1
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Rubin M, Engrand C, Snodgrass C, Weissman P, Altwegg K, Busemann H, Morbidelli A, Mumma M. On the Origin and Evolution of the Material in 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Space Sci Rev 2020; 216:102. [PMID: 32801398 PMCID: PMC7392949 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-020-00718-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Primitive objects like comets hold important information on the material that formed our solar system. Several comets have been visited by spacecraft and many more have been observed through Earth- and space-based telescopes. Still our understanding remains limited. Molecular abundances in comets have been shown to be similar to interstellar ices and thus indicate that common processes and conditions were involved in their formation. The samples returned by the Stardust mission to comet Wild 2 showed that the bulk refractory material was processed by high temperatures in the vicinity of the early sun. The recent Rosetta mission acquired a wealth of new data on the composition of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (hereafter 67P/C-G) and complemented earlier observations of other comets. The isotopic, elemental, and molecular abundances of the volatile, semi-volatile, and refractory phases brought many new insights into the origin and processing of the incorporated material. The emerging picture after Rosetta is that at least part of the volatile material was formed before the solar system and that cometary nuclei agglomerated over a wide range of heliocentric distances, different from where they are found today. Deviations from bulk solar system abundances indicate that the material was not fully homogenized at the location of comet formation, despite the radial mixing implied by the Stardust results. Post-formation evolution of the material might play an important role, which further complicates the picture. This paper discusses these major findings of the Rosetta mission with respect to the origin of the material and puts them in the context of what we know from other comets and solar system objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Rubin
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Cécile Engrand
- CNRS/IN2P3, IJCLab, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Colin Snodgrass
- Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, EH9 3HJ UK
| | | | - Kathrin Altwegg
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Henner Busemann
- Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Michael Mumma
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Rd., Greenbelt, 20771 MD USA
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2
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Spencer JR, Stern SA, Moore JM, Weaver HA, Singer KN, Olkin CB, Verbiscer AJ, McKinnon WB, Parker JW, Beyer RA, Keane JT, Lauer TR, Porter SB, White OL, Buratti BJ, El-Maarry MR, Lisse CM, Parker AH, Throop HB, Robbins SJ, Umurhan OM, Binzel RP, Britt DT, Buie MW, Cheng AF, Cruikshank DP, Elliott HA, Gladstone GR, Grundy WM, Hill ME, Horanyi M, Jennings DE, Kavelaars JJ, Linscott IR, McComas DJ, McNutt RL, Protopapa S, Reuter DC, Schenk PM, Showalter MR, Young LA, Zangari AM, Abedin AY, Beddingfield CB, Benecchi SD, Bernardoni E, Bierson CJ, Borncamp D, Bray VJ, Chaikin AL, Dhingra RD, Fuentes C, Fuse T, Gay PL, Gwyn SDJ, Hamilton DP, Hofgartner JD, Holman MJ, Howard AD, Howett CJA, Karoji H, Kaufmann DE, Kinczyk M, May BH, Mountain M, Pätzold M, Petit JM, Piquette MR, Reid IN, Reitsema HJ, Runyon KD, Sheppard SS, Stansberry JA, Stryk T, Tanga P, Tholen DJ, Trilling DE, Wasserman LH. The geology and geophysics of Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth. Science 2020; 367:science.aay3999. [PMID: 32054694 DOI: 10.1126/science.aay3999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The Cold Classical Kuiper Belt, a class of small bodies in undisturbed orbits beyond Neptune, is composed of primitive objects preserving information about Solar System formation. In January 2019, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past one of these objects, the 36-kilometer-long contact binary (486958) Arrokoth (provisional designation 2014 MU69). Images from the flyby show that Arrokoth has no detectable rings, and no satellites (larger than 180 meters in diameter) within a radius of 8000 kilometers. Arrokoth has a lightly cratered, smooth surface with complex geological features, unlike those on previously visited Solar System bodies. The density of impact craters indicates the surface dates from the formation of the Solar System. The two lobes of the contact binary have closely aligned poles and equators, constraining their accretion mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- J R Spencer
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA.
| | - S A Stern
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - J M Moore
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000, USA
| | - H A Weaver
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - K N Singer
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - C B Olkin
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - A J Verbiscer
- Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - W B McKinnon
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - J Wm Parker
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - R A Beyer
- SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.,NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000, USA
| | - J T Keane
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - T R Lauer
- National Science Foundation's National Optical Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, Tucson, AZ 26732, USA
| | - S B Porter
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - O L White
- SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.,NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000, USA
| | - B J Buratti
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - M R El-Maarry
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, UK.,University College London, Gower St, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - C M Lisse
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - A H Parker
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - H B Throop
- Independent Consultant, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - S J Robbins
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - O M Umurhan
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000, USA
| | - R P Binzel
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - D T Britt
- Department of Physics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
| | - M W Buie
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - A F Cheng
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - D P Cruikshank
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000, USA
| | - H A Elliott
- Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA
| | - G R Gladstone
- Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA
| | - W M Grundy
- Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA.,Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - M E Hill
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - M Horanyi
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - D E Jennings
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - J J Kavelaars
- National Research Council of Canada, Victoria, BC V9E 2E7, Canada
| | - I R Linscott
- Independent Consultant, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - D J McComas
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - R L McNutt
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - S Protopapa
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - D C Reuter
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - P M Schenk
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | | | - L A Young
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - A M Zangari
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - A Y Abedin
- National Research Council of Canada, Victoria, BC V9E 2E7, Canada
| | | | - S D Benecchi
- Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - E Bernardoni
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - C J Bierson
- Earth and Planetary Science Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - D Borncamp
- Decipher Technology Studios, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
| | - V J Bray
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - A L Chaikin
- Independent Science Writer, Arlington, VT 05250, USA
| | | | - C Fuentes
- Universidad de Chile, Centro de Astrofísica y Tecnologías Afines, Santiago, Chile
| | - T Fuse
- Kashima Space Technology Center, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kashima, Ibaraki 314-8501, Japan
| | - P L Gay
- Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - S D J Gwyn
- National Research Council of Canada, Victoria, BC V9E 2E7, Canada
| | - D P Hamilton
- Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - J D Hofgartner
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - M J Holman
- Center for Astrophysics, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - A D Howard
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - C J A Howett
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - H Karoji
- National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
| | - D E Kaufmann
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - M Kinczyk
- Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - B H May
- Independent Collaborator, Windlesham GU20 6YW, UK
| | - M Mountain
- Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Washington, DC 20004, USA
| | - M Pätzold
- Rheinisches Institut für Umweltforschung an der Universität zu Köln, Cologne 50931, Germany
| | - J M Petit
- Institut Univers, Temps-fréquence, Interfaces, Nanostructures, Atmosphère et environnement, Molécules, Unité Mixte de Recherche, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Universite Bourgogne Franche Comte, F-25000 Besancon, France
| | - M R Piquette
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - I N Reid
- Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | | | - K D Runyon
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - S S Sheppard
- Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC 20015, USA
| | - J A Stansberry
- Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - T Stryk
- Roane State Community College, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - P Tanga
- Université Côte d'Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Laboratoire Lagrange/ Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7293, 06304 Nice Cedex 4, France
| | - D J Tholen
- Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - D E Trilling
- Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
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3
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Rubin M, Engrand C, Snodgrass C, Weissman P, Altwegg K, Busemann H, Morbidelli A, Mumma M. On the Origin and Evolution of the Material in 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Space Sci Rev 2020. [PMID: 32801398 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-019-0625-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Primitive objects like comets hold important information on the material that formed our solar system. Several comets have been visited by spacecraft and many more have been observed through Earth- and space-based telescopes. Still our understanding remains limited. Molecular abundances in comets have been shown to be similar to interstellar ices and thus indicate that common processes and conditions were involved in their formation. The samples returned by the Stardust mission to comet Wild 2 showed that the bulk refractory material was processed by high temperatures in the vicinity of the early sun. The recent Rosetta mission acquired a wealth of new data on the composition of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (hereafter 67P/C-G) and complemented earlier observations of other comets. The isotopic, elemental, and molecular abundances of the volatile, semi-volatile, and refractory phases brought many new insights into the origin and processing of the incorporated material. The emerging picture after Rosetta is that at least part of the volatile material was formed before the solar system and that cometary nuclei agglomerated over a wide range of heliocentric distances, different from where they are found today. Deviations from bulk solar system abundances indicate that the material was not fully homogenized at the location of comet formation, despite the radial mixing implied by the Stardust results. Post-formation evolution of the material might play an important role, which further complicates the picture. This paper discusses these major findings of the Rosetta mission with respect to the origin of the material and puts them in the context of what we know from other comets and solar system objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Rubin
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Cécile Engrand
- CNRS/IN2P3, IJCLab, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Colin Snodgrass
- Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, EH9 3HJ UK
| | | | - Kathrin Altwegg
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Henner Busemann
- Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Michael Mumma
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Rd., Greenbelt, 20771 MD USA
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4
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Jones GH, Knight MM, Fitzsimmons A, Taylor MGGT. Cometary science after Rosetta. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2017; 375:rsta.2017.0001. [PMID: 28554982 PMCID: PMC5454231 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2017.0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The European Space Agency's Rosetta mission ended operations on 30 September 2016 having spent over 2 years in close proximity to its target comet, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Shortly before this, in summer 2016, a discussion meeting was held to examine how the results of the mission could be framed in terms of cometary and solar system science in general. This paper provides a brief history of the Rosetta mission, and gives an overview of the meeting and the contents of this associated special issue.This article is part of the themed issue 'Cometary science after Rosetta'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraint H Jones
- Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Dorking, Surrey, UK
- The Centre for Planetary Sciences at UCL/Birkbeck, Gower Street, London, UK
| | | | - Alan Fitzsimmons
- Astrophysics Research Centre, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
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5
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Russo ND. More than a day in the life of a comet. Science 2016; 354:1536-1537. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aal1964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Learning how a comet evolves can reveal the nature of the early solar system
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Affiliation(s)
- N. Dello Russo
- Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
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6
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Bodewits D, Lara LM, A’hearn MF, La Forgia F, Gicquel A, Kovacs G, Knollenberg J, Lazzarin M, Lin (林忠義) Z, Shi X, Snodgrass C, Tubiana C, Sierks H, Barbieri C, Lamy PL, Rodrigo R, Koschny D, Rickman H, Keller HU, Barucci MA, Bertaux J, Bertini I, Boudreault S, Cremonese G, Da Deppo V, Davidsson B, Debei S, De Cecco M, Fornasier S, Fulle M, Groussin O, Gutiérrez PJ, Güttler C, Hviid SF, Ip W, Jorda L, Kramm J, Kührt E, Küppers M, López-moreno JJ, Marzari F, Naletto G, Oklay N, Thomas N, Toth I, Vincent J. CHANGES IN THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE INNER COMA OF 67P/CHURYUMOV–GERASIMENKO WITH DECREASING HELIOCENTRIC DISTANCE. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 152:130. [DOI: 10.3847/0004-6256/152/5/130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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7
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De Sanctis MC, Capaccioni F, Ciarniello M, Filacchione G, Formisano M, Mottola S, Raponi A, Tosi F, Bockelée-Morvan D, Erard S, Leyrat C, Schmitt B, Ammannito E, Arnold G, Barucci MA, Combi M, Capria MT, Cerroni P, Ip WH, Kuehrt E, McCord TB, Palomba E, Beck P, Quirico E. The diurnal cycle of water ice on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Nature 2015; 525:500-3. [PMID: 26399830 DOI: 10.1038/nature14869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Observations of cometary nuclei have revealed a very limited amount of surface water ice, which is insufficient to explain the observed water outgassing. This was clearly demonstrated on comet 9P/Tempel 1, where the dust jets (driven by volatiles) were only partially correlated with the exposed ice regions. The observations of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko have revealed that activity has a diurnal variation in intensity arising from changing insolation conditions. It was previously concluded that water vapour was generated in ice-rich subsurface layers with a transport mechanism linked to solar illumination, but that has not hitherto been observed. Periodic condensations of water vapour very close to, or on, the surface were suggested to explain short-lived outbursts seen near sunrise on comet 9P/Tempel 1. Here we report observations of water ice on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, appearing and disappearing in a cyclic pattern that follows local illumination conditions, providing a source of localized activity. This water cycle appears to be an important process in the evolution of the comet, leading to cyclical modification of the relative abundance of water ice on its surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C De Sanctis
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - F Capaccioni
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - M Ciarniello
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - G Filacchione
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - M Formisano
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - S Mottola
- Institute for Planetary Research, DLR, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - A Raponi
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - F Tosi
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - D Bockelée-Morvan
- LESIA-Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris Diderot, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
| | - S Erard
- LESIA-Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris Diderot, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
| | - C Leyrat
- LESIA-Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris Diderot, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
| | - B Schmitt
- Université Grenoble Alpes - CNRS Institut de Planetologie et Astrophysique de Grenoble, Batiment D de Physique, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - E Ammannito
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy.,University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - G Arnold
- Institute for Planetary Research, DLR, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - M A Barucci
- LESIA-Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris Diderot, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
| | - M Combi
- Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - M T Capria
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - P Cerroni
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - W-H Ip
- National Central University, No. 300, Jhongda Road, Jhongli District, Taoyuan City, 32001 Taipei, Taiwan
| | - E Kuehrt
- Institute for Planetary Research, DLR, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - T B McCord
- Bear Fight Institute, 22 Fiddler's Road, Box 667, Winthrop, Washington 98862, USA
| | - E Palomba
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - P Beck
- Université Grenoble Alpes - CNRS Institut de Planetologie et Astrophysique de Grenoble, Batiment D de Physique, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - E Quirico
- Université Grenoble Alpes - CNRS Institut de Planetologie et Astrophysique de Grenoble, Batiment D de Physique, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
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8
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Vincent JB, Bodewits D, Besse S, Sierks H, Barbieri C, Lamy P, Rodrigo R, Koschny D, Rickman H, Keller HU, Agarwal J, A'Hearn MF, Auger AT, Barucci MA, Bertaux JL, Bertini I, Capanna C, Cremonese G, Da Deppo V, Davidsson B, Debei S, De Cecco M, El-Maarry MR, Ferri F, Fornasier S, Fulle M, Gaskell R, Giacomini L, Groussin O, Guilbert-Lepoutre A, Gutierrez-Marques P, Gutiérrez PJ, Güttler C, Hoekzema N, Höfner S, Hviid SF, Ip WH, Jorda L, Knollenberg J, Kovacs G, Kramm R, Kührt E, Küppers M, La Forgia F, Lara LM, Lazzarin M, Lee V, Leyrat C, Lin ZY, Lopez Moreno JJ, Lowry S, Magrin S, Maquet L, Marchi S, Marzari F, Massironi M, Michalik H, Moissl R, Mottola S, Naletto G, Oklay N, Pajola M, Preusker F, Scholten F, Thomas N, Toth I, Tubiana C. Large heterogeneities in comet 67P as revealed by active pits from sinkhole collapse. Nature 2015; 523:63-6. [PMID: 26135448 DOI: 10.1038/nature14564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2015] [Accepted: 05/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Pits have been observed on many cometary nuclei mapped by spacecraft. It has been argued that cometary pits are a signature of endogenic activity, rather than impact craters such as those on planetary and asteroid surfaces. Impact experiments and models cannot reproduce the shapes of most of the observed cometary pits, and the predicted collision rates imply that few of the pits are related to impacts. Alternative mechanisms like explosive activity have been suggested, but the driving process remains unknown. Here we report that pits on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko are active, and probably created by a sinkhole process, possibly accompanied by outbursts. We argue that after formation, pits expand slowly in diameter, owing to sublimation-driven retreat of the walls. Therefore, pits characterize how eroded the surface is: a fresh cometary surface will have a ragged structure with many pits, while an evolved surface will look smoother. The size and spatial distribution of pits imply that large heterogeneities exist in the physical, structural or compositional properties of the first few hundred metres below the current nucleus surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Baptiste Vincent
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dennis Bodewits
- University of Maryland, Department of Astronomy, College Park, Maryland 20742-2421, USA
| | - Sébastien Besse
- Scientific Support Office, European Space Research and Technology Centre/ESA, Keplerlaan 1, Postbus 299, 2201 AZ Noordwijk ZH, The Netherlands
| | - Holger Sierks
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Cesare Barbieri
- University of Padova, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 3, 35122 Padova, Italy
| | - Philippe Lamy
- Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, UMR 7326, CNRS and Aix Marseille Université, 13388 Marseille Cedex 13, France
| | - Rafael Rodrigo
- 1] Centro de Astrobiologia, CSIC-INTA, 28850 Torrejon de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain [2] International Space Science Institute, Hallerstraße 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Detlef Koschny
- Scientific Support Office, European Space Research and Technology Centre/ESA, Keplerlaan 1, Postbus 299, 2201 AZ Noordwijk ZH, The Netherlands
| | - Hans Rickman
- 1] Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, 75120 Uppsala, Sweden [2] PAS Space Research Center, Bartycka 18A, 00716 Warszawa, Poland
| | - Horst Uwe Keller
- Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik (IGEP), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstraße 3, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jessica Agarwal
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael F A'Hearn
- 1] University of Maryland, Department of Astronomy, College Park, Maryland 20742-2421, USA [2] Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen and Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anne-Thérèse Auger
- Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, UMR 7326, CNRS and Aix Marseille Université, 13388 Marseille Cedex 13, France
| | - M Antonella Barucci
- LESIA-Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Universite Paris Diderot, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
| | - Jean-Loup Bertaux
- LATMOS, CNRS/UVSQ/IPSL, 11 boulevard d'Alembert, 78280 Guyancourt, France
| | - Ivano Bertini
- Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali "Giuseppe Colombo" (CISAS), University of Padova, via Venezia 15, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Claire Capanna
- Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, UMR 7326, CNRS and Aix Marseille Université, 13388 Marseille Cedex 13, France
| | - Gabriele Cremonese
- INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy
| | - Vania Da Deppo
- CNR-IFN UOS Padova LUXOR, via Trasea 7, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Björn Davidsson
- Centro de Astrobiologia, CSIC-INTA, 28850 Torrejon de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Stefano Debei
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, via Venezia 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | | | | | - Francesca Ferri
- Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali "Giuseppe Colombo" (CISAS), University of Padova, via Venezia 15, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Sonia Fornasier
- LESIA-Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Universite Paris Diderot, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
| | - Marco Fulle
- INAF Osservatorio Astronomico, via Tiepolo 11, 34014 Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Lorenza Giacomini
- Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali "Giuseppe Colombo" (CISAS), University of Padova, via Venezia 15, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Olivier Groussin
- Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, UMR 7326, CNRS and Aix Marseille Université, 13388 Marseille Cedex 13, France
| | | | - P Gutierrez-Marques
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Pedro J Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC), Glorieta de la Astronomìa s/n, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Carsten Güttler
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nick Hoekzema
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Höfner
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stubbe F Hviid
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Institut für Planetenforschung, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Wing-Huen Ip
- National Central University, Graduate Institute of Astronomy, 300 Chung-Da Rd, Chung-Li 32054, Taiwan
| | - Laurent Jorda
- Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, UMR 7326, CNRS and Aix Marseille Université, 13388 Marseille Cedex 13, France
| | - Jörg Knollenberg
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Institut für Planetenforschung, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gabor Kovacs
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rainer Kramm
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ekkehard Kührt
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Institut für Planetenforschung, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Küppers
- Operations Department, European Space Astronomy Centre/ESA, PO Box 78, 28691 Villanueva de la Canada, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fiorangela La Forgia
- University of Padova, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 3, 35122 Padova, Italy
| | - Luisa M Lara
- Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC), Glorieta de la Astronomìa s/n, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Monica Lazzarin
- University of Padova, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 3, 35122 Padova, Italy
| | - Vicky Lee
- National Central University, Graduate Institute of Astronomy, 300 Chung-Da Rd, Chung-Li 32054, Taiwan
| | - Cédric Leyrat
- LESIA-Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Universite Paris Diderot, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
| | - Zhong-Yi Lin
- National Central University, Graduate Institute of Astronomy, 300 Chung-Da Rd, Chung-Li 32054, Taiwan
| | - Josè J Lopez Moreno
- Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC), Glorieta de la Astronomìa s/n, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Stephen Lowry
- The University of Kent, School of Physical Sciences, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NZ, UK
| | - Sara Magrin
- University of Padova, Deptartment of Physics and Astronomy, via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Lucie Maquet
- Operations Department, European Space Astronomy Centre/ESA, PO Box 78, 28691 Villanueva de la Canada, Madrid, Spain
| | - Simone Marchi
- Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 300, Boulder, Colorado 80302, USA
| | - Francesco Marzari
- University of Padova, Deptartment of Physics and Astronomy, via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Matteo Massironi
- Dipartimento di Geoscienze, University of Padova, via Giovanni Gradenigo 6, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Harald Michalik
- Institut für Datentechnik und Kommunikationsnetze der Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hans-Sommer-Straße 66, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Richard Moissl
- Operations Department, European Space Astronomy Centre/ESA, PO Box 78, 28691 Villanueva de la Canada, Madrid, Spain
| | - Stefano Mottola
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Institut für Planetenforschung, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Giampiero Naletto
- 1] Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali "Giuseppe Colombo" (CISAS), University of Padova, via Venezia 15, 35131 Padova, Italy [2] CNR-IFN UOS Padova LUXOR, via Trasea 7, 35131 Padova, Italy [3] University of Padova, Department of Information Engineering, via Gradenigo 6/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Nilda Oklay
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Maurizio Pajola
- Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali "Giuseppe Colombo" (CISAS), University of Padova, via Venezia 15, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Frank Preusker
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Institut für Planetenforschung, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Frank Scholten
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Institut für Planetenforschung, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nicolas Thomas
- Physikalisches Institut der Universität Bern, Sidlerstraße 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Imre Toth
- Konkoly Observatory of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, PO Box 67, 1525 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Cecilia Tubiana
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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Myrgorodska I, Meinert C, Martins Z, Le Sergeant d'Hendecourt L, Meierhenrich UJ. Molekülchiralität in Meteoriten und interstellarem Eis und das Chiralitätsexperiment an Bord der Kometenmission Rosetta der ESA. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201409354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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10
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Myrgorodska I, Meinert C, Martins Z, Le Sergeant d'Hendecourt L, Meierhenrich UJ. Molecular chirality in meteorites and interstellar ices, and the chirality experiment on board the ESA cometary Rosetta mission. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2014; 54:1402-12. [PMID: 25431250 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201409354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Life, as it is known to us, uses exclusively L-amino acid and D-sugar enantiomers for the molecular architecture of proteins and nucleic acids. This Minireview explores current models of the original symmetry-breaking influence that led to the exogenic delivery to Earth of prebiotic molecules with a slight enantiomeric excess. We provide a short overview of enantiomeric enhancements detected in bodies of extraterrestrial origin, such as meteorites, and interstellar ices simulated in the laboratory. Data are interpreted from different points of view, namely, photochirogenesis, parity violation in the weak nuclear interaction, and enantioenrichment through phase transitions. Photochemically induced enantiomeric imbalances are discussed more specifically in the topical context of the "chirality module" on board the cometary Rosetta spacecraft of the ESA. This device will perform the first enantioselective in situ analyses of samples taken from a cometary nucleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iuliia Myrgorodska
- Institut de Chimie de Nice ICN, UMR CNRS 7272, Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, Faculté des Sciences, Parc Valrose, 06108, Nice (France) http://www.unice.fr/meierhenrich/
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12
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Abstract
AbstractComets are made of ices, organics and minerals that record the chemistry of the outer regions of the primitive solar nebula where they agglomerated 4.6 Gyr ago. Compositional analyses of comets can provide important clues on the chemical and physical processes that occurred in the early phases of Solar System formation, and possibly in the natal molecular cloud that predated the formation of the solar nebula. This paper presents a short review of our present knowledge of the composition of comets. Implications for the origin of cometary materials are discussed.
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A'Hearn MF, Belton MJS, Delamere WA, Feaga LM, Hampton D, Kissel J, Klaasen KP, McFadden LA, Meech KJ, Melosh HJ, Schultz PH, Sunshine JM, Thomas PC, Veverka J, Wellnitz DD, Yeomans DK, Besse S, Bodewits D, Bowling TJ, Carcich BT, Collins SM, Farnham TL, Groussin O, Hermalyn B, Kelley MS, Kelley MS, Li JY, Lindler DJ, Lisse CM, McLaughlin SA, Merlin F, Protopapa S, Richardson JE, Williams JL. EPOXI at Comet Hartley 2. Science 2011; 332:1396-400. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1204054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 351] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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14
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Clark RN, Brown RH, Jaumann R, Cruikshank DP, Nelson RM, Buratti BJ, McCord TB, Lunine J, Baines KH, Bellucci G, Bibring JP, Capaccioni F, Cerroni P, Coradini A, Formisano V, Langevin Y, Matson DL, Mennella V, Nicholson PD, Sicardy B, Sotin C, Hoefen TM, Curchin JM, Hansen G, Hibbits K, Matz KD. Compositional maps of Saturn's moon Phoebe from imaging spectroscopy. Nature 2005; 435:66-9. [PMID: 15875014 DOI: 10.1038/nature03558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2004] [Accepted: 03/11/2005] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The origin of Phoebe, which is the outermost large satellite of Saturn, is of particular interest because its inclined, retrograde orbit suggests that it was gravitationally captured by Saturn, having accreted outside the region of the solar nebula in which Saturn formed. By contrast, Saturn's regular satellites (with prograde, low-inclination, circular orbits) probably accreted within the sub-nebula in which Saturn itself formed. Here we report imaging spectroscopy of Phoebe resulting from the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft encounter on 11 June 2004. We mapped ferrous-iron-bearing minerals, bound water, trapped CO2, probable phyllosilicates, organics, nitriles and cyanide compounds. Detection of these compounds on Phoebe makes it one of the most compositionally diverse objects yet observed in our Solar System. It is likely that Phoebe's surface contains primitive materials from the outer Solar System, indicating a surface of cometary origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger N Clark
- US Geological Survey, MS964, Box 25046, Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225, USA.
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15
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Affiliation(s)
- Harold A Weaver
- Space Department, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723-6099, USA.
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Abstract
We have calculated the number of dormant, nearly isotropic Oort cloud comets in the solar system by (i) combining orbital distribution models with statistical models of dormant comet discoveries by well-defined surveys and (ii) comparing the model results to observations of a population of dormant comets. Dynamical models that assume that comets are not destroyed predict that we should have discovered approximately 100 times more dormant nearly isotropic comets than are actually seen. Thus, as comets evolve inward from the Oort cloud, the majority of them must physically disrupt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harold F Levison
- Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 426, Boulder, CO 80302, USA.
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