Abstract
Emission fluxes of CN, G2 and C3 carbon-bearing molecular species observed in the spectra of the nuclear fragment A and D of comet West (1976VI) are analysed in the framework of Haser's two-component model with radial outflow symmetry. Gas production rates have been derived and their ratios obtained. We find these vary as Qα r n (where 1.0≤r≤2.6 is the heliocentric distance in AU) with photometric parametern = -4.11 (CN), -2.68 (C2), -1.89 (C3) andQ x /Q y α r n withn = 2.22 (C3/CN), 1.42 (C2/CN), -0.79 (C2/C3). The gas-to-dust ratio, dust production rates in arbitrary units, total number of dust particles in the field of view and an effective radius Reff ≃ 2.0 km for the principal nuclear fragmentA is also estimated.
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de Almeida, A.A. Gas and dust release from comet West (1976VI) nuclear fragments. Earth Moon Planet 60, 69–79 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00612182
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00612182