Carbon Monoxide and Carbon Dioxide Production Ratios in a Distantly Active Comet

This paper examines the relative production of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and water in a comet active far from the Sun. Using only published input values and transparent formulae, the calculation obtains the following headline results: Q_H2O_molecules_s = 1e+26; Q_CO_molecules_s = 2e+26; Q_CO2_molecules_s = 5e+25. Carbon monoxide production is twice the water rate and four times the carbon dioxide rate, and the two carbon oxides together supply about seventy-one percent of all molecules released. The method, inputs and limitations behind the study of the relative production of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and water in a comet active far from the Sun are stated in full so that any reader can reproduce or rescale every number from the deposited calculation script. Agreement and disagreement with independent published estimates are reported at their actual size, and the conclusions are limited to what the budget arithmetic for a coma at several AU where the supervolatile species carry the activity supports.