N. Biver¹ et al. (>10)*
*Find the extensive, full author and affiliation list on the publishers website.

¹LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, UPMC, Université Paris-Diderot, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France

A spectral survey in the 1 mm wavelength range was undertaken in the long-period comets C/2012 F6 (Lemmon) and C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy) using the 30 m telescope of the Institut de radioastronomie millimétrique (IRAM) in April and November−December 2013. We report the detection of ethylene glycol (CH₂OH)₂ (aGg’ conformer) and formamide (NH₂CHO) in the two comets. The abundances relative to water of ethylene glycol and formamide are 0.2–0.3% and 0.02% in the two comets, similar to the values measured in comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp). We also report the detection of HCOOH and CH₃CHO in comet C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy), and a search for other complex species (methyl formate, glycolaldehyde).

Reference
Biver et al. (2014) Complex organic molecules in comets C/2012 F6 (Lemmon) and C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy): detection of ethylene glycol and formamide. Astronomy & Astrophysics 566:L50.
[doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201423890]
Reproduced with permission © ESO

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