Anomalous molecular abundances and the depletion of NH2 in Comet P/Giacobini-Zinner

Abstract

Observations of the CN, C2, C3, and NH2 molecules in spectra of the Comet P/Giacobini-Zinner (P/G-Z) obtained during the 1985 apparition are presented. Haser-model production rates are derived, and it is found that Q(C2)/Q(CN) and Q(C3)/Q(CN) are low compared to those in normal comets. This indicates that C2 and C3 were underabundance in P/G-Z, in agreement with previous results. Q(NH2)/Q(CN) is determined for five comets for the first time to determine a 'normal' value for this ratio. The ratio for P/G-Z is low compared to the value for the ensemble, suggesting that NH2 was underabundant. For the five-comet sample, Q(C3)/Q(CN) exhibits a strong dependence with heliocentric distance, in contrast to Q(C2)/Q(CN) and Q(C3)/Q(CN). The dust-to-gas ratio is characterized by calculating the product of the dust-grain albedo, the filling factor, and the projected radius of the aperture and by computing the dust-to-gas mass ratio.