Neutral Atomic Emissions from Comet Hale-Bopp
R. J. Oliversen (NASA/GSFC), F. Scherb, F. L. Roesler, E. J. Mierkiewicz, R. C. Woodward (U Wisconsin), G. M. Hilton, N. E. Doane (HSTX)
High resolution (R=100,000) spectra of atomic oxygen, hydrogen, and
carbon from Comet Hale-Bopp were obtained at the NSO McMath-Pierce
main telescope from February 8 to April 19, 1997, using a 50 mm
dual-etalon Fabry-Perot/CCD spectrometer. The field of view was 6
arcmin. Spectra with good signal-to-noise were obtained for the
emission lines [O I] 6300Å, H 
(6563Å), and [C I] 9850Å.
On several of these nights, complementary [O I] 6300Å observations
were simultaneously obtained with the Wisconsin H Mapper
(WH M) at Kitt Peak. Additional [O I] 6300Å observations
were also obtained in September 1996. These [C I] 9850Å observations
are the first extensive data set of this cometary line. We will
present an overview of our observations and preliminary results.