RUI: High Resolution Infrared Spectroscopy and Characterization of Comets

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AST 0098411Magee-SauerDr. Karen Magee-Sauer, at Rowan University, will measure and compare abundances of acetylene, hydrogen cyanide, and ammonia in several comets. The composition of native ices is a fundamental question in cometary science. Their characterization is central to identifying the processes that occurred during formation of the Solar System. The focus of this project is to utilize the rapidly expanding field of ground-based infrared spectroscopy to determine cometary composition through quantitative measurements of several key volatile species. The high spectral and spatial resolution afforded by long-slit infrared spectroscopy enable the detection of multiple emission features of each species, and yield information on their productions. Under favorable conditions, the spatial profiles can separately identify material released form the nucleus from that produced in the coma. This will help answer the basic question of the composition of natal ices in comets, and help constrain models of Solar System formation. This project is funded under the Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) program at NSF.***