Abstract
MOST current models of comets assume that the nucleus is an icy solid body containing fairly complex parent chemical compounds which sublimate and dissociate to provide the radicals and simple molecules that have been observed in cometary spectra1. Optical spectra show the presence of CN, CO+;, CH, NH, OH and many others2; proposed parent molecules have included H2O, HCN, HNCO, CH3CN and H2CO3. Previous attempts to detect H2CO and H2O were unsuccessful, probably due to excessive beam dilution4,5. Here we report the first direct detection of a parent molecule, methyl cyanide (CH3CN), at a wavelength of 2.7 mm in Comet Kohoutek (1973f). At the same time we were unable to detect either CN or CO at similar wavelengths.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Whipple, F. L., Astrophys. J., 111, 375–394 (1950).
Arpigny, C., A. Rev. Astr. Astrophys., 3, 351–376 (1965).
Huebner, W. F., Astr. Astrophys., 7, 359–366 (1970).
Huebner, W. F., and Snyder, L. E., Astr. J., 75, 759–761 (1970).
Clark, T. A., Donn, B., Jackson, W. M., Sullivan, W. T. III, and Vandenberg, N., Astro. J., 76, 614–616 (1971).
Moore, C. H., and Rather, E. D., Proc. IEEE, 61, 1346–1349 (1973).
Bauer, A., and Maes, S., J. Phys., 30, 169–180 (1969).
Solomon, P. M., Jefferts, K. B., Penzias, A. A., and Wilson, R. W., Astrophys. J. Lett., 168, L107–L110 (1971).
Huebner, W. F., Bull. Am. astr. Soc., 3, 500–501 (1971).
Potter, A. E., and Del Duca, B., Icarus, 3, 103–105 (1964).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
ULICH, B., CONKLIN, E. Detection of methyl cyanide in Comet Kohoutek. Nature 248, 121–122 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/248121a0
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/248121a0
This article is cited by
-
Primeval procreative comet pond
Origins of life and evolution of the biosphere (1988)
-
The leblanc bands of the CN radical in the spectra of comets
Astrophysics and Space Science (1985)
-
Radiation chemistry of a multicomponent aqueous system relevant to chemistry of cometary nuclei
Journal of Molecular Evolution (1985)
-
Comets: Chemistry and chemical evolution
Journal of Molecular Evolution (1982)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.