehrenfreund

  2. University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA

    William Irvine

  3. University of Hawaii, Honolulu, USA

    Toby Owen

  4. University of California, Santa Barbara, USA

    Luann Becker

  5. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, USA

    Jen Blank

  6. Naples Observatory, Naples, Italy

    John Brucato  & Luigi Colangeli  & 

  7. ENS de Chimie de Paris, Paris, France

    Sylvie Derenne

  8. Bordeaux Observatory, Floirac, France

    Anne Dutrey  & Didier Despois  & 

  9. UNAM, México D.F., México

    Antonio Lazcano

  10. LEME, Paris, France

    Francois Robert

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© 2004 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Crovisier, J. (2004). The Molecular Complexity of Comets. In: Ehrenfreund, P., et al. Astrobiology: Future Perspectives. Astrophysics and Space Science Library, vol 305. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-2305-7_8

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