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The Chemical Composition of Comets—Emerging Taxonomies and Natal Heritage

Mumma, Michael J.; Charnley, Steven B.

Cometary nuclei contain the least modified material from the formative epoch of our planetary system, and their compositions reflect a range of processes experienced by material prior to its incorporation in the cometary nucleus. Dynamical models suggest that icy bodies in the main cometary reservoirs (Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud) formed in a range of…

Monte Carlo modeling of neutral gas and dust in the coma of Comet 1P/Halley

Hansen, Kenneth C.; Gombosi, Tamas I.; Combi, Michael R. +4 more

The neutral gas environment of a comet is largely influenced by dissociation of parent molecules created at the surface of the comet and collisions of all the involved species. We compare the results from a kinetic model of the neutral cometary environment with measurements from the Neutral Mass Spectrometer and the Dust Impact Detection System on…