A SUBLIME 3D Model for Cometary Coma Emission: the Hypervolatile-Rich Comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS)

Abstract

The coma of comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS) is one of the most chemically peculiar ever observed, in particular due to its extremely high CO/H2O and N2+/H2O ratios}, and unusual trace volatile abundances. However, the complex shape of its CO emission lines, as well as uncertainties in the coma structure and excitation, has lead to ambiguities in the total CO production rate. We performed high resolution, spatially, spectrally and temporally resolved CO observations using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) and Submillimeter Array (SMA) to elucidate the outgassing behaviour of C/2016 R2. Results are analyzed using a new, time-dependent, three dimensional radiative transfer code (SUBLIME), incorporating for the first time, accurate state-to-state collisional rate coefficients for the CO--CO system. The total CO production rate was found to be in the range $(3.8-7.6)\times 10^{28}$ s${}^{-1}$ between 2018-01-13 and 2018-02-01, with a mean value of $(5.3\pm 0.6)\times 10^{28}$ s${}^{-1}$ at r_H = 2.8-2.9 au. The emission is concentrated in a near-sunward jet, with an outflow velocity $0.51\pm 0.01$ km/s, compared to $0.25\pm 0.01$ km/s in the ambient (and night-side) coma. Evidence was also found for an extended source of CO emission, possibly due to icy grain sublimation around $1.2\times 10^5$ km from the nucleus. Based on the coma molecular abundances, we propose that the nucleus ices of C/2016 R2 can be divided into a rapidly sublimating apolar phase, rich in CO, CO2, N2 and CH3OH, and a predominantly frozen (or less abundant), polar phase containing more H2O, CH4, H2CO and HCN.

Accepted for publication in ApJ

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