On the Possible Detection of Organic Dust-borne C 3H + Ions in the Coma of Comet Halley
Reme, H.; Korth, A.; Lin, R. P.; Mendis, D. A.; Mitchell, D. L.; D'Uston, C.; Marconi, M. L.
Germany, United States
Abstract
The heavy ion analyzer (PICCA) on board the Giotto spacecraft was used to determine the composition of positively charged ions in the environment of Comet Halley. Here it is argued that a distinct peak at 37 amu, observed in the mass spectrum inside the ionopause, is due to C3H(+). It is further argued that the dominant source of this ion, as well as the earlier identified ion (C3H3(+) at 39 amu), is not the cometary nucleus but is rather the circum-nuclear halo of the so-called CHON dust particles observed at the comet.