First in-situ detection of the cometary ammonium ion NH4+ (protonated ammonia NH3 ) in the coma of 67P/C-G near perihelion

Arnaud Beth; Kathrin Altwegg; Hans Balsiger; Jean-Jacques Berthelier; Ursina Calmonte; Michael R. Combi; Johan de Keyser; Frederik Dhooghe; Björn Fiethe; Stephen Fuselier; Marina Galand; Sébastien Gasc; Tamas I. Gombosi; Kenneth C. Hansen; Myrtha Hässig; Kevin L. Héritier; Ernest Kopp; Léna Le Roy; E. Mandt; Solène Peroy; Martin Rubin; Thierry Sémon; Chia-Yu Tzou; Erik Vigren

First in-situ detection of the cometary ammonium ion NH₄⁺ (protonated ammonia NH₃ ) in the coma of 67P/C-G near perihelion

Arnaud Beth ¹ Kathrin Altwegg ² Hans Balsiger ² Jean-Jacques Berthelier ^{3, 4} Ursina Calmonte ² Michael R. Combi ⁵ Johan de Keyser ⁶ Frederik Dhooghe ⁶ Björn Fiethe ⁷ Stephen Fuselier ^{8, 9} Marina Galand ¹ Sébastien Gasc ² Tamas I. Gombosi ⁵ Kenneth C. Hansen ⁵ Myrtha Hässig ^{9, 2} Kevin L. Héritier ¹ Ernest Kopp ² Léna Le Roy ² E. Mandt ^{9, 8} Solène Peroy ¹ Martin Rubin ² Thierry Sémon ² Chia-Yu Tzou ² Erik Vigren ¹⁰

1 Department of Physics [London]

2 Physikalisches Institut [Bern]

3 IMPEC - LATMOS

LATMOS - Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales

4 HEPPI - LATMOS

LATMOS - Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales

5 AOSS - Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences [Ann Arbor]

6 BIRA-IASB - Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy / Institut d'Aéronomie Spatiale de Belgique

7 IDA - Institute of Computer and Network Engineering [Braunschweig]

8 SwRI - Southwest Research Institute [San Antonio]

9 UTSA Department of Physics and Astronomy [San Antonio]

10 IRF - Swedish Institute of Space Physics [Uppsala]

Abstract : In this paper, we report the first in-situ detection of the ammonium ion NH₄⁺ at 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/C-G) in a cometary coma, using the Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA) / Double Focusing Mass Spectrometer (DFMS). Unlike neutral and ion spectrometers onboard previous cometary missions, the ROSINA/DFMS spectrometer, when operated in ion mode, offers the capability to distinguish NH₄⁺ from H₂O⁺ in a cometary coma. We present here the ion data analysis of mass-to-charge ratios 18 and 19 at high spectral resolution and compare the results with an ionospheric model to put the these results into context. The model confirms that the ammonium ion NH₄⁺ is one of the most abundant ion species, as predicted, in the coma near perihelion.

Keywords : Comets Data analysis UV radiation Plasmas Sun

Document type :

Journal articles

Domain :

Sciences of the Universe [physics] / Ocean, Atmosphere

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https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-01427998
Contributor : Catherine Cardon <>
Submitted on : Friday, January 6, 2017 - 11:31:39 AM
Last modification on : Wednesday, August 7, 2019 - 2:34:15 PM

First in-situ detection of the cometary ammonium ion NH₄⁺ (protonated ammonia NH₃ ) in the coma of 67P/C-G near perihelion

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First in-situ detection of the cometary ammonium ion NH4+ (protonated ammonia NH3 ) in the coma of 67P/C-G near perihelion

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First in-situ detection of the cometary ammonium ion NH₄⁺ (protonated ammonia NH₃ ) in the coma of 67P/C-G near perihelion