JCMT detection of HCN emission from 3I/ATLAS at 2.1 au
East Asian Observatory · Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica · +6 more institutions
Abstract
ABSTRACT We report the detection of HCN($J=3-2$) rotational emission from comet 3I/ATLAS at a heliocentric distance of 2.13 au with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT). Observations were conducted between 2025 August 7 and 2025 September 14 (ut) using the $^{^{\prime }}\, \overline{U}\, ^{^{\prime }}\, \overline{u}$ heterodyne receiver and ACSIS (Auto Correlation Spectral Imaging System) spectroscopic backend. The HCN line was detected at $> 6 \sigma$ on 2025 September 14 (ut) and a production rate of $Q({\rm HCN})=(4.0\pm 1.7)\times 10^{25}$ s$^{-1}$ was derived by non-LTE radiative transfer modelling. Preliminary estimates of the HCN/H$_2$O and CN/HCN abundance ratios suggest values similar to…
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Authors
11- IMI. M. CoulsonCorresponding
East Asian Observatory
- YKYi-Jehng Kuan
Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, National Taiwan Normal University
- SBSteven B. Charnley
Goddard Space Flight Center
- MCMartin Cordiner
Goddard Space Flight Center, University of America
- YCYo-Ling Chuang
Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, National Taiwan Normal University
Topics & keywords
- James Clerk Maxwell Telescope
- Radiative transfer
- Comet
- Emission spectrum
- Telescope
- Line (geometry)
- Spectral line
- Production rate