Abstract
We have constructed a synthetic spectrum of the 2.5 micron $C_2H$ bands and compared them with diminutive structures in the near-infrared spectra of Comets P/Halley and West (1976 VI). We found that the Q branches of the $C_2H$ bands coincide with two small emission peaks in the spectra of the comets. We undertook Monte Carlo simulations using observed emission intensities of $C_2$ and possibly $C_2H$ in Comet P/Halley in order to derive a lifetime range of $C_2H$ and a production rate at the time of observations of P/Halley. We obtained a $C_2H$ production rate of $1\times10^{27}\;sec^{-1}$ for P/Halley on December 20, 1985, assuming the 2.5 micron features are due to $C_2H$. We derived a very short lifetime (<100 seconds) of $C_2H$ at 1AU heliocentric distance, assuming that the only parent molecule for $C_2H$ and $C_2$ is $C_2H$. Using this short lifetime we were unable to fit our $C_2$ distribution model to $C_2$ distribution curves observed by O'Dell et al.(1988), because our curve shows a steep slope compared with the observed one. We conclude that there must be significant additional source(s) for $C_2H$ and $C_2$ other than $C_2H_2$.