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Detection of methyl cyanide in Comet Kohoutek

Nature volume 248, pages 121–122 (1974)Cite this article

Abstract

MOST current models of comets assume that the nucleus is an icy solid body containing fairly complex parent chemical compounds which sublimate and dissociate to provide the radicals and simple molecules that have been observed in cometary spectra1. Optical spectra show the presence of CN, CO+;, CH, NH, OH and many others2; proposed parent molecules have included H2O, HCN, HNCO, CH3CN and H2CO3. Previous attempts to detect H2CO and H2O were unsuccessful, probably due to excessive beam dilution4,5. Here we report the first direct detection of a parent molecule, methyl cyanide (CH3CN), at a wavelength of 2.7 mm in Comet Kohoutek (1973f). At the same time we were unable to detect either CN or CO at similar wavelengths.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Tucson, Arizona

    B. L. ULICH

  2. National Astronomy and Ionospheric Center Arecibo, Puerto Rico

    E. K. CONKLIN

Authors
  1. B. L. ULICH
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  2. E. K. CONKLIN
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ULICH, B., CONKLIN, E. Detection of methyl cyanide in Comet Kohoutek. Nature 248, 121–122 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/248121a0

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