Surface Of Comet Research Articles

Peaks, notches, and lowlands of comet (67P) Churyumov–Gerasimenko

We study here the local minima, maxima, and saddle points of the augmented potential on the surface of a small celestial body with application to comet (67P) Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The isolines of the augmented potential on this surface are determined, in particular, those corresponding to the saddle points. The results are applied to reveal the correlation between the structure of the areas of possible motion on the comet surface and geographic objects on this surface previously defined in the course of the Rosetta mission. • The augmented potential on the surface of a small celestial body is studied. • Its local minima, maxima, and saddle points are identified for comet (67P) Churyumov-Gerasimenko. • Analysis of the isolines of augmented potential reveal the structure of the areas of possible notion on the comet surface. • The results are compares with the distribution of geographic objects on this surface identified by the Rosetta mission.

Gas Dynamic Models of the Interaction between the Solar Wind

Gas dynamic models of the interaction between the solar wind and cometary atmospheresare considered. Interest in the development of such models arose sharply after the beginning of the investigations of comets with the use of spacecraft launched at distances close to their surfaces. The instruments on this spacecraft gave the possibility to investigate experimentally the parameters of gas flow out from the cometary surfaces when the comets approach the Sun and its interaction with the solar wind plasma flow, which could not be made using only the spectral photometry. The beginning of such studies was started by almost instantaneous approaching of several space probes to Halley’s Comet on March 1986. Only after 28 years, the Rosetta spacecraft launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) along a complex trajectory have approached comet Churyumov–Gerasimenko and, maneuvering in the neighborhood of this comet during more than two years, it, in particular, have investigated the interaction of the cometary atmosphere and the solar wind

Thermal Balance and Water Ice Sublimation on the Surface of Hyperactive Comet 103P/Hartley 2

AbstractHyperactive comets have attracted attention due to their high water production rate with an unclear mechanism, though some hypotheses have been proposed to explain it. Based on the thermal theories of the comet nuclei, this paper studied a comet surface thermal model considering the sublimation of H2O. In this paper, a method for solving the sublimation rate of water ice by infrared spectroscopy is proposed. The method adopts the assumption of subpixel temperature nonuniformity on the comet nucleus surface and uses the numerical solution of the Fredholm equation. We use the HRI‐IR spectrum (1.05–4.8 μm) data by EPOXI to analyze the pixel‐by‐pixel water sublimation rate of hyperactive comet 103P/Hartley 2. The results show that sublimation exists in most areas of the surface with or without surface roughness, and most of the water production rate (70%–90%) may come from the comet nucleus when Gauss random surface roughness is adopted. According to the sublimation law, it is estimated that the sublimation temperature of water ice on 103P is above 180 K. If the dust‐to‐ice volume ratio is 3:1, the sublimation temperature is about 200–210 K, which indicates that the water ice may sublimate underneath. This may explain why exposed water ice on the surface can hardly be observed while the active fraction of this comet is up to 100%.

Evolution of pits at the surface of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Context. The observation of pits at the surface of comets offers the opportunity to take a glimpse into the properties and the mechanisms that shape a nucleus through cometary activity. If the origin of these pits is still a matter of debate, multiple studies have recently suggested that known phase transitions (such as volatile sublimation or amorphous water ice crystallization) alone could not have carved these morphological features on the surface of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (hereafter 67P). Aims. We want to understand how the progressive modification of 67P’s surface due to cometary activity might have affected the characteristics of pits and alcoves. In particular, we aim to understand whether signatures of the formation mechanism of these surface morphological features can still be identified. Methods. To quantify the amount of erosion sustained at the surface of 67P since it arrived on its currently observed orbit, we selected 380 facets of a medium-resolution shape model of the nucleus, sampling 30 pits and alcoves across the surface. We computed the surface energy balance with a high temporal resolution, including shadowing and self-heating contributions. We then applied a thermal evolution model to assess the amount of erosion sustained after ten orbital revolutions under current illumination conditions. Results. We find that the maximum erosion sustained after ten orbital revolutions is on the order of 80 m, for facets located in the southern hemisphere. We thus confirm that progressive erosion cannot form pits and alcoves, as local erosion is much lower than their observed depth and diameter. We find that plateaus tend to erode more than bottoms, especially for the deepest depressions, and that some differential erosion can affect their morphology. As a general rule, our results suggest that sharp morphological features tend to be erased by progressive erosion. Conclusions. This study supports the assumption that deep circular pits, such as Seth_01, are the least processed morphological features at the surface of 67P, or the best preserved since their formation.

Mechanical Properties of Cometary Surfaces

Mechanical properties, in particular, strength (tensile, shear, compressive) and porosity, are important parameters for understanding the evolution and activity of comets. However, they are notoriously difficult to measure. Unfortunately, neither Deep Impact nor other comet observations prior to Rosetta provided firm data on the strength of cometary material. This changed with the Rosetta mission and its detailed close observation data and with the landing(s) of Philae in 2014. There are already many articles and reviews in the literature that derive or compile many different strength values from various Rosetta and Philae data. In this paper, we attempt to provide an overview of the available direct and indirect data; we focus on comet Churyumov–Gerasimenko/67P but include a discussion on the Deep Impact strength results. As a prerequisite, we start by giving precise definitions of ‘strength’, discuss soil mechanics based on the Mohr–Coulomb ‘law’ of micro-gravity, and discuss bulk density and porosity, sintering, and the physics of the strength of a cohesive granular medium. We proceed by discussing the scaling of strength with the size and strain rate, which is needed to understand the observational data. We show how measured elastic properties and thermal (conductivity) data can be correlated with strength. Finally, a singular very high strength value is reviewed as well as some particularly small-strength values inferred from the bouncing motion of Philae, data from its collisions with the surface of the comet, and scratch marks it left, allegedly, on the surface close to its final resting site. The synthesis is presented as an overview figure of the tensile and compressive strength of cometary matter as a function of the size scale; conclusions about the size dependence and apparent natural variability of strength are drawn.

Combining Rosetta’s GIADA and MIDAS data: morphological versus dynamical properties of dust at 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko

ABSTRACT We related morphological (size/shape) and dynamical properties of the dust ejected from the 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko comet by combining data from two instruments onboard the ESA's Rosetta mission, i.e. the MIDAS atomic force microscope and the GIADA dust detector. The two instruments detected dust of different size (10−6–10−5 and 10−4–10−3 m, respectively). MIDAS detected dust in four periods, three during the inbound orbit arc (2014 September–November; 2014 December– 2015 February; 2015 February–March) and one corresponding to a post-perihelion outburst (2016 February 19). For these periods, we analysed the dust particles’ spatial distribution on the MIDAS targets to obtain the number of parent particles hitting the instrument by means of an empirical procedure and to measure the corresponding dust flux. For the same periods, we retrieved the dust flux measured by GIADA. The ratio between the two dust fluxes is constant. By coupling this result with activity models, we inferred that the particles detected by MIDAS are fragments of hundreds-micron- to mm-sized particles detected by GIADA. In addition, the similar dust flux ratios between nominal activity and outburst indicates that the outburst did not include micro- and nano-sized dust, differently from other outbursts previously observed. Dust and surface properties were related by applying a traceback algorithm to GIADA data to retrieve the source regions of dust ejected in different periods. We did not detect variations of morphological properties between dust ejected from more and less processed terrains, concluding that compact dust particles (detected by MIDAS) have the same properties across the comet surface.

Outgassing of selected possible cometary analogs: Laboratory simulations

The paper presents experimental studies on the degassing of porous ice and porous mixtures of ice and sand in a vacuum. The study aims to find the relationship between the surface recession rate and the subsurface temperature gradient as well as the granulation and composition of the material. We propose an empirical equation tested on samples with a mass fraction of non-volatile material to ice in the range of 0–3.65. Based on the proposed equation, calculations were carried out, which indicate the possibility of landslides on the inclined areas on the surface of comet 9P/Tempel 1.

VUV photoabsorption of thermally processed carbon disulfide and ammonia ice mixtures – Implications for icy objects in the solar system

Many icy bodies in the solar system have been found to contain a rich mixture of simple molecules on their surfaces. Similarly, comets are now known to be a reservoir of molecules ranging from water to amides. The processing of planetary/cometary ices leads to the synthesis of more complex molecules some of which may be the harbingers of life. Carbon disulphide (CS2) and ammonia (NH3) are known to be present on many icy satellites and comets. Reactions involving CS2 and NH3 may lead to the formation of larger molecules that are stable under space conditions. In this paper we present temperature dependent VUV spectra of pure CS2 in the ice phase, and of CS2 and NH3 ices deposited as (i) layered, and (ii) mixed ices at 10 K and warmed to higher temperatures until their sublimation. Pure CS2 ice is found to have a broad absorption in the VUV region, which is unique for a small molecule in the ice phase. In layered and mixed ices, the molecules tend to affect the phase change and sublimation temperature of each other and also leave behind a form of CS2−NH3 complex after thermal annealing. This study of CS2-NH3 ice systems in layered and mixed configurations would support the detection of these species/complexes in mixed molecular ices analogous to that on planetary and cometary surfaces.

Radial distribution of plasma at comet 67P

Context. The Rosetta spacecraft followed comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P) for more than two years at a slow walking pace (~1 m s−1) within 1500 km from the nucleus. During one of the radial movements of the spacecraft in the early phase of the mission, the radial distribution of the plasma density could be estimated, and the ionospheric density was found to be inversely proportional to the cometocentric distance r from the nucleus (a 1/r distribution). Aims. This study aims to further characterise the radial distribution of plasma around 67P throughout the mission and to expand on the initial results. We also aim to investigate how a 1/r distribution would be observed during aflyby with a fast (~10’s km s−1) spacecraft, such as the upcoming Comet Interceptor mission, when there is also an asymmetry introduced to the outgassing over the comet surface. Methods. To determine the radial distribution of the plasma, we used data from the Langmuir probe and Mutual Impedance instruments from the Rosetta Plasma Consortium during six intervals throughout the mission, for which the motion of Rosetta was approximately radial with respect to the comet. We then simulated what distribution a fast flyby mission would actually observe during its passage through a coma when there is a 1/r plasma density distribution as well as a sinusoidal variation with a phase angle (and then a sawtooth variation) multiplied to the outgassing rate. Results. The plasma density around comet 67P is found to roughly follow a 1/r dependence, although significant deviations occur in some intervals. If we normalise all data to a common outgassing rate (or heliocentric distance) and combine the intervals to a radial range of 10–1500 km, we find a 1/r1.19 average distribution. The simulated observed density from a fast spacecraft flying through a coma with a 1/r distribution and an asymmetric outgassing can, in fact, appear anywhere in the range from a 1/r distribution to a 1/r2 distribution, or even slightly outside of this range. Conclusions. The plasma density is distributed in such a way that it approximately decreases in a manner that is inversely proportional to the cometocentric distance. This is to be expected from the photoionisation of a collision-less, expanding neutral gas at a constant ionisation rate and expansion speed. The deviation from a pure 1/r distribution is in many cases caused by asymmetric outgassing over the surface, additional ionisation sources being present, electric fields accelerating plasma, and changing upstream solar wind conditions. A fast flyby mission can observe a radial distribution that deviates significantly from a 1/r trend if the outgassing is not symmetric over the surface. The altitude profile that will be observed depends very much on the level of outgassing asymmetry, the flyby velocity, the comet rotation rate, and the rotation phase. It is therefore essential to include data from both the inbound and outbound legs, as well as to compare plasma density to neutral density to get a more complete understanding of the radial distribution of the plasma.

Discrete Element Modeling of Aeolian-like Morphologies on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Context. Even after the Rosetta mission, some of the mechanical parameters of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko’s surface material are still not well constrained. They are needed to improve our understanding of cometary activity or for planning sample return procedures. Aims. We discuss the physical process dominating the formation of aeolian-like surface features in the form of moats and wind taillike bedforms around obstacles and investigate the mechanical and geometrical parameters involved. Methods. By applying the discrete element method (DEM) in a low-gravity environment, we numerically simulated the dynamics of the surface layer particles and the particle stream involved in the formation of aeolian-like morphological features. The material is composed of polydisperse spherical particles that consist of a mixture of dust and water ice, with interparticle forces given by the Hertz contact model, cohesion, friction, and rolling friction. We determined a working set of parameters that enables simulations to be reasonably realistic and investigated morphological changes when modifying these parameters. Results. The aeolian-like surface features are reasonably well reproduced using model materials with a tensile strength on the order of 0.1–1 Pa. Stronger materials and obstacles with round shapes impede the formation of a moat and a wind tail. The integrated dust flux required for the formation of moats and wind tails is on the order of 100 kg m−2, which, based on the timescale of morphological changes inferred from Rosetta images, translates to a near-surface particle density on the order of 10−6–10−4 kgm−3. Conclusions. DEM modeling of the aeolian-like surface features reveals complex formation mechanisms that involve both deposition of ejected material and surface erosion. More numerical work and additional in situ measurements or sample return missions are needed to better investigate mechanical parameters of cometary surface material and to understand the mechanics of cometary activity.

Back Cover: ESA's Cometary Mission Rosetta—Re‐Characterization of the COSAC Mass Spectrometry Results (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 29/2022)

The cometary Rosetta mission visited the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by placing the Philae Lander on its surface. Philae was equipped with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer that analyzed, for the first time, cometary surface material in situ. Uwe J. Meierhenrich and co-workers describe in their Research Article (DOI: 10.1002/anie.202201925) the characterization of this mass spectrum through non-negative least square fitting and Monte Carlo analysis revealing the chemical composition of cometary ices.

The Ice Composition Close to the Surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

The Ice Composition Close to the Surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Possible Activity in 468861 (2013 LU28)

Abstract Manx comets are objects on long-period comet orbits that are inactive as they approach perihelion. They are of particular interest because they may help constrain solar system formation models. 2013 LU28 was discovered as an inactive asteroidal object on 2013 June 8 at a heliocentric distance of 21.8 au. Images and photometric data were obtained of 2013 LU28 from multiple telescopes from pre-discovery data in 2010 until the present. Its spectral reflectivity is consistent with typical organic-rich comet surfaces with colors of g ′ − r ′ = 0.97 ± 0.02, r ′ − i ′ = 0.43 ± 0.02, and r ′ − z ′ = 0.65 ± 0.03, corresponding to a spectral reflectivity slope of 30 ± 3%/100 nm. There is no obvious indication of dust coma in deep stacked images. We estimate the nucleus radius to be ∼55.7 ± 0.3 km assuming an albedo of 4%. This is much smaller than the 1σ upper limits on the nucleus size of 79.9 km from the NEOWISE survey assuming the same albedo, since the NEOWISE survey is not very sensitive to objects this small at this distance. The heliocentric light curve suggests possible activity between r ∼ 17 and 13 au where 2013 LU28 is brighter than expected. This is consistent with outgassing from CO or CO2. Using surface brightness profiles, we estimate an upper limit of ∼0.01 kg s−1 for micron-sized dust that can be produced without us detecting it for the inactive portion of the light curve, and upper limits of ∼1 kg s−1 for CO and ∼1.5 kg s−1 for CO2 between 20 and 14.7 au.

Tensile strength and elastic properties of fine-grained ice aggregates: Implications for crater formation on small icy bodies

The mechanical and elastic properties of ice aggregates are important in the physics of avalanches and crater formation on icy bodies, such as icy satellites and cometary nuclei. Here we conducted uniaxial tensile tests and elastic-wave velocity measurements on artificial fine-grained ice aggregates (snow) to infer the potential for crater formation on small icy bodies. The uniaxial tensile tests on the artificial snow with filling factors (f) in the 0.30–0.59 range at −15 °C demonstrate that the tensile strength (Yt) depends on its filling factor; we obtained the empirical equation Yt=103.5f3.5 (in kPa) based on our results, which is consistent with the upper limit of natural snow’s tensile strength. The compressional- and shear-wave velocities of artificial snow with f≥ 0.4 were measured via the ultrasonic pulse velocity method. The elastic-wave velocities decrease linearly with decreasing f values. Our calculations for the Young’s moduli of the artificial snow from the elastic-wave velocity measurements are 10–40 times higher than those from the tensile tests, which indicate the rate-dependent properties of the fine-grained ice aggregates. We propose a tensile strength estimation of a cometary surface via an artificial impact based on our results and a crater-scaling law in the strength-dominated regime.

Dust Outburst Dynamics and Hazard Assessment for Close Spacecraft–Comet Encounters

Abstract Using the gas drag by sublimating cometary surface ices for the acceleration of dust particles and deceleration by the gravity field of the nucleus combined with basic laws of mechanics, the sizes, velocities, and number densities of escaping particles are calculated and evaluated with respect to the hazard assessment of comet–spacecraft flybys and encounters. We find good agreement between our analytical method and the more elaborate and precise DSMC calculations, but, being simpler, our method can more easily be used to explore a wide range of cometary conditions and can be more easily scaled to specific comets with different nucleus sizes, masses, and gravity potentials and various gas and dust production rates. Our analytical method is applied to outbursts expanding into a cone of ∼60°, where the gas density falls off with height from the surface rather than radial distance from the center of a uniformly outgassing nucleus. In this scenario, larger dust particles can be ejected and attain ballistic trajectories, go into orbit, or escape from the nucleus, thus being potentially more hazardous to a spacecraft. Sample calculations are carried out for potential dust outbursts for the highly active Centaur/Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 for various assumed active areas and dust particle size distributions. Particle velocity ranges for ballistic trajectories, orbiting particles, and particles escaping into the coma are presented. These calculations are used to estimate the coma particle number densities during outbursts to get an assessment of the hazards and required mitigation for a flyby or orbiting space mission.

Sublimation of ice-dust mixtures in cooled vacuum environments to reproduce cometary morphologies

Aims. The morphology of cometary surfaces can provide important information to constrain the composition and evolution of comets. In this work, we investigate the sublimation behavior of comet analog materials and how the sample composition affects the evolution of morphological features in laboratory experiments. In our experiments, we used dust ice mixtures as analog material to form observed cometary morphologies. Methods. We used ice-dust mixtures in different mixing ratios as cometary analog material. In order to obtain realistic results, we scaled the expected cohesive and gravitational forces on comets to laboratory conditions. The samples were placed in a vacuum sublimation chamber and permanently cooled down to temperatures below 150 K to simulate the space environment. In the experiment, the samples were insolated with a light source from two different directions and alterations on the surface were recorded with a camera. Results. We find that the morphology of sublimation residues of ice-dust mixtures is strongly dependent on the ice-dust ratio as well as the insolation direction. High amounts of ice cause constant surface alteration and lead to exotic morphologies. Low amounts cause fewer and more episodic surface changes during its sublimation. Collapse events resulting in irregular and very rough surfaces occur during horizontal insolation.

Viscous and Knudsen gas flow through dry porous cometary analogue material

ABSTRACTAccording to current theories of the formation of stellar systems, comets belong to the oldest and most pristine class of bodies to be found around a star. When approaching the Sun, the nucleus shows increasing activity and a pressure increase inside the material causes sublimated and trapped gas molecules to stream away from their regions of origin towards the surface. The present work studies two essential mechanisms of gas transport through a porous layer, namely the Darcy and the Knudsen flow. Gas flow measurements are performed in the laboratory with several analogue materials, which are mimicking dry cometary surface properties. In this first series of measurements, the aim was to separate gas transport properties from internal sources like local sublimation or release of trapped gases. Therefore, only dry granular materials were used and maintaining a low temperature environment was unnecessary. The gas permeability and the Knudsen diffusion coefficient of the sample materials are obtained, thereby representing the relative importance of the respective flow mechanism. The experiments performed with air at a stable room temperature show that the grain size distribution and the packing density of the sample play a major role for the permeability of the sample. The larger the grains, the bigger the permeability and the Knudsen diffusion coefficient. From the latter, we estimated effective pore diameters. Finally, we explain how these parameters can be adapted to obtain the gas flow properties of the investigated analogue materials under the conditions to be expected on the comet.

Surfaces of (Nearly) Dormant Comets and the Recent History of the Quadrantid Meteor Shower

Abstract The parent of the Quadrantid meteor shower is the inactive solar system small body (196256) 2003 EH1. EH1 has likely only gone dormant in the past few hundred years, and may be related to the bright comet C/1490 Y1. Compared with the other best-studied inactive meteor shower parent (3200) Phaethon, EH1 has received comparatively minimal characterization of its surface properties. We present the first reflectance spectrum and additional photometry of EH1, as well as new spectra of the nuclei of three nearly dormant comets P/2006 HR30 (Siding Spring), 364P/Pan-STARRS, and 249P/LINEAR for comparison. We also present new short-term high-resolution orbital integrations of these bodies for context. EH1s spectrum is red in color below 0.8 μm in between C and D types, consistent with previous photometric measurements, but is blue beyond 0.8 μm until at least 1.02 μm. 249P and 364P have both red slopes consistent with C taxonomic types and HR30 has a classic comet nucleus D-type slope. If the downturn in EH1’s spectrum is due to an absorption feature, magnetite and olivine are plausible candidates, but more data are needed. 249P and 364P have similar recent and historical dynamical evolutions in addition to their similar surface properties. We discuss the interrelation between the dynamical histories and modern surfaces of these four objects and suggest avenues for further study to better constrain how the Quadrantids and Geminids were created.

The Coma Dust of Comet C/2013 US10 (Catalina): A Window into Carbon in the Solar System

Abstract Comet C/2013 US10 (Catalina) was a dynamically new Oort cloud comet whose apparition presented a favorable geometry for observations near close-Earth approach (≃0.93 au) at heliocentric distances ≲2 au when insolation and sublimation of volatiles drive maximum activity. Here we present mid-infrared 6.0 ≲ λ(μm) ≲ 40 spectrophotometric observations at two temporal epochs from NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility that yield an inventory of the refractory materials and their physical characteristics through thermal modeling analysis. The grain composition is dominated by dark dust grains (modeled as amorphous carbon) with a silicate-to-carbon ratio ≲0.9, little crystalline stoichiometry (no distinct 11.2 μm feature attributed to Mg-rich crystalline olivine), and the submicron grain-size distribution peaking at ≃0.6 μm. The 10 μm silicate feature was weak, ≈12.8% ± 0.1% above the local continuum, and the bolometric grain albedo was low (≲14%). Comet C/2013 US10 (Catalina) is a carbon-rich object. This material, which is well represented by the optical constants of amorphous carbon, is similar to the material that darkens and reddens the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. We argue this material is endemic to the nuclei of comets, synthesizing results from the study of Stardust samples, interplanetary dust particle investigations, and micrometeoritic analyses. The atomic carbon-to-silicate ratio of comet C/2013 US10 (Catalina) and other comets joins a growing body of evidence suggesting the existence of a C/Si gradient in the primitive solar system, providing new insight into planetesimal formation and the distribution of isotopic and compositional gradients extant today.

Characterizing the Manx Candidate A/2018 V3

Abstract Manx objects approach the inner solar system on long-period comet (LPC) orbits with the consequent high inbound velocities, but unlike comets, Manxes display very little to no activity even near perihelion. This suggests that they may have formed in circumstances different from typical LPCs; moreover, this lack of significant activity also renders them difficult to detect at large distances. Thus, analyzing their physical properties can help constrain models of solar system formation as well as sharpen detection methods for those classified as NEOs. Here, we focus on the Manx candidate A/2018 V3 as part of a larger effort to characterize Manxes as a whole. This particular object was observed to be inactive even at its perihelion at q = 1.34 au in 2019 September. Its spectral reflectivity is consistent with typical organic-rich comet surfaces with colors of g ′ − r ′ = 0.67 ± 0.02 , r ′ − i ′ = 0.26 ± 0.02 , and r ′ − z ′ = 0.45 ± 0.02 , corresponding to a spectral reflectivity slope of 10.6 ± 0.9%/100 nm. A least-squares fit of our constructed light curve to the observational data yields an average nucleus radius of ≈2 km assuming an albedo of 0.04. This is consistent with the value measured from NEOWISE. A surface brightness analysis for data taken 2020 July 13 indicated possible low activity (≲0.68 g s−1), but not enough to lift optically significant amounts of dust. Finally, we discuss Manxes as a constraint on solar system dynamical models as well as their implications for planetary defense.