8.35 and 14.35 GHz Continuum Observations of Comet Hyakutake C/1996 B2

Abstract

We present radio continuum observations of comet Hyakutake C/1996 B2 at 8.35 and 14.35 GHz with the NRAO OVLBI Earth Station at Green Bank. Three sets of observations were made from 22:50 UTC 1996 March 27 to 19:09 UTC 1996 March 28, from 18:30 to 20:30 UTC on 1996 April 17, and from 15:40 to 20:30 UTC on 1996 April 18. No radio continuum emission from comet Hyakutake C/1996 B2 was detected during any of these observations. The lack of radio continuum emission from comet Hyakutake C/1996 B2 at 8.35 and 14.35 GHz allows us to constrain the radio flux in the X-ray-emitting region of comet Hyakutake C/1996 B2 to be S8.35GHz ≤ 5.3 × 10-27 W m-2 Hz-1 and S14.35GHz ≤ 2.8 × 10-27 W m-2 Hz-1. The angular size of the NRAO OVLBI Earth Station's primary beam is well matched to the size of the region of the diffuse X-ray emission from comet Hyakutake C/1996 B2.