The search for complex molecules in comets

Jacques Crovisier (1) , Nicolas Biver (1) , Dominique Bockelée-Morvan (1) , Pierre Colom (1) , D. Despois (2, 3, 4) , D. C. Lis (5)

1 LESIA - Laboratoire d'études spatiales et d'instrumentation en astrophysique
2 L3AB - Laboratoire d'astrodynamique, d'astrophysique et d'aéronomie de bordeaux
3 OASU - Observatoire aquitain des sciences de l'univers
4 LAB - Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux [Pessac]
5 CALTECH - California Institute of Technology

Many new cometary molecules were detected by microwave spectroscopy in comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp). Ethylene glycol, recently identified, is up to now the most complex of them. This demonstrates the power of this technique for the chemical investigations of comets.

Mots clés: Comets; Molecules; Radio Lines

Domaines: Planétologie et astrophysique de la terre [astro-ph.EP]; Planétologie et astrophysique de la terre [astro-ph.EP]

Jacques Crovisier, Nicolas Biver, Dominique Bockelée-Morvan, Pierre Colom, D. Despois, et al.. The search for complex molecules in comets. Proceedings of the dusty and molecular universe: a prelude to Herschel and ALMA, 27-29 October 2004, Paris, France. Ed. by A. Wilson. ESA SP-577, Noordwijk, Netherlands: ESA Publications Division, ISBN 92-9092-855-7, 2005, p. 467, 2004, France. pp.467-468. ⟨hal-00404880⟩