[en] We present optical observations of the long period comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS) performed with the high resolution UVES spectrograph at the ESO VLT (Paranal), complemented by low resolution spectra at INT (La Palma) and narrow-band imaging obtained with the TRAPPIST telescopes. We show that this comet has a unique chemical composition, with strong N2+ and CO+ emission lines in the optical, several well detected CO2+ bands while the usual radicals CN, C3, C2, are very faint. OH, OH+ and H2O+ as well as NH and NH2, are not detected, suggesting that C/2016 R2 is a comet rich in N2 and CO ices but poor in water and ammonia. We will present new results obtained from these observations and discuss the origin of this type of comets.
Disciplines :
Space science, astronomy & astrophysics
Author, co-author :
Jehin, Emmanuel ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Origines Cosmologiques et Astrophysiques (OrCa)
Opitom, Cyrielle; European Southern Observatory, Santiago, Chile
Hutsemekers, Damien ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astroph. extragalactique et observations spatiales (AEOS)
Rousselot, Philippe; Institut UTINAM UMR 6213, CNRS, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
Moulane, Youssef ; Université de Liège (ULg), Institut d'Astrophysique et de Géophysique (AGO), Liège, Belgium ; European Southern Observatory, Santiago, Chile
Manfroid, Jean ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO)
Fitzimmons, Alan; Astrophysics Research Centre, Queen's University, Belfast, UK
Gibson, Chris; Astrophysics Research Centre, Queen's University, Belfast, UK
Snodgrass, Colin; Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK)
Language :
English
Title :
The unique spectrum of comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS)
