Comets C/2001 RX_14 (LINEAR) and C/2002 V1 (NEAT)

M. Honda, University of Tokyo, and colleagues (T. Yamashita, H. Kataza, T. Miyata, T. Fujiyoshi, S. Sako, Y. K. Okamoto, T. Onaka, T. Sekiguchi, D. Kinoshita, and J. Watanabe) report on mid- infrared observations of two comets with the 8.2-m Subaru Telescope (+ COMICS). N/Q-band imaging of C/2002 V1 on Jan. 11.2 UT yield the following total fluxes within a 2".73-box aperture: 8.8 microns, 0.83 +/- 0.01 Jy; 11.7 microns, 1.55 +/- 0.02 Jy; 12.4 microns, 1.95 +/- 0.04 Jy; 18.8 microns, 2.79 +/- 0.06 Jy. Low- resolution (250) N-band spectroscopic observations (range 8-13 microns) of C/2002 V1 showed a broad amorphous silicate feature with a 11.2-micron local peak, indicating the presence of crystalline olivine. Total fluxes for C/2001 RX_14 on Jan. 11.6 (measured as above): 8.8 microns, 0.066 +/- 0.004 Jy; 12.4 microns, 0.279 +/- 0.016 Jy; 18.8 microns, 0.356 +/- 0.022 Jy. Low- resolution N-band spectroscopy of C/2001 RX_14 showed the possible shallow silicate feature, but no 11.2-micron local peak was found within the error bars.