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Comets and Constraints on Solar System Formation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 March 2016

A.Chantal Levasseur-Regourd
A.Chantal Levasseur-Regourd*
Affiliation:
Université Paris 6 / Aéronomie BP 3, 91371, Verrières, France

Abstract

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New and important data have been obtained during the 1985-1986 return of comet Halley, including in situ observations of the nucleus and the coma. Since the interpretation of the observations is not straightforward, the results are presented in a rather conservative manner. Some clues to the solar system formation are suggested, e.g. the shape of the nucleus, its low density, the estimated mass of the Oort cloud, the elemental abundances in comet Halley. Constraints related to isotopie abundances (deuterium enrichment, possible anomalies in carbon isotopes) and to cometary dust (complex organic compounds, submicron sized dust particles) are extensively discussed.

Type
Joint Discussions
Information
Highlights of Astronomy , Volume 9: Highlights of Astronomy. As presented at the XXIst General Assembly of the IAU, 1991 , 1992 , pp. 347 - 354
Copyright
Copyright © Kluwer 1992

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