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We present the results of a molecular survey of long period comets C/2021 A1 (Leonard) and C/2022 E3 (ZTF). Comet C/2021 A1 was observed with the Institut de radioastronomie millimétrique (IRAM) 30-m radio telescope in November-December 2021 before perihelion (heliocentric distance 1.22 to 0.76 au) when it was closest to the Earth (≈0.24 au). We observed C/2022 E3 in January-February 2023 with theOdin1-m space telescope and IRAM 30-m, shortly after its perihelion at 1.11 au from the Sun, and when it was closest to the Earth (≈0.30 au). Snapshots were obtained during 12–16 November 2021 period for comet C/2021 A1. Spectral surveys were undertaken over the 8–13 December 2021 period for comet C/2021 A1 (8 GHz bandwidth at 3 mm, 16 GHz at 2 mm, and 61 GHz in the 1 mm window) and over the 3–7 February 2023 period for comet C/2022 E3 (25 GHz at 2 mm and 61 GHz at 1 mm). We report detections of 14 molecular species (HCN, HNC, CH3CN, HNCO, NH2CHO, CH3OH, H2CO, HCOOH, CH3CHO, H2S, CS, OCS, C2H5OH and aGg’-(CH2OH)2) in both comets. In addition, HC3N, and CH2OHCHO were marginally detected in C/2021 A1, and CO and H2O (withOdin) were detected in C/2022 E3. The spatial distribution of several species (HCN, HNC, CS, H2CO, HNCO, HCOOH, NH2CHO, and CH3CHO) is investigated. Significant upper limits on the abundances of other molecules and isotopic ratios are also presented. The activity of comet C/2021 A1 did not vary significantly between 13 November and 13 December 2021, when observations stopped, just before it started to exhibit major outbursts seen in the visible and from observations of the OH radical. Short-term variability in the outgassing of comet C/2022 E3 of the order of ±20% is present and possibly linked to its 8h rotation period. Both comets exhibit rather low abundances relative to water for volatile species such as CO (<2%) and H2S (0.15%). Methanol is also rather depleted in comet C/2021 A1 (0.9%). Following their revised photo-destruction rates, HNCO and HCOOH abundances in comets observed at millimetre wavelengths have been reevaluated. Both molecules are relatively enriched in these two comets (~0.2% relative to water). Since the combined abundance of these two acids (0.1–1%) is close to that of ammonia in comets, we cannot exclude that these species could be produced by the dissociation of ammonium formate and ammonium cyanate if present in comets.more » « less
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Gaia16aye was a binary microlensing event discovered in the direction towards the northern Galactic disc and was one of the first microlensing events detected and alerted to by the Gaia space mission. Its light curve exhibited five distinct brightening episodes, reaching up to I = 12 mag, and it was covered in great detail with almost 25 000 data points gathered by a network of telescopes. We present the photometric and spectroscopic follow-up covering 500 days of the event evolution. We employed a full Keplerian binary orbit microlensing model combined with the motion of Earth and Gaia around the Sun to reproduce the complex light curve. The photometric data allowed us to solve the microlensing event entirely and to derive the complete and unique set of orbital parameters of the binary lensing system. We also report on the detection of the first-ever microlensing space-parallax between the Earth and Gaia located at L2. The properties of the binary system were derived from microlensing parameters, and we found that the system is composed of two main-sequence stars with masses 0.57 ± 0.05 M ⊙ and 0.36 ± 0.03 M ⊙ at 780 pc, with an orbital period of 2.88 years and an eccentricity of 0.30. We also predict the astrometric microlensing signal for this binary lens as it will be seen by Gaia as well as the radial velocity curve for the binary system. Events such as Gaia16aye indicate the potential for the microlensing method of probing the mass function of dark objects, including black holes, in directions other than that of the Galactic bulge. This case also emphasises the importance of long-term time-domain coordinated observations that can be made with a network of heterogeneous telescopes.more » « less
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