| Abstract: | Cometary nuclei consist of ices intermixed with dust grains and are thought to be the least modified solar system bodies remaining
from the time of planetary formation. Flyby missions to Comet P/Halley in 1986 showed that cometary dust is extremely rich
in organics (∼50% by mass). However, this proportion appears to be variable among different comets. In comparison with the
CI-chondritic abundances, the volatile elements H, C, and N are enriched in cometary dust indicating that cometary solid material
is more primitive than CI-chondrites. Relative to dust in dense molecular clouds, bulk cometary dust preserves the abundances
of C and N, but exhibits depletions in O and H. In most cases, the carbonaceous component of cometary particles can be characterized
as a multi-component mixture of carbon phases and organic compounds. Cluster analysis identified a few basic types of compounds,
such as elemental carbon, hydrocarbons, polymers of carbon suboxide and of cyanopolyynes. In smaller amounts, polymers of
formaldehyde, of hydrogen cyanide and various unsaturated nitriles also are present. These compositionally simple types, probably,
are essential "building blocks", which in various combinations give rise to the variety of involatile cometary organics.
This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |
