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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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We present the results of a molecular survey of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko undertaken with the Institut de RadioAstronomie Millimétrique (IRAM) 30-m radio telescope in November–December 2021, when it had its most favourable apparition in decades. Observations at IRAM 30-m during the 12–16 November period covered 8 GHz bandwidth at 3 mm, 16 GHz at 2 mm, and 60 GHz in the 1 mm window domain. These were completed by snapshots at 1 mm on 12–13 December and a short observation of the H 2 O line at 557 GHz with the Odin sub-millimetre observatory on 17.0 November 2021, and with 18-cm observations of OH with the Nançay radio telescope. Less sensitive observations obtained at a previous perihelion passage on 18–22 September 2015 with IRAM and 9–12 November 2015 with Odin are also presented. The gas outflow velocity, outgassing pattern, and temperature have been accurately constrained by the observations. They are perfectly consistent with those measured in situ with the Rosetta/MIRO sub-millimetre instrument in 2015. In particular, the asymmetry of the line is well represented by a jet concentrating three-quarters of the outgassing in about π steradians. We derived abundances relative to water for seven molecules and significant upper limits for approximately five others. The retrieved abundances were compared to those measured in situ at the previous perihelion with Rosetta. While those of HCN, CH 3 OH, and HNCO are comparable, 67P is found to be depleted in H 2 S and relatively normal in CS (H 2 S/CS ≈ 3) in strong contradiction with the Rosetta/ROSINA mass spectrometer measurement of the H 2 S/CS 2 (≈100) abundance ratio. While the formaldehyde total abundance found with IRAM 30-m when assuming it to be mostly produced by a distributed source (Haser parent scale length ≈8000 km) is similar to the one derived by Rosetta/ROSINA, we find that the formaldehyde coming from the nucleus is one order of magnitude less abundant than measured in situ by Rosetta/ROSINA.more » « less
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