A Search for [FORMULA][F][RM]N[/RM][SUP]+[/SUP][INF]2[/INF][/F][/FORMULA] in Spectra of Comet C/2002 C1 (Ikeya-Zhang)

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Abstract
We report low- and high-resolution spectra of comet C/2002 C1 (Ikeya-Zhang) from the McDonald Observatory. The comet has a well-developed ion tail including CO+, CO, CH+, and H2O+. We used our high-resolution spectra to search for N. None was detected, and we placed upper limits on N/CO+ of 5.4 × 10-4. N was detected in the low-resolution spectra, but we show that this emission was probably telluric in origin (if cometary, we derive N/CO+ = 5.5 × 10-3, still very low). We discuss the implications for the conditions in the early solar nebula of the nondetection of N. These depend on whether the H2O ice was deposited in the amorphous or crystalline form. If H2O was deposited in its crystalline form, the detection of CO+ but not N has implications for H2O/H2 in the early solar nebula.
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