7 papers
Origin and evolution of NiI and FeI in the coma of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS throughout its trajectory
Damien Hutsemékers, Jean Manfroid, Cyrielle Opitom +8
We present high-resolution UVES+VLT observations of neutral nickel and iron atoms in the coma of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS taken after perihelion. Metal emission was strong s…
The evolution of exocomets and their source populations
Alexander J. Mustill, Tim Pearce, Michele Bannister +12
We review the current state of knowledge of the long-term evolution of the small bodies that give rise to comets and exocomets, as well as their reservoirs. The active cometary pha…
High nitrogen and carbon isotopic ratios in the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS
C. Opitom, J. Manfroid, D. Hutsemékers +13
Interstellar objects provide a unique opportunity to further our understanding of the planetary formation process by studying in detail material formed around another star. Their i…
Pre-perihelion evolution of the NiI/FeI abundance ratio in the coma of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. From extreme to normal
Damien Hutsemékers, Jean Manfroid, Emmanuël Jehin +9
Emission lines of FeI and NiI are commonly found in the coma of Solar System comets, even at large heliocentric distances. These atoms are most likely released from the surface of…
Very Large Telescope Observations of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS. II. From Quiescence to Glow: Dramatic Rise of Ni i Emission and Incipient CN Outgassing at Large Heliocentric Distances*
Rohan Rahatgaonkar, Juan Pablo Carvajal, Thomas H. Puzia +25
We report VLT spectroscopy of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (C/2025~N1) from to ~au using X-shooter (300--550\,nm, ) and UVES (opt…
An Overview of Exocomets
Daniela Iglesias, Isabel Rebollido, Azib Norazman +8
We give a general overview of what the scientific community refers to as "exocomets". The general definition of exocomets, as presented in this work, is discussed and compared with…