scholarly journals Time evolution of dust deposits in the Hapi region of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

2020 ◽  
Vol 636 ◽  
pp. A91
Author(s):  
P. Cambianica ◽  
M. Fulle ◽  
G. Cremonese ◽  
E. Simioni ◽  
G. Naletto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Evolution ◽  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Loss Rate ◽  
Dust Layer ◽  
Water Ice ◽  
Narrow Angle ◽  
Dust Deposit ◽  
Erosion And Accretion ◽  
Comet 67P ◽  
Cometary Activity

Aims. We provide a measurement of the seasonal evolution of the dust deposit erosion and accretion in the Hapi region of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko with a vertical accuracy of 0.2–0.9 m. Methods. We used OSIRIS Narrow Angle Camera images with a spatial scale of lower than 1.30 m px−1 and developed a tool to monitor the time evolution of 22 boulder heights with respect to the surrounding dust deposit. The tool is based on the measurement of the shadow length projected by the boulder on the surrounding pebble deposit. Assuming the position of the boulders does not change during the observational period, boulder height variations provide an indication of how the thickness of the surrounding dust layer varies over time through erosion and accretion phenomena. Results. We measured an erosion of the dust deposit of 1.7 ± 0.2 m during the inbound orbit until 12 December, 2014. This value nearly balances the fallout from the southern hemisphere during perihelion cometary activity. During the perihelion phase, the dust deposit then increased by 1.4 ± 0.8 m. This is interpreted as a direct measurement of the fallout thickness. By comparing the erosion rate and dust volume loss rate at the Hapi region measured in the coma, the fallout represents ~96% in volume of the ejecta. The amount of the eroded pristine material from the southern hemisphere, together with its subsequent transport and fallout on the nucleus, led us to discuss the pristine water ice abundance in comet 67P. We determine that the refractory-to-ice mass ratio ranges from 6 to 110 in the perihelion-eroded pristine nucleus, providing a pristine ice mass fraction of (8 ± 7)% in mass.

scholarly journals Spectrophotometric characterization of the Philae landing site and surroundings with the Rosetta/OSIRIS cameras

2020 ◽  
Vol 498 (1) ◽  
pp. 1221-1238
Author(s):  
Hong Van Hoang ◽  
S Fornasier ◽  
E Quirico ◽  
P H Hasselmann ◽  
M A Barucci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Total Mass ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Landing Site ◽  
Spectral Slope ◽  
Water Ice ◽  
Total Mass Loss ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Comet 67P ◽  
Cometary Activity

ABSTRACT We investigate Abydos, the final landing site of the Philae lander after its eventful landing from the Rosetta spacecraft on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko on 2014 November 12. Over 1000 OSIRIS-level 3B images were analysed, which cover the 2014 August–2016 September timeframe, with spatial resolution ranging from 7.6 m pixel−1 to approximately 0.06 m pixel−1. We found that the Abydos site is as dark as the global 67P nucleus and spectrally red, with an average albedo of 6.5 per cent at 649 nm and a spectral slope value of about 17 per cent/(100 nm) at 50° phase angle. Similar to the whole nucleus, the Abydos site also shows phase reddening but with lower coefficients than other regions of the comet, which may imply a thinner cover of microscopically rough regolith compared to other areas. Seasonal variations, as already noticed for the whole nucleus, were also observed. We identified some potential morphological changes near the landing site implying a total mass-loss of (4.7–7.0) × 105 kg. Small spots ranging from 0.1 to 27 m2 were observed close to Abydos before and after perihelion. Their estimated water ice abundance reaches 30–40 per cent locally, indicating fresh exposures of volatiles. Their lifetime ranges from a few hours up to three months for two pre-perihelion spots. The Abydos surroundings showed a low level of cometary activity compared to other regions of the nucleus. Only a few jets are reported originating nearby Abydos, including a bright outburst that lasted for about 1 h.

scholarly journals Rosetta/OSIRIS observations of the 67P nucleus during the April 2016 flyby: high-resolution spectrophotometry

2019 ◽  
Vol 630 ◽  
pp. A9 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Feller ◽  
S. Fornasier ◽  
S. Ferrari ◽  
P. H. Hasselmann ◽  
A. Barucci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Source Region ◽  
Spectral Slope ◽  
Shape Model ◽  
Water Ice ◽  
Narrow Angle ◽  
Average Reflectance ◽  
The One ◽  
Phase Angles ◽  
Comet 67P

Context. From August 2014 to September 2016, the Rosetta spacecraft followed comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko along its orbit. After the comet passed perihelion, Rosetta performed a flyby manoeuvre over the Imhotep–Khepry transition in April 2016. The OSIRIS/Narrow-Angle-Camera (NAC) acquired 112 observations with mainly three broadband filters (centered at 480, 649, and 743 nm) at a resolution of up to 0.53 m/px and for phase angles between 0.095° and 62°. Aims. We have investigated the morphological and spectrophotometrical properties of this area using the OSIRIS/NAC high-resolution observations. Methods. We assembled the observations into coregistered color cubes. Using a 3D shape model, we produced the illumination conditions and georeference for each observation. We mapped the observations of the transition to investigate its geomorphology. Observations were photometrically corrected using the Lommel–Seeliger disk law. Spectrophotometric analyses were performed on the coregistered color cubes. These data were used to estimate the local phase reddening. Results. The Imhotep–Khepry transition hosts numerous and varied types of terrains and features. We observe an association between a feature’s nature, its reflectance, and its spectral slopes. Fine material deposits exhibit an average reflectance and spectral slope, while terrains with diamictons, consolidated material, degraded outcrops, or features such as somber boulders present a lower-than-average reflectance and higher-than-average spectral slope. Bright surfaces present here a spectral behavior consistent with terrains enriched in water-ice. We find a phase-reddening slope of 0.064 ± 0.001%/100 nm/° at 2.7 au outbound, similar to the one obtained at 2.3 au inbound during the February 2015 flyby. Conclusions. Identified as the source region of multiple jets and a host of water-ice material, the Imhotep–Khepry transition appeared in April 2016, close to the frost line, to further harbor several potential locations with exposed water-ice material among its numerous different morphological terrain units.

scholarly journals Surface evolution of the Anhur region on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from high-resolution OSIRIS images

2019 ◽  
Vol 630 ◽  
pp. A13 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Fornasier ◽  
C. Feller ◽  
P. H. Hasselmann ◽  
M. A. Barucci ◽  
J. Sunshine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Imaging System ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Surface Evolution ◽  
Water Ice ◽  
Narrow Angle ◽  
Highly Active ◽  
Rosetta Mission ◽  
High Resolution Images ◽  
Comet 67P

Context. The southern hemisphere of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P) became observable by the Rosetta mission in March 2015, a few months before cometary southern vernal equinox. The Anhur region in the southern part of the comet’s larger lobe was found to be highly eroded, enriched in volatiles, and highly active. Aims. We analyze high-resolution images of the Anhur region pre- and post-perihelion acquired by the OSIRIS imaging system on board the Rosetta mission. The Narrow Angle Camera is particularly useful for studying the evolution in Anhur in terms of morphological changes and color variations. Methods. Radiance factor images processed by the OSIRIS pipeline were coregistered, reprojected onto the 3D shape model of the comet, and corrected for the illumination conditions. Results. We find a number of morphological changes in the Anhur region that are related to formation of new scarps; removal of dust coatings; localized resurfacing in some areas, including boulders displacements; and vanishing structures, which implies localized mass loss that we estimate to be higher than 50 million kg. The strongest changes took place in and nearby the Anhur canyon-like structure, where significant dust cover was removed, an entire structure vanished, and many boulders were rearranged. All such changes are potentially associated with one of the most intense outbursts registered by Rosetta during its observations, which occurred one day before perihelion passage. Moreover, in the niche at the foot of a new observed scarp, we also see evidence of water ice exposure that persisted for at least six months. The abundance of water ice, evaluated from a linear mixing model, is relatively high (>20%). Our results confirm that the Anhur region is volatile-rich and probably is the area on 67P with the most pristine exposures near perihelion.

scholarly journals Modelling of the outburst on 2015 July 29 observed with OSIRIS cameras in the Southern hemisphere of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko

2017 ◽  
Vol 469 (Suppl_2) ◽  
pp. S178-S185 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Gicquel ◽  
M. Rose ◽  
J.-B. Vincent ◽  
B. Davidsson ◽  
D. Bodewits ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Comet 67P

scholarly journals Plasma properties of suprathermal electrons near comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko with Rosetta

2019 ◽  
Vol 630 ◽  
pp. A42 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Myllys ◽  
P. Henri ◽  
M. Galand ◽  
K. L. Heritier ◽  
N. Gilet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Heliocentric Distance ◽  
Radial Distance ◽  
Hot Electron ◽  
Plasma Properties ◽  
Measured Velocity ◽  
Electron Population ◽  
Suprathermal Electrons ◽  
Comet 67P ◽  
Cometary Activity

Context. The Rosetta spacecraft escorted comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from 2014 to September 2016. The mission provided in situ observations of the cometary plasma during different phases of the cometary activity, which enabled us to better understand its evolution as a function of heliocentric distance. Aims. In this study, different electron populations, called warm and hot, observed by the Ion and Electron Sensor (IES) of the Rosetta Plasma Consortium (RPC) are investigated near the comet during the escorting phase of the Rosetta mission. Methods. The estimates for the suprathermal electron densities and temperatures were extracted using IES electron data by fitting a double-kappa function to the measured velocity distributions. The fitting results were validated using observations from other RPC instruments. We give upgraded estimates for the warm and hot population densities compared to values previously shown in literature. Results. The fitted density and temperature estimates for both electron populations seen by IES are expressed as a function of heliocentric distance to study their evolution with the cometary activity. In addition, we studied the dependence between the electron properties and cometocentric distance. Conclusions. We observed that when the neutral outgassing rate of the nucleus is high (i.e., near perihelion) the suprathermal electrons are well characterized by a double-kappa distribution. In addition, warm and hot populations show a significant dependence with the heliocentric distance. The populations become clearly denser near perihelion while their temperatures are observed to remain almost constant. Moreover, the warm electron population density is shown to be strongly dependent on the radial distance from the comet. Finally, based on our results we reject the hypothesis that hot electron population seen by IES consists of solely suprathermal (halo) solar wind electrons, while we suggest that the hot electron population mainly consists of solar wind thermal electrons that have undergone acceleration near the comet.

scholarly journals CO-driven activity constrains the origin of comets

2020 ◽  
Vol 636 ◽  
pp. L3 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Fulle ◽  
J. Blum ◽  
A. Rotundi
Keyword(s):  
Loss Rate ◽  
Dust Particles ◽  
Mass Ratio ◽  
Cometary Nuclei ◽  
Nucleus Surface ◽  
Activity Onset ◽  
Gas Loss ◽  
Open Question ◽  
Comet 67P ◽  
Co Gas

Context. An open question in the study of comets is the so-called cohesion bottleneck, that is, how dust particles detach from the nucleus. Aims. We test whether the CO pressure buildup inside the pebbles of which cometary nuclei consist can overcome this cohesion bottleneck. Methods. A recently developed pebble-diffusion model was applied here to comet C/2017K2 PANSTARRS, assuming a CO-driven activity. Results. (i) The CO-gas pressure inside the pebbles erodes the nucleus into the observed dust, which is composed of refractories, H2O ice and CO2 ice. (ii) The CO-driven activity onset occurs up to heliocentric distances of 85 au, depending on the spin orientation of the comet nucleus. (iii) The activity onset observed at ≈26 au suggests a low obliquity of the nucleus spin axis with activity in a polar summer. (iv) At 14 au, the smallest size of the ejected dust is ≈0.1 mm, consistent with observations. (v) The observed dust-loss rate of ≈200 kg s−1 implies a fallout ≥30%, a nucleus surface active area ≥10 km2, a CO-gas loss rate ≥10 kg s−1, and a dust-to-gas ratio ≤20. (vi) The CO-driven activity never stops if the average refractory-to-all-ices mass ratio in the nucleus is ≤4.5 for a nucleus all-ices-to-CO mass ratio ≈4, as observed in comets Hale–Bopp and Hyakutake. These results make comet C/2017K2 similar to the Rosetta target comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. (vii) The erosion lifetime of cometary planetesimals is a factor 103 shorter than the timescale of catastrophic collisions. This means that the comets we observe today cannot be products of catastrophic collisions.

scholarly journals A revised linear ozone photochemistry parameterization for use in transport and general circulation models: multi-annual simulations

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 2183-2196 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Cariolle ◽  
H. Teyssèdre
Keyword(s):  
Time Evolution ◽  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Polar Vortex ◽  
General Circulation Models ◽  
Reaction Rates ◽  
Heterogeneous Reactions ◽  
Ozone Destruction ◽  
Ozone Photochemistry ◽  
Polar Ozone

Abstract. This article describes the validation of a linear parameterization of the ozone photochemistry for use in upper tropospheric and stratospheric studies. The present work extends a previously developed scheme by improving the 2-D model used to derive the coefficients of the parameterization. The chemical reaction rates are updated from a compilation that includes recent laboratory work. Furthermore, the polar ozone destruction due to heterogeneous reactions at the surface of the polar stratospheric clouds is taken into account as a function of the stratospheric temperature and the total chlorine content. Two versions of the parameterization are tested. The first one only requires the solution of a continuity equation for the time evolution of the ozone mixing ratio, the second one uses one additional equation for a cold tracer. The parameterization has been introduced into the chemical transport model MOCAGE. The model is integrated with wind and temperature fields from the ECMWF operational analyses over the period 2000–2004. Overall, the results from the two versions show a very good agreement between the modelled ozone distribution and the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) satellite data and the "in-situ" vertical soundings. During the course of the integration the model does not show any drift and the biases are generally small, of the order of 10%. The model also reproduces fairly well the polar ozone variability, notably the formation of "ozone holes" in the Southern Hemisphere with amplitudes and a seasonal evolution that follow the dynamics and time evolution of the polar vortex. The introduction of the cold tracer further improves the model simulation by allowing additional ozone destruction inside air masses exported from the high to the mid-latitudes, and by maintaining low ozone content inside the polar vortex of the Southern Hemisphere over longer periods in spring time. It is concluded that for the study of climate scenarios or the assimilation of ozone data, the present parameterization gives a valuable alternative to the introduction of detailed and computationally costly chemical schemes into general circulation models.

scholarly journals Near-perihelion activity of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. A first attempt of non-static analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (3) ◽  
pp. 3310-3316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Skorov ◽  
H U Keller ◽  
S Mottola ◽  
P Hartogh
Keyword(s):  
Heliocentric Distance ◽  
Active Area ◽  
Water Production ◽  
South Pole ◽  
Free Layer ◽  
Dust Layer ◽  
Polar Day ◽  
Inert Dust ◽  
Transient Thermal ◽  
Comet 67P

ABSTRACT The observed rate of water production of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko near its perihelion can be approximated by a very steep power function of the heliocentric distance. Widely used thermophysical models based on a static dust layer on top of the icy/refractory matrix are poorly consistent with these observations. We analyse published model results and demonstrate that thermophysical models with a uniform and static ice free layer do not reproduce the observed steep water production rates of 67P near perihelion. Based on transient thermal modeling we conclude that the accelerated gas activity can be explained assuming that the active area fraction near the south pole is increased. The deeper penetration of the heat wave during polar day (no sunset) can activate sublimation through thicker inert dust layers. This can also lead to removal of thicker dust layers and consequently to an expansion of the active area.

scholarly journals An orbital water-ice cycle on comet 67P from colour changes

Nature ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 578 (7793) ◽  
pp. 49-52
Author(s):  
Gianrico Filacchione ◽  
Fabrizio Capaccioni ◽  
Mauro Ciarniello ◽  
Andrea Raponi ◽  
Giovanna Rinaldi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Ice ◽  
Colour Changes ◽  
Comet 67P

scholarly journals Mesospheric dust and its secondary effects as observed by the ESPRIT payload

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 1119-1128 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Havnes ◽  
L. H. Surdal ◽  
C. R. Philbrick
Keyword(s):  
Charge Density ◽  
Lower Layer ◽  
Bound Water ◽  
Impact Angle ◽  
Dust Particles ◽  
Height Range ◽  
Dust Layer ◽  
Water Ice ◽  
Dust Charge ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The dust detector on the ESPRIT rocket detected two extended dust/aerosol layers during the launch on 1 July 2006. The lower layer at height ~81.5–83 km coincided with a strong NLC and PMSE layer. The maximum dust charge density was ~−3.5×109 e m−3 and the dust layer was characterized by a few strong dust layers where the dust charge density at the upper edges changed by factors 2–3 over a distance of ≲10 m, while the same change at their lower edges were much more gradual. The upper edge of this layer is also sharp, with a change in the probe current from zero to IDC=−10−11 A over ~10 m, while the same change at the low edge occurs over ~500 m. The second dust layer at ~85–92 km was in the height range of a comparatively weak PMSE layer and the maximum dust charge density was ~−108 e m−3. This demonstrates that PMSE can be formed even if the ratio of the dust charge density to the electron density P=NdZd /n_e≲0.01. In spite of the dust detector being constructed to reduce possible secondary charging effects from dust impacts, it was found that they were clearly present during the passage through both layers. The measured secondary charging effects confirm recent results that dust in the NLC and PMSE layers can be very effective in producing secondary charges with up to ~50 to 100 electron charges being rubbed off by one impacting large dust particle, if the impact angle is θi≳20–35°. This again lends support to the suggested model for NLC and PMSE dust particles (Havnes and Næsheim, 2007) as a loosely bound water-ice clump interspersed with a considerable number of sub-nanometer-sized meteoric smoke particles, possibly also contaminated with meteoric atomic species.

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