Rm. Wagner et Dg. Schleicher, THE SPECTRUM AND SPATIAL-DISTRIBUTION OF CYANOGEN IN COMET HALE-BOPP (C 1995-O1) AT LARGE HELIOCENTRIC DISTANCE/, Science, 275(5308), 1997, pp. 1918-1920
Optical spectra of comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) at a heliocentric dista
nce of 6.45 astronomical units showed emission from cyanogen gas. The
spatial distribution of cyanogen was considerably more diffuse and ext
ended compared to the spatial profile of the dust or grains which were
sharply peaked near the center. This behavior is consistent with come
ts at smaller heliocentric distances suggesting the same or a similar
formation mechanism, A cyanogen gas production rate of (1.2 +/- 0.3) x
10(26) molecules per second was derived. A model band profile derived
from fluorescence equilibrium calculations for the comet's heliocentr
ic velocity and distance agrees with the observed band profile.