Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 7 August 1987:
Vol. 237. no. 4815, pp. 628 - 630
DOI: 10.1126/science.237.4815.628
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

First Polymer in Space Identified in Comet Halley

W. F. HUEBNER 1

1 Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78284.

The heavy-ion mass spectrum obtained in the inner coma of comet Halley with the PICCA instrument on the Giotto spacecraft has been examined. Short polymer chains of polyoxymethylene and their decay products are identified as the source for the spectrum with six mass peaks between about 45 and 120 atomic mass units. The properties of polyoxymethylene are consistent with many of the unexpected observations in the coma.

Submitted on May 4, 1987
Accepted on July 7, 1987


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Evidence for Chain Molecules Enriched in Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen in Comet Halley.
D. L. MITCHELL, R. P. LIN, K. A. ANDERSON, C. W. CARLSON, D. W. CURTIS, A. KORTH, H. REME, J. A. SAUVAUD, C. D'USTON, and D. A. MENDIS (1987)
Science 237, 626-628
   Abstract »    PDF »
Observations of Comet 19P/Borrelly by the Miniature Integrated Camera and Spectrometer Aboard Deep Space 1.
L. A. Soderblom, T. L. Becker, G. Bennett, D. C. Boice, D. T. Britt, R. H. Brown, B. J. Buratti, C. Isbell, B. Giese, T. Hare, et al. (2002)
Science 296, 1087-1091
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)