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Jones GH, Snodgrass C, Tubiana C, Küppers M, Kawakita H, Lara LM, Agarwal J, André N, Attree N, Auster U, Bagnulo S, Bannister M, Beth A, Bowles N, Coates A, Colangeli L, Corral van Damme C, Da Deppo V, De Keyser J, Della Corte V, Edberg N, El-Maarry MR, Faggi S, Fulle M, Funase R, Galand M, Goetz C, Groussin O, Guilbert-Lepoutre A, Henri P, Kasahara S, Kereszturi A, Kidger M, Knight M, Kokotanekova R, Kolmasova I, Kossacki K, Kührt E, Kwon Y, La Forgia F, Levasseur-Regourd AC, Lippi M, Longobardo A, Marschall R, Morawski M, Muñoz O, Näsilä A, Nilsson H, Opitom C, Pajusalu M, Pommerol A, Prech L, Rando N, Ratti F, Rothkaehl H, Rotundi A, Rubin M, Sakatani N, Sánchez JP, Simon Wedlund C, Stankov A, Thomas N, Toth I, Villanueva G, Vincent JB, Volwerk M, Wurz P, Wielders A, Yoshioka K, Aleksiejuk K, Alvarez F, Amoros C, Aslam S, Atamaniuk B, Baran J, Barciński T, Beck T, Behnke T, Berglund M, Bertini I, Bieda M, Binczyk P, Busch MD, Cacovean A, Capria MT, Carr C, Castro Marín JM, Ceriotti M, Chioetto P, Chuchra-Konrad A, Cocola L, Colin F, Crews C, Cripps V, Cupido E, Dassatti A, Davidsson BJR, De Roche T, Deca J, Del Togno S, et alJones GH, Snodgrass C, Tubiana C, Küppers M, Kawakita H, Lara LM, Agarwal J, André N, Attree N, Auster U, Bagnulo S, Bannister M, Beth A, Bowles N, Coates A, Colangeli L, Corral van Damme C, Da Deppo V, De Keyser J, Della Corte V, Edberg N, El-Maarry MR, Faggi S, Fulle M, Funase R, Galand M, Goetz C, Groussin O, Guilbert-Lepoutre A, Henri P, Kasahara S, Kereszturi A, Kidger M, Knight M, Kokotanekova R, Kolmasova I, Kossacki K, Kührt E, Kwon Y, La Forgia F, Levasseur-Regourd AC, Lippi M, Longobardo A, Marschall R, Morawski M, Muñoz O, Näsilä A, Nilsson H, Opitom C, Pajusalu M, Pommerol A, Prech L, Rando N, Ratti F, Rothkaehl H, Rotundi A, Rubin M, Sakatani N, Sánchez JP, Simon Wedlund C, Stankov A, Thomas N, Toth I, Villanueva G, Vincent JB, Volwerk M, Wurz P, Wielders A, Yoshioka K, Aleksiejuk K, Alvarez F, Amoros C, Aslam S, Atamaniuk B, Baran J, Barciński T, Beck T, Behnke T, Berglund M, Bertini I, Bieda M, Binczyk P, Busch MD, Cacovean A, Capria MT, Carr C, Castro Marín JM, Ceriotti M, Chioetto P, Chuchra-Konrad A, Cocola L, Colin F, Crews C, Cripps V, Cupido E, Dassatti A, Davidsson BJR, De Roche T, Deca J, Del Togno S, Dhooghe F, Donaldson Hanna K, Eriksson A, Fedorov A, Fernández-Valenzuela E, Ferretti S, Floriot J, Frassetto F, Fredriksson J, Garnier P, Gaweł D, Génot V, Gerber T, Glassmeier KH, Granvik M, Grison B, Gunell H, Hachemi T, Hagen C, Hajra R, Harada Y, Hasiba J, Haslebacher N, Herranz De La Revilla ML, Hestroffer D, Hewagama T, Holt C, Hviid S, Iakubivskyi I, Inno L, Irwin P, Ivanovski S, Jansky J, Jernej I, Jeszenszky H, Jimenéz J, Jorda L, Kama M, Kameda S, Kelley MSP, Klepacki K, Kohout T, Kojima H, Kowalski T, Kuwabara M, Ladno M, Laky G, Lammer H, Lan R, Lavraud B, Lazzarin M, Le Duff O, Lee QM, Lesniak C, Lewis Z, Lin ZY, Lister T, Lowry S, Magnes W, Markkanen J, Martinez Navajas I, Martins Z, Matsuoka A, Matyjasiak B, Mazelle C, Mazzotta Epifani E, Meier M, Michaelis H, Micheli M, Migliorini A, Millet AL, Moreno F, Mottola S, Moutounaick B, Muinonen K, Müller DR, Murakami G, Murata N, Myszka K, Nakajima S, Nemeth Z, Nikolajev A, Nordera S, Ohlsson D, Olesk A, Ottacher H, Ozaki N, Oziol C, Patel M, Savio Paul A, Penttilä A, Pernechele C, Peterson J, Petraglio E, Piccirillo AM, Plaschke F, Polak S, Postberg F, Proosa H, Protopapa S, Puccio W, Ranvier S, Raymond S, Richter I, Rieder M, Rigamonti R, Ruiz Rodriguez I, Santolik O, Sasaki T, Schrödter R, Shirley K, Slavinskis A, Sodor B, Soucek J, Stephenson P, Stöckli L, Szewczyk P, Troznai G, Uhlir L, Usami N, Valavanoglou A, Vaverka J, Wang W, Wang XD, Wattieaux G, Wieser M, Wolf S, Yano H, Yoshikawa I, Zakharov V, Zawistowski T, Zuppella P, Rinaldi G, Ji H. The Comet Interceptor Mission. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2024; 220:9. [PMID: 38282745 PMCID: PMC10808369 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-023-01035-0] [Show More Authors] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Here we describe the novel, multi-point Comet Interceptor mission. It is dedicated to the exploration of a little-processed long-period comet, possibly entering the inner Solar System for the first time, or to encounter an interstellar object originating at another star. The objectives of the mission are to address the following questions: What are the surface composition, shape, morphology, and structure of the target object? What is the composition of the gas and dust in the coma, its connection to the nucleus, and the nature of its interaction with the solar wind? The mission was proposed to the European Space Agency in 2018, and formally adopted by the agency in June 2022, for launch in 2029 together with the Ariel mission. Comet Interceptor will take advantage of the opportunity presented by ESA's F-Class call for fast, flexible, low-cost missions to which it was proposed. The call required a launch to a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L2 point. The mission can take advantage of this placement to wait for the discovery of a suitable comet reachable with its minimum Δ V capability of 600 ms - 1 . Comet Interceptor will be unique in encountering and studying, at a nominal closest approach distance of 1000 km, a comet that represents a near-pristine sample of material from the formation of the Solar System. It will also add a capability that no previous cometary mission has had, which is to deploy two sub-probes - B1, provided by the Japanese space agency, JAXA, and B2 - that will follow different trajectories through the coma. While the main probe passes at a nominal 1000 km distance, probes B1 and B2 will follow different chords through the coma at distances of 850 km and 400 km, respectively. The result will be unique, simultaneous, spatially resolved information of the 3-dimensional properties of the target comet and its interaction with the space environment. We present the mission's science background leading to these objectives, as well as an overview of the scientific instruments, mission design, and schedule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraint H. Jones
- Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking, UK
- The Centre for Planetary Sciences at UCL/Birkbeck, London, UK
| | | | | | - Michael Küppers
- European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Hideyo Kawakita
- Koyama Astronomical Observatory, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Luisa M. Lara
- Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucía – CSIC, Granada, Spain
| | - Jessica Agarwal
- Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Nicolas André
- IRAP, CNRS, University Toulouse 3, CNES, Toulouse, France
| | - Nicholas Attree
- Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucía – CSIC, Granada, Spain
| | - Uli Auster
- Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | | | - Arnaud Beth
- Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Neil Bowles
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Andrew Coates
- Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking, UK
- The Centre for Planetary Sciences at UCL/Birkbeck, London, UK
| | | | | | - Vania Da Deppo
- CNR-Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies, Padova, Italy
| | - Johan De Keyser
- Royal Belgian Institute of Space Aeronomy, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Niklas Edberg
- Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala/Kiruna, Sweden
| | - Mohamed Ramy El-Maarry
- Space and Planetary Science Center and Department of Earth Sciences, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sara Faggi
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, USA
| | - Marco Fulle
- INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Ryu Funase
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Marina Galand
- Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Olivier Groussin
- Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | | | - Pierre Henri
- Laboratoire Lagrange, CNRS, OCA, Université Côte d’Azur, and LPC2E, CNRS, Université d’Orléans, CNES, Orléans, France
| | | | - Akos Kereszturi
- Konkoly Astronomical Institute, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, HUN-REN, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Mark Kidger
- European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Rosita Kokotanekova
- Institute of Astronomy and National Astronomical Observatory, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Ivana Kolmasova
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Ekkehard Kührt
- DLR, Institute of Optical Sensor Systems, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yuna Kwon
- Caltech/IPAC, 1200 E California Blvd, MC 100-22 Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | | | | | - Manuela Lippi
- Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Raphael Marschall
- CNRS, Laboratoire J.-L. Lagrange, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, Nice, France
| | - Marek Morawski
- Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Olga Muñoz
- Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucía – CSIC, Granada, Spain
| | - Antti Näsilä
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, Espoo, Finland
| | - Hans Nilsson
- Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala/Kiruna, Sweden
| | | | | | - Antoine Pommerol
- Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Nicola Rando
- European Space Agency, ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
| | | | - Hanna Rothkaehl
- Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Alessandra Rotundi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie, Università degli Studi di Napoli “Parthenope”, Napoli, Italy
| | - Martin Rubin
- Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Naoya Sakatani
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Joan Pau Sánchez
- Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace, Toulouse, France
| | | | | | - Nicolas Thomas
- Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Imre Toth
- Konkoly Astronomical Institute, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, HUN-REN, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | | | - Martin Volwerk
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Space Research Institute, Graz, Austria
| | - Peter Wurz
- Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Arno Wielders
- European Space Agency, ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
| | | | - Konrad Aleksiejuk
- Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Carine Amoros
- IRAP, CNRS, University Toulouse 3, CNES, Toulouse, France
| | - Shahid Aslam
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, USA
| | - Barbara Atamaniuk
- Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jędrzej Baran
- Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Barciński
- Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Thomas Beck
- Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Behnke
- DLR Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Ivano Bertini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie, Università degli Studi di Napoli “Parthenope”, Napoli, Italy
| | | | | | - Martin-Diego Busch
- Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Chris Carr
- Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | | | - Paolo Chioetto
- CNR-Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Lorenzo Cocola
- CNR-Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies, Padova, Italy
| | - Fabrice Colin
- LPC2E, CNRS, Université d’Orléans, CNES, Orléans, France
| | | | | | | | - Alberto Dassatti
- REDS, School of Management and Engineering Vaud, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Delémont, Switzerland
| | | | - Thierry De Roche
- Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jan Deca
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Andrey Fedorov
- IRAP, CNRS, University Toulouse 3, CNES, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Stefano Ferretti
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie, Università degli Studi di Napoli “Parthenope”, Napoli, Italy
| | - Johan Floriot
- Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Fabio Frassetto
- CNR-Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies, Padova, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Vincent Génot
- IRAP, CNRS, University Toulouse 3, CNES, Toulouse, France
| | - Thomas Gerber
- Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Karl-Heinz Glassmeier
- Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Mikael Granvik
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Asteroid Engineering Lab, Luleå University of Technology, Kiruna, Sweden
| | - Benjamin Grison
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | | | - Christian Hagen
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Space Research Institute, Graz, Austria
| | | | | | - Johann Hasiba
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Space Research Institute, Graz, Austria
| | - Nico Haslebacher
- Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Daniel Hestroffer
- IMCCE, Paris Observatory, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Univ. Lille, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Stubbe Hviid
- DLR Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Laura Inno
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie, Università degli Studi di Napoli “Parthenope”, Napoli, Italy
| | - Patrick Irwin
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Jiri Jansky
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Irmgard Jernej
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Space Research Institute, Graz, Austria
| | - Harald Jeszenszky
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Space Research Institute, Graz, Austria
| | - Jaime Jimenéz
- Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucía – CSIC, Granada, Spain
| | - Laurent Jorda
- Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Mihkel Kama
- Tartu Observatory, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- University College London, London, UK
| | | | | | | | - Tomáš Kohout
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Hirotsugu Kojima
- Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tomasz Kowalski
- Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | | | - Gunter Laky
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Space Research Institute, Graz, Austria
| | - Helmut Lammer
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Space Research Institute, Graz, Austria
| | - Radek Lan
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Benoit Lavraud
- Laboratoire d’astrophysique de Bordeaux, Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
| | - Monica Lazzarin
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Qiu-Mei Lee
- IRAP, CNRS, University Toulouse 3, CNES, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Zoe Lewis
- Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Zhong-Yi Lin
- Institute of Astronomy, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | | | | | - Werner Magnes
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Space Research Institute, Graz, Austria
| | - Johannes Markkanen
- Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Zita Martins
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Institute of Molecular Sciences and Department of Chemical Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | | | | | | | - Mirko Meier
- Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | - Fernando Moreno
- Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucía – CSIC, Granada, Spain
| | | | | | - Karri Muinonen
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Daniel R. Müller
- Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Go Murakami
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Naofumi Murata
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kanagawa, Japan
| | | | - Shintaro Nakajima
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Zoltan Nemeth
- Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Simone Nordera
- CNR-Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies, Padova, Italy
| | - Dan Ohlsson
- Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala/Kiruna, Sweden
| | - Aire Olesk
- Tartu Observatory, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Harald Ottacher
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Space Research Institute, Graz, Austria
| | - Naoya Ozaki
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kanagawa, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Antti Penttilä
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | | | - Enrico Petraglio
- REDS, School of Management and Engineering Vaud, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Delémont, Switzerland
| | - Alice Maria Piccirillo
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie, Università degli Studi di Napoli “Parthenope”, Napoli, Italy
| | - Ferdinand Plaschke
- Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Szymon Polak
- Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Herman Proosa
- Tartu Observatory, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | | | - Walter Puccio
- Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala/Kiruna, Sweden
| | - Sylvain Ranvier
- Royal Belgian Institute of Space Aeronomy, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sean Raymond
- Laboratoire d’astrophysique de Bordeaux, Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
| | - Ingo Richter
- Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Martin Rieder
- Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Roberto Rigamonti
- REDS, School of Management and Engineering Vaud, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Delémont, Switzerland
| | | | - Ondrej Santolik
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Takahiro Sasaki
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kanagawa, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | - Jan Soucek
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Linus Stöckli
- Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Paweł Szewczyk
- Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Ludek Uhlir
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Naoto Usami
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Aris Valavanoglou
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Space Research Institute, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Wei Wang
- Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Xiao-Dong Wang
- Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala/Kiruna, Sweden
| | - Gaëtan Wattieaux
- Laboratoire Plasma et Conversion d’Energie (LAPLACE), CNRS, Université de Toulouse 3, Toulouse, France
| | - Martin Wieser
- Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala/Kiruna, Sweden
| | - Sebastian Wolf
- Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Hajime Yano
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kanagawa, Japan
| | | | - Vladimir Zakharov
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Paris, France
| | | | - Paola Zuppella
- CNR-Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Hantao Ji
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
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Formation of Comets. UNIVERSE 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/universe8070381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Questions regarding how primordial or pristine the comets of the solar system are have been an ongoing controversy. In this review, we describe comets’ physical evolution from dust and ice grains in the solar nebula to the contemporary small bodies in the outer solar system. This includes the phases of dust agglomeration, the formation of planetesimals, their thermal evolution and the outcomes of collisional processes. We use empirical evidence about comets, in particular from the Rosetta Mission to comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, to draw conclusions about the possible thermal and collisional evolution of comets.
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Cohen IJ, Rymer AM. Cross-NASA divisional relevance of an Ice Giant mission. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2020; 378:20200222. [PMID: 33161860 PMCID: PMC7658787 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2020.0222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Robotic space exploration to the outer solar system is difficult and expensive and the space science community works inventively and collaboratively to maximize the scientific return of missions. A mission to either of our solar system Ice Giants, Uranus and Neptune, will provide numerous opportunities to address high-level science objectives relevant to multiple disciplines and deliberate cross-disciplinary mission planning should ideally be woven in from the start. In this review, we recount past successes as well as (NASA-focused) challenges in performing cross-disciplinary science from robotic space exploration missions and detail the opportunities for broad-reaching science objectives from potential future missions to the Ice Giants. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Future exploration of ice giant systems'.
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Combi MR, Mäkinen T, Bertaux JL, Quémerais E, Ferron S, Coronel R. Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak, 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova, and 46P/Wirtanen: Water Production Activity over 21 Years with SOHO/SWAN. THE PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL 2020; 1:72. [PMID: 33294844 PMCID: PMC7720819 DOI: 10.3847/psj/abb026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In 2017, 2018, and 2019, comets 46P/Wirtanen, 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova, and 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak all had perihelion passages. Their hydrogen comae were observed by the Solar Wind ANisotropies (SWAN) all-sky hydrogen Lyman-alpha camera on the SOlar and Heliospheric Observer (SOHO) satellite: comet 46P for the fourth time and comets 45P and 41P for the third time each since 1997. Comet 46P/Wirtanen is one of a small class of so-called hyperactive comets whose gas production rates belie their small size. This comet was the original target comet of the Rosetta mission. The Solar Wind ANisotropies (SWAN) all-sky hydrogen Lyman-alpha camera on the SOlar and Heliospheric Observer (SOHO) satellite observed the hydrogen coma of comet 46P/Wirtanen during the apparitions of 1997, 2002, 2008, and 2018. Over the 22 years, the activity decreased and its variation with heliocentric distance has changed markedly in a way very similar to that of another hyperactive comet, 103P/Hartley 2. Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova was observed by SWAN during its perihelion apparitions of 2001, 2011, and 2017. Over this time period the activity level has remained remarkably similar, with no long-term fading or abrupt decreases. Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak was observed by SWAN in its perihelion apparitions of 2001, 2006, and 2017 and has decreased in activity markedly over the same time period. In 1973 it was known for large outbursts, which continued during the 2001 (2 outbursts) and 2006 (1 outburst) apparitions. However, over the 2001 to 2017 time period covered by the SOHO/SWAN observations the water production rates have greatly decreased by factors of 10-30 over corresponding times during its orbit.
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Affiliation(s)
- M R Combi
- Dept. of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2143
| | - T Mäkinen
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, Box 503 SF-00101 Helsinki, FINLAND
| | - J-L Bertaux
- LATMOS/IPSL, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin, 11, Boulevard d'Alembert, 78280, Guyancourt, FRANCE
| | - E Quémerais
- LATMOS/IPSL, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin, 11, Boulevard d'Alembert, 78280, Guyancourt, FRANCE
| | - S Ferron
- ACRI-st, Sophia-Antipolis, FRANCE
| | - R Coronel
- Dept. of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2143
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5
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Marschall R, Skorov Y, Zakharov V, Rezac L, Gerig SB, Christou C, Dadzie SK, Migliorini A, Rinaldi G, Agarwal J, Vincent JB, Kappel D. Cometary Comae-Surface Links: The Physics of Gas and Dust from the Surface to a Spacecraft. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2020; 216:130. [PMID: 33184519 PMCID: PMC7647976 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-020-00744-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
A comet is a highly dynamic object, undergoing a permanent state of change. These changes have to be carefully classified and considered according to their intrinsic temporal and spatial scales. The Rosetta mission has, through its contiguous in-situ and remote sensing coverage of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (hereafter 67P) over the time span of August 2014 to September 2016, monitored the emergence, culmination, and winding down of the gas and dust comae. This provided an unprecedented data set and has spurred a large effort to connect in-situ and remote sensing measurements to the surface. In this review, we address our current understanding of cometary activity and the challenges involved when linking comae data to the surface. We give the current state of research by describing what we know about the physical processes involved from the surface to a few tens of kilometres above it with respect to the gas and dust emission from cometary nuclei. Further, we describe how complex multidimensional cometary gas and dust models have developed from the Halley encounter of 1986 to today. This includes the study of inhomogeneous outgassing and determination of the gas and dust production rates. Additionally, the different approaches used and results obtained to link coma data to the surface will be discussed. We discuss forward and inversion models and we describe the limitations of the respective approaches. The current literature suggests that there does not seem to be a single uniform process behind cometary activity. Rather, activity seems to be the consequence of a variety of erosion processes, including the sublimation of both water ice and more volatile material, but possibly also more exotic processes such as fracture and cliff erosion under thermal and mechanical stress, sub-surface heat storage, and a complex interplay of these processes. Seasons and the nucleus shape are key factors for the distribution and temporal evolution of activity and imply that the heliocentric evolution of activity can be highly individual for every comet, and generalisations can be misleading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Marschall
- Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut St, Suite 300, Boulder, CO 80302 USA
- International Space Science Institute (ISSI), Hallerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Yuri Skorov
- Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 3, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Ladislav Rezac
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Selina-Barbara Gerig
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstr. 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- NCCR PlanetS, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Chariton Christou
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS Scotland UK
| | - S. Kokou Dadzie
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS Scotland UK
| | | | | | - Jessica Agarwal
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jean-Baptiste Vincent
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Institut für Planetenforschung, Rutherfordstrasse 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - David Kappel
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Institut für Planetenforschung, Rutherfordstrasse 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Physics and Astronomy, University of Potsdam, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
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6
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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 SCIENCE REVIEWS 2020; 216:102. [PMID: 32801398 PMCID: PMC7392949 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-020-00718-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [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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7
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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: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [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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8
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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 SCIENCE REVIEWS 2020. [PMID: 32801398 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-019-0625-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [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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9
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Stern SA, Weaver HA, Spencer JR, Olkin CB, Gladstone GR, Grundy WM, Moore JM, Cruikshank DP, Elliott HA, McKinnon WB, Parker JW, Verbiscer AJ, Young LA, Aguilar DA, Albers JM, Andert T, Andrews JP, Bagenal F, Banks ME, Bauer BA, Bauman JA, Bechtold KE, Beddingfield CB, Behrooz N, Beisser KB, Benecchi SD, Bernardoni E, Beyer RA, Bhaskaran S, Bierson CJ, Binzel RP, Birath EM, Bird MK, Boone DR, Bowman AF, Bray VJ, Britt DT, Brown LE, Buckley MR, Buie MW, Buratti BJ, Burke LM, Bushman SS, Carcich B, Chaikin AL, Chavez CL, Cheng AF, Colwell EJ, Conard SJ, Conner MP, Conrad CA, Cook JC, Cooper SB, Custodio OS, Dalle Ore CM, Deboy CC, Dharmavaram P, Dhingra RD, Dunn GF, Earle AM, Egan AF, Eisig J, El-Maarry MR, Engelbrecht C, Enke BL, Ercol CJ, Fattig ED, Ferrell CL, Finley TJ, Firer J, Fischetti J, Folkner WM, Fosbury MN, Fountain GH, Freeze JM, Gabasova L, Glaze LS, Green JL, Griffith GA, Guo Y, Hahn M, Hals DW, Hamilton DP, Hamilton SA, Hanley JJ, Harch A, Harmon KA, Hart HM, Hayes J, Hersman CB, Hill ME, Hill TA, Hofgartner JD, Holdridge ME, Horányi M, Hosadurga A, Howard AD, Howett CJA, Jaskulek SE, Jennings DE, et alStern SA, Weaver HA, Spencer JR, Olkin CB, Gladstone GR, Grundy WM, Moore JM, Cruikshank DP, Elliott HA, McKinnon WB, Parker JW, Verbiscer AJ, Young LA, Aguilar DA, Albers JM, Andert T, Andrews JP, Bagenal F, Banks ME, Bauer BA, Bauman JA, Bechtold KE, Beddingfield CB, Behrooz N, Beisser KB, Benecchi SD, Bernardoni E, Beyer RA, Bhaskaran S, Bierson CJ, Binzel RP, Birath EM, Bird MK, Boone DR, Bowman AF, Bray VJ, Britt DT, Brown LE, Buckley MR, Buie MW, Buratti BJ, Burke LM, Bushman SS, Carcich B, Chaikin AL, Chavez CL, Cheng AF, Colwell EJ, Conard SJ, Conner MP, Conrad CA, Cook JC, Cooper SB, Custodio OS, Dalle Ore CM, Deboy CC, Dharmavaram P, Dhingra RD, Dunn GF, Earle AM, Egan AF, Eisig J, El-Maarry MR, Engelbrecht C, Enke BL, Ercol CJ, Fattig ED, Ferrell CL, Finley TJ, Firer J, Fischetti J, Folkner WM, Fosbury MN, Fountain GH, Freeze JM, Gabasova L, Glaze LS, Green JL, Griffith GA, Guo Y, Hahn M, Hals DW, Hamilton DP, Hamilton SA, Hanley JJ, Harch A, Harmon KA, Hart HM, Hayes J, Hersman CB, Hill ME, Hill TA, Hofgartner JD, Holdridge ME, Horányi M, Hosadurga A, Howard AD, Howett CJA, Jaskulek SE, Jennings DE, Jensen JR, Jones MR, Kang HK, Katz DJ, Kaufmann DE, Kavelaars JJ, Keane JT, Keleher GP, Kinczyk M, Kochte MC, Kollmann P, Krimigis SM, Kruizinga GL, Kusnierkiewicz DY, Lahr MS, Lauer TR, Lawrence GB, Lee JE, Lessac-Chenen EJ, Linscott IR, Lisse CM, Lunsford AW, Mages DM, Mallder VA, Martin NP, May BH, McComas DJ, McNutt RL, Mehoke DS, Mehoke TS, Nelson DS, Nguyen HD, Núñez JI, Ocampo AC, Owen WM, Oxton GK, Parker AH, Pätzold M, Pelgrift JY, Pelletier FJ, Pineau JP, Piquette MR, Porter SB, Protopapa S, Quirico E, Redfern JA, Regiec AL, Reitsema HJ, Reuter DC, Richardson DC, Riedel JE, Ritterbush MA, Robbins SJ, Rodgers DJ, Rogers GD, Rose DM, Rosendall PE, Runyon KD, Ryschkewitsch MG, Saina MM, Salinas MJ, Schenk PM, Scherrer JR, Schlei WR, Schmitt B, Schultz DJ, Schurr DC, Scipioni F, Sepan RL, Shelton RG, Showalter MR, Simon M, Singer KN, Stahlheber EW, Stanbridge DR, Stansberry JA, Steffl AJ, Strobel DF, Stothoff MM, Stryk T, Stuart JR, Summers ME, Tapley MB, Taylor A, Taylor HW, Tedford RM, Throop HB, Turner LS, Umurhan OM, Van Eck J, Velez D, Versteeg MH, Vincent MA, Webbert RW, Weidner SE, Weigle GE, Wendel JR, White OL, Whittenburg KE, Williams BG, Williams KE, Williams SP, Winters HL, Zangari AM, Zurbuchen TH. Initial results from the New Horizons exploration of 2014 MU 69, a small Kuiper Belt object. Science 2019; 364:364/6441/eaaw9771. [PMID: 31097641 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw9771] [Show More Authors] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The Kuiper Belt is a distant region of the outer Solar System. On 1 January 2019, the New Horizons spacecraft flew close to (486958) 2014 MU69, a cold classical Kuiper Belt object approximately 30 kilometers in diameter. Such objects have never been substantially heated by the Sun and are therefore well preserved since their formation. We describe initial results from these encounter observations. MU69 is a bilobed contact binary with a flattened shape, discrete geological units, and noticeable albedo heterogeneity. However, there is little surface color or compositional heterogeneity. No evidence for satellites, rings or other dust structures, a gas coma, or solar wind interactions was detected. MU69's origin appears consistent with pebble cloud collapse followed by a low-velocity merger of its two lobes.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Stern
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA.
| | - H A Weaver
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - J R Spencer
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - C B Olkin
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - G R Gladstone
- Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA
| | - W M Grundy
- Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA
| | - J M Moore
- NASA Ames Research Center, Space Science Division, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - D P Cruikshank
- NASA Ames Research Center, Space Science Division, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - H A Elliott
- Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas, San Antonio, TX 78249, 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
| | - A J Verbiscer
- Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - L A Young
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - D A Aguilar
- Independent consultant, Carbondale, CO 81623, USA
| | - J M Albers
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - T Andert
- Universität der Bundeswehr München, Neubiberg 85577, Germany
| | - J P Andrews
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - F Bagenal
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - M E Banks
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - B A Bauer
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | | | - K E Bechtold
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - C B Beddingfield
- NASA Ames Research Center, Space Science Division, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.,SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - N Behrooz
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - K B Beisser
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - 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
| | - R A Beyer
- NASA Ames Research Center, Space Science Division, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.,SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - S Bhaskaran
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - C J Bierson
- Earth and Planetary Science Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - R P Binzel
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - E M Birath
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - M K Bird
- Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, University of Bonn, Bonn D-53121, Germany.,Rheinisches Institut für Umweltforschung, Universität zu Köln, Cologne 50931, Germany
| | - D R Boone
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - A F Bowman
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - V J Bray
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - D T Britt
- Department of Physics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
| | - L E Brown
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - M R Buckley
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - M W Buie
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - B J Buratti
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - L M Burke
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - S S Bushman
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - B Carcich
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA.,Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - A L Chaikin
- Independent science writer, Arlington, VT 05250, USA
| | - C L Chavez
- NASA Ames Research Center, Space Science Division, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.,SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - A F Cheng
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - E J Colwell
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - S J Conard
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - M P Conner
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - C A Conrad
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - J C Cook
- Pinhead Institute, Telluride, CO 81435, USA
| | - S B Cooper
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - O S Custodio
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - C M Dalle Ore
- NASA Ames Research Center, Space Science Division, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.,SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - C C Deboy
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - P Dharmavaram
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | | | - G F Dunn
- Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA
| | - A M Earle
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - A F Egan
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - J Eisig
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - M R El-Maarry
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - C Engelbrecht
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - B L Enke
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - C J Ercol
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - E D Fattig
- Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA
| | - C L Ferrell
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - T J Finley
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - J Firer
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | | | - W M Folkner
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - M N Fosbury
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - G H Fountain
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - J M Freeze
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - L Gabasova
- University Grenoble Alpes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - L S Glaze
- NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546, USA
| | - J L Green
- NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546, USA
| | - G A Griffith
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - Y Guo
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - M Hahn
- Rheinisches Institut für Umweltforschung, Universität zu Köln, Cologne 50931, Germany
| | - D W Hals
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - D P Hamilton
- Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - S A Hamilton
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - J J Hanley
- Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA
| | - A Harch
- Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - K A Harmon
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - H M Hart
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - J Hayes
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - C B Hersman
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - M E Hill
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - T A Hill
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - J D Hofgartner
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - M E Holdridge
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - M Horányi
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - A Hosadurga
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, 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
| | - S E Jaskulek
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - D E Jennings
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - J R Jensen
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - M R Jones
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - H K Kang
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - D J Katz
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - D E Kaufmann
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - J J Kavelaars
- National Research Council of Canada, Victoria, BC V9E 2E7, Canada
| | - J T Keane
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - G P Keleher
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - M Kinczyk
- Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - M C Kochte
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - P Kollmann
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - S M Krimigis
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - G L Kruizinga
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - D Y Kusnierkiewicz
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - M S Lahr
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - T R Lauer
- National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Tucson, AZ 26732, USA
| | - G B Lawrence
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - J E Lee
- NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35812, USA
| | | | - I R Linscott
- Independent consultant, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - C M Lisse
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - A W Lunsford
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - D M Mages
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - V A Mallder
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - N P Martin
- Independent consultant, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA
| | - B H May
- Independent collaborator, Windlesham GU20 6YW, UK
| | - D J McComas
- Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA.,Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - R L McNutt
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - D S Mehoke
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - T S Mehoke
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | | | - H D Nguyen
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - J I Núñez
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - A C Ocampo
- NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546, USA
| | - W M Owen
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - G K Oxton
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - A H Parker
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - M Pätzold
- Rheinisches Institut für Umweltforschung, Universität zu Köln, Cologne 50931, Germany
| | | | | | - J P Pineau
- Stellar Solutions, Palo Alto, CA 94306, USA
| | - M R Piquette
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - S B Porter
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - S Protopapa
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - E Quirico
- University Grenoble Alpes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - J A Redfern
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - A L Regiec
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | | | - D C Reuter
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - D C Richardson
- Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - J E Riedel
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - M A Ritterbush
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - S J Robbins
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - D J Rodgers
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - G D Rogers
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - D M Rose
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - P E Rosendall
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - K D Runyon
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - M G Ryschkewitsch
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - M M Saina
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | | | - P M Schenk
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - J R Scherrer
- Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA
| | - W R Schlei
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - B Schmitt
- University Grenoble Alpes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - D J Schultz
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - D C Schurr
- NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546, USA
| | - F Scipioni
- NASA Ames Research Center, Space Science Division, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.,SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - R L Sepan
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - R G Shelton
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | | | - M Simon
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - K N Singer
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - E W Stahlheber
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | | | - J A Stansberry
- Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - A J Steffl
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - D F Strobel
- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - M M Stothoff
- Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA
| | - T Stryk
- Roane State Community College, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - J R Stuart
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - M E Summers
- George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - M B Tapley
- Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA
| | - A Taylor
- KinetX Aerospace, Tempe, AZ 85284, USA
| | - H W Taylor
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - R M Tedford
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - H B Throop
- Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - L S Turner
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - O M Umurhan
- NASA Ames Research Center, Space Science Division, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.,SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - J Van Eck
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - D Velez
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - M H Versteeg
- Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA
| | - M A Vincent
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - R W Webbert
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - S E Weidner
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - G E Weigle
- Independent consultant, Burden, KS 67019, USA
| | - J R Wendel
- NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546, USA
| | - O L White
- NASA Ames Research Center, Space Science Division, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.,SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - K E Whittenburg
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | | | | | - S P Williams
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - H L Winters
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - A M Zangari
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
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10
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A rapid decrease in the rotation rate of comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák. Nature 2018; 553:186-188. [PMID: 29323296 DOI: 10.1038/nature25150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 11/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Cometary outgassing can produce torques that change the spin state of the cometary nucleus, which in turn influences the evolution and lifetime of the comet. If these torques increase the rate of rotation to the extent that centripetal forces exceed the material strength of the nucleus, the comet can fragment. Torques that slow down the rotation can cause the spin state to become unstable, but if the torques persist the nucleus can eventually reorient itself and the rotation rate can increase again. Simulations predict that most comets go through a short phase of rapid changes in spin state, after which changes occur gradually over longer times. Here we report observations of comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák during its close approach to Earth (0.142 astronomical units, approximately 21 million kilometres, on 1 April 2017) that reveal a rapid decrease in rotation rate. Between March and May 2017, the apparent rotation period of the nucleus increased from 20 hours to more than 46 hours-a rate of change of more than an order of magnitude larger than has hitherto been measured. This phenomenon must have been caused by the gas emission from the comet aligning in such a way that it produced an anomalously strong torque that slowed the spin rate of the nucleus. The behaviour of comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák suggests that it is in a distinct evolutionary state and that its rotation may be approaching the point of instability.
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11
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O'D Alexander CM, McKeegan KD, Altwegg K. Water Reservoirs in Small Planetary Bodies: Meteorites, Asteroids, and Comets. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2018; 214:36. [PMID: 30842688 PMCID: PMC6398961 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-018-0474-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Asteroids and comets are the remnants of the swarm of planetesimals from which the planets ultimately formed, and they retain records of processes that operated prior to and during planet formation. They are also likely the sources of most of the water and other volatiles accreted by Earth. In this review, we discuss the nature and probable origins of asteroids and comets based on data from remote observations, in situ measurements by spacecraft, and laboratory analyses of meteorites derived from asteroids. The asteroidal parent bodies of meteorites formed ≤4 Ma after Solar System formation while there was still a gas disk present. It seems increasingly likely that the parent bodies of meteorites spectroscopically linked with the E-, S-, M- and V-type asteroids formed sunward of Jupiter's orbit, while those associated with C- and, possibly, D-type asteroids formed further out, beyond Jupiter but probably not beyond Saturn's orbit. Comets formed further from the Sun than any of the meteorite parent bodies, and retain much higher abundances of interstellar material. CI and CM group meteorites are probably related to the most common C-type asteroids, and based on isotopic evidence they, rather than comets, are the most likely sources of the H and N accreted by the terrestrial planets. However, comets may have been major sources of the noble gases accreted by Earth and Venus. Possible constraints that these observations can place on models of giant planet formation and migration are explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conel M O'D Alexander
- Dept. Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution for Science, 5241 Broad Branch Road NW, Washington, DC 20015, USA. . Tel. (202) 478 8478
| | - Kevin D McKeegan
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567, USA.
| | - Kathrin Altwegg
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
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12
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Cometary spin-down. Nature 2018; 553:158-159. [PMID: 29323329 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-018-00008-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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13
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Wooden DH, Ishii HA, Zolensky ME. Cometary dust: the diversity of primitive refractory grains. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2017; 375:20160260. [PMID: 28554979 PMCID: PMC5454228 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2016.0260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Comet dust is primitive and shows significant diversity. Our knowledge of the properties of primitive cometary particles has expanded significantly through microscale investigations of cosmic dust samples (anhydrous interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), chondritic porous (CP) IDPs and UltraCarbonaceous Antarctic micrometeorites, Stardust and Rosetta), as well as through remote sensing (Spitzer IR spectroscopy). Comet dust are aggregate particles of materials unequilibrated at submicrometre scales. We discuss the properties and processes experienced by primitive matter in comets. Primitive particles exhibit a diverse range of: structure and typology; distribution of constituents; concentration and form of carbonaceous and refractory organic matter; Mg- and Fe-contents of the silicate minerals; sulfides; existence/abundance of type II chondrule fragments; high-temperature calcium-aluminium inclusions and ameboid-olivine aggregates; and rarely occurring Mg-carbonates and magnetite, whose explanation requires aqueous alteration on parent bodies. The properties of refractory materials imply there were disc processes that resulted in different comets having particular selections of primitive materials. The diversity of primitive particles has implications for the diversity of materials in the protoplanetary disc present at the time and in the region where the comets formed.This article is part of the themed issue 'Cometary science after Rosetta'.
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Affiliation(s)
- D H Wooden
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-0001, USA
| | - H A Ishii
- University of Hawaii, Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - M E Zolensky
- NASA Johnson Space Center, ARES, X12 2010 NASA Parkway, Houston, TX 77058-3607, USA
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14
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Battams K, Knight MM. SOHO comets: 20 years and 3000 objects later. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2017; 375:20160257. [PMID: 28554977 PMCID: PMC5454226 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2016.0257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
We present a summary of the more than 3000 sungrazing and near-Sun comets discovered in coronagraph images returned by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), since its launch in December 1995. We address each of the four main populations of objects observed by SOHO: Kreutz (sungrazing) group, Meyer group, Marsden and Kracht (96P-family) group and non-group comets. Discussions for each group include basic properties, discovery statistics and morphological appearance. In addition to updating the community on the status of the discoveries by SOHO, we also show that the rate of discovery of Kreutz sungrazers has probably remained static since approximately 2003 and we report on the first likely fragmentation pair observed within the Meyer group.This article is part of the themed issue 'Cometary science after Rosetta'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Battams
- US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA
| | - Matthew M Knight
- Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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15
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Jones GH, Knight MM, Fitzsimmons A, Taylor MGGT. Cometary science after Rosetta. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 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] [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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16
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Meech KJ. Setting the scene: what did we know before Rosetta? PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2017; 375:rsta.2016.0247. [PMID: 28554969 PMCID: PMC5454221 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2016.0247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
This paper provides an overview of our state of knowledge about comets prior to the Rosetta mission encounter. Starting with the historical perspective, this paper discusses the development of comet science up to the modern era of space exploration. The extent to which comets are tracers of solar system formation processes or preserve pristine interstellar material has been investigated for over four decades. There is increasing evidence that in contrast with the distinct dynamical comet reservoirs we see today, comet formation regions strongly overlapped in the protoplanetary disc and there was significant migration of material in the disc during the epoch of comet formation. Comet nuclei are now known to be very low-density highly porous bodies, with very low thermal inertia, and have a range of sizes which exhibit a deficiency of very small bodies. The low thermal inertia suggests that comets may preserve pristine materials close to the surface, and that this might be accessible to sample return missions.This article is part of the themed issue 'Cometary science after Rosetta'.
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Affiliation(s)
- K J Meech
- Institute for Astronomy, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
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17
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A'Hearn MF. Comets: looking ahead. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2017; 375:rsta.2016.0261. [PMID: 28554980 PMCID: PMC5454229 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2016.0261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/06/2016] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
We outline the key questions about comets that must be answered in order to understand cometary formation in the context of the protoplanetary disc and the role of comets in the formation and evolution of the solar system. We then discuss the new understanding of comets from Rosetta and from other recent advances, including work presented by others at the discussion meeting. Finally, we suggest some key directions for future projects to better address the above questions.This article is part of the themed issue 'Cometary science after Rosetta'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael F A'Hearn
- Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-2421, USA
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18
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IMAGING OBSERVATIONS OF THE HYDROGEN COMA OF COMET 67P/CHURYUMOV–GERASIMENKO IN 2015 SEPTEMBER BY THEPROCYON/LAICA. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/153/2/76] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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19
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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] [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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20
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CHANGES IN THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE INNER COMA OF 67P/CHURYUMOV–GERASIMENKO WITH DECREASING HELIOCENTRIC DISTANCE. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.3847/0004-6256/152/5/130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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21
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HIGH-TIME RESOLUTION IN SITU INVESTIGATION OF MAJOR COMETARY VOLATILES AROUND 67P/C–G AT 3.1–2.3 au MEASURED WITH ROSINA-RTOF. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.3847/0004-637x/819/2/126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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22
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Exposed water ice on the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Nature 2016; 529:368-72. [PMID: 26760209 DOI: 10.1038/nature16190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Although water vapour is the main species observed in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and water is the major constituent of cometary nuclei, limited evidence for exposed water-ice regions on the surface of the nucleus has been found so far. The absence of large regions of exposed water ice seems a common finding on the surfaces of many of the comets observed so far. The nucleus of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko appears to be fairly uniformly coated with dark, dehydrated, refractory and organic-rich material. Here we report the identification at infrared wavelengths of water ice on two debris falls in the Imhotep region of the nucleus. The ice has been exposed on the walls of elevated structures and at the base of the walls. A quantitative derivation of the abundance of ice in these regions indicates the presence of millimetre-sized pure water-ice grains, considerably larger than in all previous observations. Although micrometre-sized water-ice grains are the usual result of vapour recondensation in ice-free layers, the occurrence of millimetre-sized grains of pure ice as observed in the Imhotep debris falls is best explained by grain growth by vapour diffusion in ice-rich layers, or by sintering. As a consequence of these processes, the nucleus can develop an extended and complex coating in which the outer dehydrated crust is superimposed on layers enriched in water ice. The stratigraphy observed on 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is therefore the result of evolutionary processes affecting the uppermost metres of the nucleus and does not necessarily require a global layering to have occurred at the time of the comet's formation.
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23
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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: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [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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24
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Massironi M, Simioni E, Marzari F, Cremonese G, Giacomini L, Pajola M, Jorda L, Naletto G, Lowry S, El-Maarry MR, Preusker F, Scholten F, Sierks H, Barbieri C, Lamy P, Rodrigo R, Koschny D, Rickman H, Keller HU, A'Hearn MF, Agarwal J, Auger AT, Barucci MA, Bertaux JL, Bertini I, Besse S, Bodewits D, Capanna C, Da Deppo V, Davidsson B, Debei S, De Cecco M, Ferri F, Fornasier S, Fulle M, Gaskell R, Groussin O, Gutiérrez PJ, Güttler C, Hviid SF, Ip WH, Knollenberg J, Kovacs G, Kramm R, Kührt E, Küppers M, La Forgia F, Lara LM, Lazzarin M, Lin ZY, Lopez Moreno JJ, Magrin S, Michalik H, Mottola S, Oklay N, Pommerol A, Thomas N, Tubiana C, Vincent JB. Two independent and primitive envelopes of the bilobate nucleus of comet 67P. Nature 2015; 526:402-5. [PMID: 26416730 DOI: 10.1038/nature15511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The factors shaping cometary nuclei are still largely unknown, but could be the result of concurrent effects of evolutionary and primordial processes. The peculiar bilobed shape of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko may be the result of the fusion of two objects that were once separate or the result of a localized excavation by outgassing at the interface between the two lobes. Here we report that the comet's major lobe is enveloped by a nearly continuous set of strata, up to 650 metres thick, which are independent of an analogous stratified envelope on the minor lobe. Gravity vectors computed for the two lobes separately are closer to perpendicular to the strata than those calculated for the entire nucleus and adjacent to the neck separating the two lobes. Therefore comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is an accreted body of two distinct objects with 'onion-like' stratification, which formed before they merged. We conclude that gentle, low-velocity collisions occurred between two fully formed kilometre-sized cometesimals in the early stages of the Solar System. The notable structural similarities between the two lobes of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko indicate that the early-forming cometesimals experienced similar primordial stratified accretion, even though they formed independently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Massironi
- Dipartimento di Geoscienze, University of Padova, via G. Gradenigo 6, 35131 Padova, Italy.,Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali "Giuseppe Colombo" (CISAS), University of Padova, via Venezia 15, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Marzari
- University of Padova, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 3, 35122 Padova, Italy
| | - Gabriele Cremonese
- INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy
| | - Lorenza Giacomini
- Dipartimento di Geoscienze, University of Padova, via G. Gradenigo 6, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Maurizio Pajola
- Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali "Giuseppe Colombo" (CISAS), University of Padova, via Venezia 15, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Laurent Jorda
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LAM (Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille), UMR 7326, 38 rue Frédéric Joliot-Curie, 13388 Marseille, France
| | - Giampiero Naletto
- Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali "Giuseppe Colombo" (CISAS), University of Padova, via Venezia 15, 35131 Padova, Italy.,CNR-IFN UOS Padova LUXOR, via Trasea 7, 35131 Padova, Italy.,Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, via Gradenigo 6/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Stephen Lowry
- The University of Kent, School of Physical Sciences, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NZ, UK
| | | | - 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
| | - 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
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LAM (Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille), UMR 7326, 38 rue Frédéric Joliot-Curie, 13388 Marseille, France
| | - Rafael Rodrigo
- Centro de Astrobiologia, CSIC-INTA, 28850 Torrejon de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain.,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
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, 75120 Uppsala, Sweden.,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
| | - Michael F A'Hearn
- University of Maryland, Department of Astronomy, College Park, Maryland 20742-2421, USA.,Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen and Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jessica Agarwal
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anne-Thérèse Auger
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LAM (Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille), UMR 7326, 38 rue Frédéric Joliot-Curie, 13388 Marseille, France
| | - M Antonella Barucci
- LESIA-Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Universite Paris Diderot, 5 place J. 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
| | - Sebastien Besse
- Scientific Support Office, European Space Research and Technology Centre/ESA, Keplerlaan 1, Postbus 299, 2201 AZ Noordwijk ZH, The Netherlands
| | - Dennis Bodewits
- University of Maryland, Department of Astronomy, College Park, Maryland 20742-2421, USA
| | - Claire Capanna
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LAM (Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille), UMR 7326, 38 rue Frédéric Joliot-Curie, 13388 Marseille, France
| | - Vania Da Deppo
- CNR-IFN UOS Padova LUXOR, via Trasea 7, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Björn Davidsson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, 75120 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - 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 J. Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
| | - Marco Fulle
- INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico, Via Tiepolo 11, 34014 Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Olivier Groussin
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LAM (Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille), UMR 7326, 38 rue Frédéric Joliot-Curie, 13388 Marseille, France
| | - 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
| | - Stubbe F Hviid
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Institut für Planetenforschung, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany.,Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Wing-Huen Ip
- National Central University, Graduate Institute of Astronomy, 300 Chung-Da Road, Chung-Li 32054 Taiwan
| | - 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
| | - Zhong-Yi Lin
- National Central University, Graduate Institute of Astronomy, 300 Chung-Da Road, Chung-Li 32054 Taiwan
| | - Josè J Lopez Moreno
- Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC), Glorieta de la Astronomìa s/n, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Sara Magrin
- University of Padova, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 3, 35122 Padova, Italy
| | - Harald Michalik
- Institut für Datentechnik und Kommunikationsnetze der TU Braunschweig, Hans-Sommer Straße 66, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Stefano Mottola
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Institut für Planetenforschung, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nilda Oklay
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Antoine Pommerol
- Physikalisches Institut der Universität Bern, Sidlerstraße 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Thomas
- Physikalisches Institut der Universität Bern, Sidlerstraße 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Cecilia Tubiana
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jean-Baptiste Vincent
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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25
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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: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [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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Sierks H, Barbieri C, Lamy PL, Rodrigo R, Koschny D, Rickman H, Keller HU, Agarwal J, A'Hearn MF, Angrilli F, Auger AT, Barucci MA, Bertaux JL, Bertini I, Besse S, Bodewits D, Capanna C, Cremonese G, Da Deppo V, Davidsson B, Debei S, De Cecco M, Ferri F, Fornasier S, Fulle M, Gaskell R, Giacomini L, Groussin O, Gutierrez-Marques P, Gutiérrez PJ, Güttler C, Hoekzema N, Hviid SF, Ip WH, Jorda L, Knollenberg J, Kovacs G, Kramm JR, Kührt E, Küppers M, La Forgia F, Lara LM, Lazzarin M, Leyrat C, Lopez Moreno JJ, Magrin S, Marchi S, Marzari F, Massironi M, Michalik H, Moissl R, Mottola S, Naletto G, Oklay N, Pajola M, Pertile M, Preusker F, Sabau L, Scholten F, Snodgrass C, Thomas N, Tubiana C, Vincent JB, Wenzel KP, Zaccariotto M, Pätzold M. Cometary science. On the nucleus structure and activity of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Science 2015; 347:aaa1044. [PMID: 25613897 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa1044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Images from the OSIRIS scientific imaging system onboard Rosetta show that the nucleus of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko consists of two lobes connected by a short neck. The nucleus has a bulk density less than half that of water. Activity at a distance from the Sun of >3 astronomical units is predominantly from the neck, where jets have been seen consistently. The nucleus rotates about the principal axis of momentum. The surface morphology suggests that the removal of larger volumes of material, possibly via explosive release of subsurface pressure or via creation of overhangs by sublimation, may be a major mass loss process. The shape raises the question of whether the two lobes represent a contact binary formed 4.5 billion years ago, or a single body where a gap has evolved via mass loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Sierks
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Cesare Barbieri
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy
| | - Philippe L Lamy
- Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, UMR 7326, CNRS & Aix Marseille Université, 13388 Marseille Cedex 13, France
| | - Rafael Rodrigo
- Centro de Astrobiologia, CSIC-INTA,28850 Madrid, Spain. International Space Science Institute, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Detlef Koschny
- Scientific Support Office, European Space Research and Technology Centre/ESA, 2201 AZ Noordwijk ZH, Netherlands
| | - Hans Rickman
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, 75120 Uppsala, Sweden. PAS Space Research Center, 00716 Warszawa, Poland
| | - Horst Uwe Keller
- Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany. Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Institut für Planetenforschung, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jessica Agarwal
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael F A'Hearn
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, 37077 Göttingen, Germany. Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Francesco Angrilli
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Anne-Therese Auger
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, UMR 7326, 13388 Marseille, France
| | - M Antonella Barucci
- LESIA-Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris Diderot, 92195 Meudon, France
| | | | - Ivano Bertini
- Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali "Giuseppe Colombo" (CISAS), University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Sebastien Besse
- Scientific Support Office, European Space Research and Technology Centre/ESA, 2201 AZ Noordwijk ZH, Netherlands
| | - Dennis Bodewits
- Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Claire Capanna
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, UMR 7326, 13388 Marseille, France
| | | | | | - Björn Davidsson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, 75120 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stefano Debei
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Ferri
- Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali "Giuseppe Colombo" (CISAS), University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Sonia Fornasier
- LESIA-Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris Diderot, 92195 Meudon, France
| | - Marco Fulle
- INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, 34014 Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Lorenza Giacomini
- Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali "Giuseppe Colombo" (CISAS), University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Olivier Groussin
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, UMR 7326, 13388 Marseille, France
| | | | - Pedro J Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC), c/ Glorieta de la AstronomÌa s/n, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Carsten Güttler
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nick Hoekzema
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stubbe F Hviid
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, 37077 Göttingen, Germany. Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Institut für Planetenforschung, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Wing-Huen Ip
- Graduate Institute of Astronomy, National Central University, Chung-Li 32054, Taiwan. Space Science Institute, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao, China
| | - Laurent Jorda
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, UMR 7326, 13388 Marseille, France
| | - Jörg Knollenberg
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Institut für Planetenforschung, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gabor Kovacs
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - J Rainer Kramm
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ekkehard Kührt
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Institut für Planetenforschung, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Küppers
- Operations Department, European Space Astronomy Centre/ESA, 28691 Villanueva de la Canada, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Luisa M Lara
- Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC), c/ Glorieta de la AstronomÌa s/n, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Monica Lazzarin
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy
| | - Cédric Leyrat
- LESIA-Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris Diderot, 92195 Meudon, France
| | - Josè J Lopez Moreno
- Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC), c/ Glorieta de la AstronomÌa s/n, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Sara Magrin
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy
| | - Simone Marchi
- Solar System Exploration Research, Virtual Institute, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - Francesco Marzari
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy
| | - Matteo Massironi
- Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali "Giuseppe Colombo" (CISAS), University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy. Dipartimento di Geoscienze, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Harald Michalik
- Institut für Datentechnik und Kommunikationsnetze der TU Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Richard Moissl
- Operations Department, European Space Astronomy Centre/ESA, 28691 Villanueva de la Canada, Madrid, Spain
| | - Stefano Mottola
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Institut für Planetenforschung, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Giampiero Naletto
- Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali "Giuseppe Colombo" (CISAS), University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy. CNR-IFN UOS Padova LUXOR, 35131 Padova, Italy. Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Nilda Oklay
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Maurizio Pajola
- Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali "Giuseppe Colombo" (CISAS), University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Marco Pertile
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy. Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali "Giuseppe Colombo" (CISAS), University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Frank Preusker
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Institut für Planetenforschung, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lola Sabau
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial, 28850 Torrejon de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Frank Scholten
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Institut für Planetenforschung, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Colin Snodgrass
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nicolas Thomas
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland. Center for Space and Habitability, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Cecilia Tubiana
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Klaus-Peter Wenzel
- Scientific Support Office, European Space Research and Technology Centre/ESA, 2201 AZ Noordwijk ZH, Netherlands
| | - Mirco Zaccariotto
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy. Centro di Ateneo di Studi ed Attività Spaziali "Giuseppe Colombo" (CISAS), University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Martin Pätzold
- Rheinisches Institut für Umweltforschung, Abteilung Planetenforschung, Universität zu Köln, 50931 Köln, Germany
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27
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Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko sheds dust coat accumulated over the past four years. Nature 2015; 518:216-8. [DOI: 10.1038/nature14159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 12/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Hässig M, Altwegg K, Balsiger H, Bar-Nun A, Berthelier JJ, Bieler A, Bochsler P, Briois C, Calmonte U, Combi M, De Keyser J, Eberhardt P, Fiethe B, Fuselier SA, Galand M, Gasc S, Gombosi TI, Hansen KC, Jäckel A, Keller HU, Kopp E, Korth A, Kührt E, Le Roy L, Mall U, Marty B, Mousis O, Neefs E, Owen T, Rème H, Rubin M, Sémon T, Tornow C, Tzou CY, Waite JH, Wurz P. Cometary science. Time variability and heterogeneity in the coma of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Science 2015; 347:aaa0276. [PMID: 25613892 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa0276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Comets contain the best-preserved material from the beginning of our planetary system. Their nuclei and comae composition reveal clues about physical and chemical conditions during the early solar system when comets formed. ROSINA (Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis) onboard the Rosetta spacecraft has measured the coma composition of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko with well-sampled time resolution per rotation. Measurements were made over many comet rotation periods and a wide range of latitudes. These measurements show large fluctuations in composition in a heterogeneous coma that has diurnal and possibly seasonal variations in the major outgassing species: water, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. These results indicate a complex coma-nucleus relationship where seasonal variations may be driven by temperature differences just below the comet surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Hässig
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland. Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA.
| | - K Altwegg
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland. Center for Space and Habitability (CSH), University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - H Balsiger
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - A Bar-Nun
- Department of Geosciences, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - J J Berthelier
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), Institute Pierre Simon Laplace (IPSL), Centre national de recherche scientifique (CNRS), Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), BP 102, UPMC, 4 Place Jussieu, F-75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - A Bieler
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland. Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - P Bochsler
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - C Briois
- Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace (LPC2E), UMR 7328 CNRS - Université d'Orléans, France
| | - U Calmonte
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - M Combi
- Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - J De Keyser
- Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Ringlaan 3, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium. Center for Plasma Astrophysics, KULeuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - P Eberhardt
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - B Fiethe
- Institute of Computer and Network Engineering (IDA), TU Braunschweig, Hans-Sommer-Straße 66, D-38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - S A Fuselier
- Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA
| | - M Galand
- Department of Physics, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - S Gasc
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - T I Gombosi
- Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - K C Hansen
- Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - A Jäckel
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - H U Keller
- Institute for Geophysics and Extraterrestrial Physics, Technische Universität (TU) Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany. German Aerospace Center, Institute of Planetary Research, Asteroids and Comets, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - E Kopp
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - A Korth
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - E Kührt
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Planetary Research, Asteroids and Comets, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - L Le Roy
- Center for Space and Habitability (CSH), University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - U Mall
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - B Marty
- Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques (CRPG), 15 Rue Notre Dame des Pauvres, BP 20, 54501 Vandoeuvre lès Nancy, France
| | - O Mousis
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LAM (Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille), UMR 7326, 13388, Marseille, France
| | - E Neefs
- Engineering Division, BIRA-IASB, Ringlaan 3, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium
| | - T Owen
- Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - H Rème
- Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabathier (UPS), Observatoire de Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP), Toulouse, France. CNRS, IRAP, 9 Avenue du Colonel Roche, BP 44346, F-31028 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
| | - M Rubin
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - T Sémon
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - C Tornow
- German Aerospace Center, Institute of Planetary Research, Asteroids and Comets, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - C-Y Tzou
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - J H Waite
- Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA
| | - P Wurz
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
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29
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Wagstaff KL, Thompson DR, Bue BD, Fuchs TJ. AUTONOMOUS REAL-TIME DETECTION OF PLUMES AND JETS FROM MOONS AND COMETS. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1088/0004-637x/794/1/43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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30
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Paganini L, Mumma M, Bonev B, Villanueva G, DiSanti M, Keane J, Meech K. The formation heritage of Jupiter Family Comet 10P/Tempel 2 as revealed by infrared spectroscopy. ICARUS 2012; 218:644-653. [PMID: 32675835 PMCID: PMC7365286 DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2012.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
We present spectral and spatial information for major volatile species in Comet 10P/Tempel 2, based on high-dispersion infrared spectra acquired on UT 2010 July 26 (heliocentric distance R h = 1.44 AU) and September 18 (R h = 1.62 AU), following the comet's perihelion passage on UT 2010 July 04. The total production rate for water on July 26 was (1.90 ± 0.12) × 1028 molecules s-1, and abundances of six trace gases (relative to water) were: CH3OH (1.58% ± 0.23%), C2H6 (0.39% ± 0.04%), NH3 (0.83% ± 0.20%), and HCN (0.13% ± 0.02%). A detailed analysis of intensities for water emission lines provided a rotational temperature of 35 ± 3 K. The mean OPR is consistent with nuclear spin populations in statistical equilibrium (OPR = 3.01 ± 0.18), and the (1σ) lower bound corresponds to a spin temperature >38 K. Our measurements were contemporaneous with a jet-like feature observed at optical wavelengths. The spatial profiles of four primary volatiles display strong enhancements in the jet direction, which favors release from a localized vent on the nucleus. The measured IR continuum is much more sharply peaked and is consistent with a dominant contribution from the nucleus itself. The peak intensities for H2O, CH3OH, and C2H6 are offset by ~200 km in the jet direction, suggesting the possible existence of a distributed source, such as the release of icy grains that subsequently sublimed in the coma. On UT September 18, no obvious emission lines were present in our spectra, nevertheless we obtained a 3σ upper limit Q(H2O) < 2.86 × 1027 molecules s-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. Paganini
- Goddard Center for Astrobiology, NASA GSFC, MS 690, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - M.J. Mumma
- Goddard Center for Astrobiology, NASA GSFC, MS 690, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - B.P. Bonev
- Goddard Center for Astrobiology, NASA GSFC, MS 690, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
- Department of Physics, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064, USA
| | - G.L. Villanueva
- Goddard Center for Astrobiology, NASA GSFC, MS 690, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
- Department of Physics, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064, USA
| | - M.A. DiSanti
- Goddard Center for Astrobiology, NASA GSFC, MS 690, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - J.V. Keane
- Institute for Astronomy, Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - K.J. Meech
- Institute for Astronomy, Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
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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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