Metals found in the atmospheres of comets in and beyond our solar system surprise scientists

[Admin]

Metal atoms have surprisingly been discovered in the frigid atmosphere of the first known interstellar comet to visit our solar system, a new study finds.

Metals found in the atmospheres of comets in and beyond our solar system surprise scientists : Read more

 

[rod]

"In an independent study also appearing in the May 20 issue of Nature, astronomers discovered gaseous nickel and iron in the cold comas of about 20 solar system comets of many different types. The wavelengths of light from these metals they detected using the Very Large Telescope were hidden in plain sight, mingled among the spectrum of light from other molecules in the comas."

Looks like improving technology and imaging here. Previous studies may not have been able to see the metals *in plain sight*. Comets are indeed dirty snowballs.

 

[Catastrophe]

"Astronomers have also detected metal in the cold haloes surrounding comets local to the solar system, which suggest our solar system comets and the interstellar visitor may have similar origins, researchers add.

Comets, which are made up of dust and ice left over from planetary formation, could yield key clues to the chemistry of early planetary systems. Scientists often deduce the composition of comets by examining the clouds of gas and dust known as comas that surround the hearts of comets."

Cat

This is a quote from the reference in post #1:

Metals found in the atmospheres of comets in and beyond our solar system surprise scientists | Space

 

[Galacsi]

I feel compelled to say this : This is no surprise if you consider the electric theory of comets. there is a gradient of electric potential in the solar system and when comets approach the sun they start to suffer from electric erosion. This explains these atoms of iron and nickel. And I am sure that if we search well we will find many other "surprising" elements. I know this is not mainstream theory but it is the right théory.

 

[Catastrophe]

The Electrical Nature of Comets

Abstract:
Comet displays are thought to be due to sublimation of volatile ices from an inert nucleus in the heat of the Sun. For example, the Stardust mission has shown that the origin of comets requires some high-temperature conditions. A 'cross-eye' stereo pair of comet Wild 2's nucleus showing typical EDM erosion. Comet flybys have shown phenomena of great complexity and higher energy than expected. Comet Hyakutake showed unsuspected high-energy processes taking place in the comet. A forbidden oxygen spectral line in the coma of Comet Austin pointed to an intense electric field. Activity is restricted to small areas on each comet nucleus and takes the form of collimated jets, which maintain their filamentary coherence across tens of millions of kilometers. The complex structure and high-energy behavior can be explained if the comet is a charged body moving in a radial electric field responsible for accelerating the solar-wind plasma, rather than an inert, heated body in a rarefied supersonic "wind." The jets and surface topography of comets are consistent with EDM erosion of a cathode surface. The fine dust particles may be the result of cathode sputtering. The presence of the OH radical may be due to combination of sputtered negative oxygen ions from the comet nucleus with solar 'wind' protons and is consistent with the lack of water ice observed on comet nuclei. On the basis of an electrical theory of comets, the author predicted that the Deep Impact mission would observe an electrical flash before impact with the copper projectile and that the outburst would be more energetic than expected.

Published in: 2007 IEEE 34th International Conference on Plasma Science (ICOPS)


Cat

 

[rod]

Folks should keep in mind comets do not exist in the heliocentric solar system for long ages (those comets that complete closed orbits about the Sun, long period or short period comets). Secular orbital evolution of Jupiter family comets, https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017A&A...598A.110R/abstract, Feb-2017.

Comets lose mass especially during perihelion passages and can be perturbed into other orbits, even crash into Jupiter or get ejected. The periodic comets observed in astronomy today, most will not last 100,000 revolutions or even less, thus 2 million year lifetimes or less for many. Comets observed today have much shorter lifetimes in the solar system than the age of the solar system calculated using meteorite ages, e.g. Clair Patterson in 1956, some 4.56 x 10^9 years old.