The extraordinary composition of the blue comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS)

We present a multi-wavelength study of comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS). This comet was observed on 23 and 24 January 2018 with the IRAM 30 m telescope, and in January to March 2018 with the Nançay radio telescope. Visible spectroscopy was performed in December 2017 and February 2018 with small amateur telescopes. We report on measurements of CO, CH₃OH, H₂CO and HCN production rates, and on the determination of the N₂/CO abundance ratio. Several other species, especially OH, were searched for but not detected. The inferred relative abundances, including upper limits for sulfur species, are compared to those measured in other comets at about the same heliocentric distance of 2.8 AU. The coma composition of comet C/2016 R2 is very different from all other comets observed so far, being rich in N₂ and CO and dust poor. This suggests that this comet might belong to a very rare group of comets formed beyond the N₂ ice line. Alternatively, comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS) could be the fragment of a large and differentiated transneptunian object, with properties characteristic of volatile-enriched layers.

Based on observations carried out with the IRAM 30 m telescope. IRAM is supported by INSU/CNRS (France), MPG (Germany), and IGN (Spain).The radio spectra are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/619/A127