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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, 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] [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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Garrett NR, Davis MC, Fortenberry RC. DFT + F12 QFFs for Cost-Effective Rovibrational Spectral Data Predictions of Ground and Excited Electronic States. J Chem Theory Comput 2024. [PMID: 38230913 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c01179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
The quest for faster computation of anharmonic vibrational frequencies of both ground and excited electronic states has led to combining coupled cluster theory harmonic force constants with density functional theory cubic and quartic force constants for defining a quartic force field (QFF) utilized in conjunction with vibrational perturbation theory at second order (VPT2). This work shows that explicitly correlated coupled cluster theory at the singles, doubles, and perturbative triples levels [CCSD(T)-F12] provides accurate anharmonic vibrational frequencies and rotational constants when conjoined with any of B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP, BHandHLYP, PBE0, and ωB97XD for roughly one-quarter of the computational time of the CCSD(T)-F12 QFF alone for our test set. As the number of atoms in the molecule increases, however, the anharmonic terms become a greater portion of the QFF, and the cost comparison improves with HOCO+ and formic acid, requiring less than 15 and 10% of the time, respectively. In electronically excited states, PBE0 produces more consistently accurate results. Additionally, as the size of the molecule and, in turn, QFF increase, the cost savings for utilizing such a hybrid approach for both ground- and excited-state computations grows. As such, these methods are promising for predicting accurate rovibrational spectral properties for electronically excited states. In cases where well-behaved potentials for a small selection of targeted excited states are needed, such an approach should reduce the computational cost compared to that of methods requiring semiglobal potential surfaces or variational treatments of the rovibronic Hamiltonian. Such applications include spectral characterization of comets, exoplanets, or any situation in which gas phase molecules are being excited by UV-vis radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah R Garrett
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677-1848, United States
| | - Megan C Davis
- Theoretical Division, T-1, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
- Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
| | - Ryan C Fortenberry
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677-1848, United States
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Juhas M. The World of Microorganisms. BRIEF LESSONS IN MICROBIOLOGY 2023:1-16. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-29544-7_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
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A liquid crystal world for the origins of life. Emerg Top Life Sci 2022; 6:557-569. [PMID: 36373852 DOI: 10.1042/etls20220081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Nucleic acids (NAs) in modern biology accomplish a variety of tasks, and the emergence of primitive nucleic acids is broadly recognized as a crucial step for the emergence of life. While modern NAs have been optimized by evolution to accomplish various biological functions, such as catalysis or transmission of genetic information, primitive NAs could have emerged and been selected based on more rudimental chemical-physical properties, such as their propensity to self-assemble into supramolecular structures. One such supramolecular structure available to primitive NAs are liquid crystal (LC) phases, which are the outcome of the collective behavior of short DNA or RNA oligomers or monomers that self-assemble into linear aggregates by combinations of pairing and stacking. Formation of NA LCs could have provided many essential advantages for a primitive evolving system, including the selection of potential genetic polymers based on structure, protection by compartmentalization, elongation, and recombination by enhanced abiotic ligation. Here, we review recent studies on NA LC assembly, structure, and functions with potential prebiotic relevance. Finally, we discuss environmental or geological conditions on early Earth that could have promoted (or inhibited) primitive NA LC formation and highlight future investigation axes essential to further understanding of how LCs could have contributed to the emergence of life.
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Nanayakkara S, Tao Y, Kraka E. Capturing Individual Hydrogen Bond Strengths in Ices via Periodic Local Vibrational Mode Theory: Beyond the Lattice Energy Picture. J Chem Theory Comput 2021; 18:562-579. [PMID: 34928619 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.1c00357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Local stretching force constants derived from periodic local vibrational modes at the vdW-DF2 density functional level have been employed to quantify the intrinsic hydrogen bond strength of 16 ice polymorphs, ices Ih, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVII, and XIX, that are stable under ambient to elevated pressures. Based on this characterization on 1820 hydrogen bonds, relationships between local stretching force constants and structural parameters such as hydrogen bond length and angle were identified. Moreover, different bond strength distributions, from uniform to inhomogeneous, were observed for the 16 ices and could be explained in relation to different local structural elements within ices, that is, rings, that consist of different hydrogen bond types. In addition, criteria for the classification of hydrogen bonds as strong, intermediate, and weak were introduced. The latter was used to explore a different dimension of the water-ice phase diagram. These findings will provide important guidelines for assessing the credibility of new ice structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadisha Nanayakkara
- Computational and Theoretical Chemistry Group (CATCO), Department of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, 3215 Daniel Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75275-0314, United States
| | - Yunwen Tao
- Computational and Theoretical Chemistry Group (CATCO), Department of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, 3215 Daniel Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75275-0314, United States
| | - Elfi Kraka
- Computational and Theoretical Chemistry Group (CATCO), Department of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, 3215 Daniel Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75275-0314, United States
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McKay AJ, Roth NX. Organic Matter in Cometary Environments. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:37. [PMID: 33430031 PMCID: PMC7826631 DOI: 10.3390/life11010037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Comets contain primitive material leftover from the formation of the Solar System, making studies of their composition important for understanding the formation of volatile material in the early Solar System. This includes organic molecules, which, for the purpose of this review, we define as compounds with C-H and/or C-C bonds. In this review, we discuss the history and recent breakthroughs of the study of organic matter in comets, from simple organic molecules and photodissociation fragments to large macromolecular structures. We summarize results both from Earth-based studies as well as spacecraft missions to comets, highlighted by the Rosetta mission, which orbited comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko for two years, providing unprecedented insights into the nature of comets. We conclude with future prospects for the study of organic matter in comets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. McKay
- Department of Physics, American University, Washington, DC 20016, USA
- Planetary Systems Laboratory Code 693, Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Nathan X. Roth
- Astrochemistry Laboratory Code 691, Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA;
- Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, MD 21046, USA
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7
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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: 0.3] [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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8
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O'Rourke L, Heinisch P, Blum J, Fornasier S, Filacchione G, Van Hoang H, Ciarniello M, Raponi A, Gundlach B, Blasco RA, Grieger B, Glassmeier KH, Küppers M, Rotundi A, Groussin O, Bockelée-Morvan D, Auster HU, Oklay N, Paar G, Perucha MDPC, Kovacs G, Jorda L, Vincent JB, Capaccioni F, Biver N, Parker JW, Tubiana C, Sierks H. The Philae lander reveals low-strength primitive ice inside cometary boulders. Nature 2020; 586:697-701. [PMID: 33116289 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2834-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
On 12 November 2014, the Philae lander descended towards comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, bounced twice off the surface, then arrived under an overhanging cliff in the Abydos region. The landing process provided insights into the properties of a cometary nucleus1-3. Here we report an investigation of the previously undiscovered site of the second touchdown, where Philae spent almost two minutes of its cross-comet journey, producing four distinct surface contacts on two adjoining cometary boulders. It exposed primitive water ice-that is, water ice from the time of the comet's formation 4.5 billion years ago-in their interiors while travelling through a crevice between the boulders. Our multi-instrument observations made 19 months later found that this water ice, mixed with ubiquitous dark organic-rich material, has a local dust/ice mass ratio of [Formula: see text], matching values previously observed in freshly exposed water ice from outbursts4 and water ice in shadow5,6. At the end of the crevice, Philae made a 0.25-metre-deep impression in the boulder ice, providing in situ measurements confirming that primitive ice has a very low compressive strength (less than 12 pascals, softer than freshly fallen light snow) and allowing a key estimation to be made of the porosity (75 ± 7 per cent) of the boulders' icy interiors. Our results provide constraints for cometary landers seeking access to a volatile-rich ice sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence O'Rourke
- European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Philip Heinisch
- Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jürgen Blum
- Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Sonia Fornasier
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, Meudon, France.,Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
| | - Gianrico Filacchione
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Rome, Italy
| | - Hong Van Hoang
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, Meudon, France.,Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Institut de Planétologie et Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), UMR, Grenoble, France
| | - Mauro Ciarniello
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Raponi
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Rome, Italy
| | - Bastian Gundlach
- Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Rafael Andrés Blasco
- Telespazio Vega UK Ltd for the European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Björn Grieger
- Aurora Technology BV for the European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Karl-Heinz Glassmeier
- Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michael Küppers
- European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alessandra Rotundi
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Rome, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie, Universitá degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Dominique Bockelée-Morvan
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, Meudon, France
| | - Hans-Ulrich Auster
- Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Gerhard Paar
- Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Gabor Kovacs
- Department of Mechatronics, Optics and Engineering Informatics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Laurent Jorda
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, CNES, LAM, Marseille, France
| | | | - Fabrizio Capaccioni
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicolas Biver
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Université de Paris, Sorbonne Université, Meudon, France
| | - Joel Wm Parker
- Planetary Science Directorate, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Cecilia Tubiana
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Rome, Italy.,Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Holger Sierks
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Göttingen, Germany
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9
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Halukeerthi SO, Shephard JJ, Talewar SK, Evans JSO, Rosu-Finsen A, Salzmann CG. Amorphous Mixtures of Ice and C 60 Fullerene. J Phys Chem A 2020; 124:5015-5022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.0c03439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Siriney O. Halukeerthi
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Jacob J. Shephard
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom
| | - Sukhpreet K. Talewar
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - John S. O. Evans
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander Rosu-Finsen
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Christoph G. Salzmann
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
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10
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Poch O, Istiqomah I, Quirico E, Beck P, Schmitt B, Theulé P, Faure A, Hily-Blant P, Bonal L, Raponi A, Ciarniello M, Rousseau B, Potin S, Brissaud O, Flandinet L, Filacchione G, Pommerol A, Thomas N, Kappel D, Mennella V, Moroz L, Vinogradoff V, Arnold G, Erard S, Bockelée-Morvan D, Leyrat C, Capaccioni F, De Sanctis MC, Longobardo A, Mancarella F, Palomba E, Tosi F. Ammonium salts are a reservoir of nitrogen on a cometary nucleus and possibly on some asteroids. Science 2020; 367:367/6483/eaaw7462. [PMID: 32165559 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw7462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The measured nitrogen-to-carbon ratio in comets is lower than for the Sun, a discrepancy which could be alleviated if there is an unknown reservoir of nitrogen in comets. The nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko exhibits an unidentified broad spectral reflectance feature around 3.2 micrometers, which is ubiquitous across its surface. On the basis of laboratory experiments, we attribute this absorption band to ammonium salts mixed with dust on the surface. The depth of the band indicates that semivolatile ammonium salts are a substantial reservoir of nitrogen in the comet, potentially dominating over refractory organic matter and more volatile species. Similar absorption features appear in the spectra of some asteroids, implying a compositional link between asteroids, comets, and the parent interstellar cloud.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Poch
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), 38000 Grenoble, France.
| | - Istiqomah Istiqomah
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Eric Quirico
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Pierre Beck
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), 38000 Grenoble, France.,Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
| | - Bernard Schmitt
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Patrice Theulé
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille (LAM), Marseille, France
| | - Alexandre Faure
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Pierre Hily-Blant
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Lydie Bonal
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Andrea Raponi
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali (IAPS), Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Ciarniello
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali (IAPS), Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Batiste Rousseau
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Sandra Potin
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Olivier Brissaud
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Laurène Flandinet
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Gianrico Filacchione
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali (IAPS), Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Antoine Pommerol
- Physikalisches Institut, Sidlerstrasse 5, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Thomas
- Physikalisches Institut, Sidlerstrasse 5, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - David Kappel
- Institute of Physics and Astronomy, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.,Institute for Planetary Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Vito Mennella
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF)-Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Napoli, Italy
| | - Lyuba Moroz
- Institute for Planetary Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Vassilissa Vinogradoff
- CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, Laboratoire Physique des Interactions Ioniques et Moléculaires (PIIM), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) CNRS 7345, 13397 Marseille, France
| | - Gabriele Arnold
- Institute for Planetary Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stéphane Erard
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique (LESIA), Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 92195 Meudon, France
| | - Dominique Bockelée-Morvan
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique (LESIA), Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 92195 Meudon, France
| | - Cédric Leyrat
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique (LESIA), Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 92195 Meudon, France
| | - Fabrizio Capaccioni
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali (IAPS), Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina De Sanctis
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali (IAPS), Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Longobardo
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali (IAPS), Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), 00133 Rome, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie (DIST), Università Parthenope, 80143 Napoli, Italy
| | - Francesca Mancarella
- Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica "E. De Giorgi," Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Ernesto Palomba
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali (IAPS), Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Federico Tosi
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali (IAPS), Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), 00133 Rome, Italy
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11
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Filacchione G, Capaccioni F, Ciarniello M, Raponi A, Rinaldi G, De Sanctis MC, Bockelèe-Morvan D, Erard S, Arnold G, Mennella V, Formisano M, Longobardo A, Mottola S. An orbital water-ice cycle on comet 67P from colour changes. Nature 2020; 578:49-52. [PMID: 32025011 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-1960-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Solar heating of a cometary surface provides the energy necessary to sustain gaseous activity, through which dust is removed1,2. In this dynamical environment, both the coma3,4 and the nucleus5,6 evolve during the orbit, changing their physical and compositional properties. The environment around an active nucleus is populated by dust grains with complex and variegated shapes7, lifted and diffused by gases freed from the sublimation of surface ices8,9. The visible colour of dust particles is highly variable: carbonaceous organic material-rich grains10 appear red while magnesium silicate-rich11,12 and water-ice-rich13,14 grains appear blue, with some dependence on grain size distribution, viewing geometry, activity level and comet family type. We know that local colour changes are associated with grain size variations, such as in the bluer jets made of submicrometre grains on comet Hale-Bopp15 or in the fragmented grains in the coma16 of C/1999 S4 (LINEAR). Apart from grain size, composition also influences the coma's colour response, because transparent volatiles can introduce a substantial blueing in scattered light, as observed in the dust particles ejected after the collision of the Deep Impact probe with comet 9P/Tempel 117. Here we report observations of two opposite seasonal colour cycles in the coma and on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko through its perihelion passage18. Spectral analysis indicates an enrichment of submicrometre grains made of organic material and amorphous carbon in the coma, causing reddening during the passage. At the same time, the progressive removal of dust from the nucleus causes the exposure of more pristine and bluish icy layers on the surface. Far from the Sun, we find that the abundance of water ice on the nucleus is reduced owing to redeposition of dust and dehydration of the surface layer while the coma becomes less red.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mauro Ciarniello
- INAF-IAPS, Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Raponi
- INAF-IAPS, Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanna Rinaldi
- INAF-IAPS, Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Dominique Bockelèe-Morvan
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Universitè, Université Paris Diderot Sorbonne Paris Cité, Meudon, France
| | - Stèphane Erard
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Universitè, Université Paris Diderot Sorbonne Paris Cité, Meudon, France
| | - Gabriele Arnold
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Vito Mennella
- INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Longobardo
- INAF-IAPS, Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Mottola
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin, Germany
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12
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Talewar SK, Halukeerthi SO, Riedlaicher R, Shephard JJ, Clout AE, Rosu-Finsen A, Williams GR, Langhoff A, Johannsmann D, Salzmann CG. Gaseous "nanoprobes" for detecting gas-trapping environments in macroscopic films of vapor-deposited amorphous ice. J Chem Phys 2019; 151:134505. [PMID: 31594355 DOI: 10.1063/1.5113505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Vapor-deposited amorphous ice, traditionally called amorphous solid water (ASW), is one of the most abundant materials in the universe and a prototypical material for studying physical vapor-deposition processes. Its complex nature arises from a strong tendency to form porous structures combined with complicated glass transition, relaxation, and desorption behavior. To gain further insights into the various gas-trapping environments that exist in ASW and hence its morphology, films in the 25-100 μm thickness range were codeposited with small amounts of gaseous "nanoprobes" including argon, methane, helium, and carbon dioxide. Upon heating in the 95-185 K temperature range, three distinct desorption processes are observed which we attribute to the gas desorption out of open cracks above 100 K, from internal voids that collapse due to the glass transition at ∼125 K and finally from fully matrix-isolated gas induced by the irreversible crystallization to stacking disordered ice (ice Isd) at ∼155 K. Nanoscale films of ASW have only displayed the latter desorption process which means that the first two desorption processes arise from the macroscopic dimensions of our ASW films. Baffling the flow of water vapor toward the deposition plate greatly reduces the first desorption feature, and hence the formation of cracks, but it significantly increases the amount of matrix-isolated gas. The complex nature in which ASW can trap gaseous species is thought to be relevant for a range of cosmological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukhpreet K Talewar
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Siriney O Halukeerthi
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Regina Riedlaicher
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Jacob J Shephard
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander E Clout
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander Rosu-Finsen
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Gareth R Williams
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom
| | - Arne Langhoff
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Clausthal University of Technology, Arnold-Sommerfeld-Str. 4, Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany
| | - Diethelm Johannsmann
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Clausthal University of Technology, Arnold-Sommerfeld-Str. 4, Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany
| | - Christoph G Salzmann
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
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13
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Tachikawa H. Activation of CO 2 in Photoirradiated CO 2-H 2O Clusters: Direct Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics (MD) Study. J Phys Chem A 2019; 123:4743-4749. [PMID: 31025865 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.9b03823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the stable and inactive molecules that contribute to greenhouse gases. The development of new reactions of CO2 activation, chemical fixation, and conversion is a very important issue. In this report, the reactions of CO2-H2O binary clusters were investigated using a direct ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) method to find a new reaction of CO2 activation. Clusters composed of carbon dioxide and water molecules, CO2(H2O) n ( n = 2-5), were utilized as a model of the binary cluster. The reaction dynamics of [CO2(H2O) n]+ following the ionization of parent neutral clusters were also investigated. Two electronic states of [CO2(H2O) n]+ were examined for direct AIMD surfaces: CO2[(H2O) n]+ (ground state) and (CO2)+(H2O) n (excited charge transfer (CT) state). After the ionization of the clusters, a proton-transfer (PT) reaction occurred within the (H2O) n+ moiety at the ground state, whereas the reactive HCO3 radical was formed at the CT state for OH addition to CO2+: CO2+(H2O) n → HCO3 + H+(H2O) n-1. The mechanisms of the PT process and the HCO3 radical formation were discussed based on the theoretical results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroto Tachikawa
- Division of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering , Hokkaido University , Sapporo 060-8628 , Japan
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14
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Salzmann CG. Advances in the experimental exploration of water's phase diagram. J Chem Phys 2019; 150:060901. [PMID: 30770019 DOI: 10.1063/1.5085163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Water's phase diagram displays enormous complexity with currently 17 experimentally confirmed polymorphs of ice and several more predicted computationally. For almost 120 years, it has been a stomping ground for scientific discovery, and ice research has often been a trailblazer for investigations into a wide range of materials-related phenomena. Here, the experimental progress of the last couple of years is reviewed, and open questions as well as future challenges are discussed. The specific topics include (i) the polytypism and stacking disorder of ice I, (ii) the mechanism of the pressure amorphization of ice I, (iii) the emptying of gas-filled clathrate hydrates to give new low-density ice polymorphs, (iv) the effects of acid/base doping on hydrogen-ordering phase transitions as well as (v) the formation of solid solutions between salts and the ice polymorphs, and the effect this has on the appearance of the phase diagram. In addition to continuing efforts to push the boundaries in terms of the extremes of pressure and temperature, the exploration of the "chemical" dimensions of ice research appears to now be a newly emerging trend. It is without question that ice research has entered a very exciting era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph G Salzmann
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
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15
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Moberg DR, Sharp PJ, Paesani F. Molecular-Level Interpretation of Vibrational Spectra of Ordered Ice Phases. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:10572-10581. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b08380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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16
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Raponi A, De Sanctis MC, Frigeri A, Ammannito E, Ciarniello M, Formisano M, Combe JP, Magni G, Tosi F, Carrozzo FG, Fonte S, Giardino M, Joy SP, Polanskey CA, Rayman MD, Capaccioni F, Capria MT, Longobardo A, Palomba E, Zambon F, Raymond CA, Russell CT. Variations in the amount of water ice on Ceres' surface suggest a seasonal water cycle. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2018; 4:eaao3757. [PMID: 29546238 PMCID: PMC5851659 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aao3757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The dwarf planet Ceres is known to host a considerable amount of water in its interior, and areas of water ice were detected by the Dawn spacecraft on its surface. Moreover, sporadic water and hydroxyl emissions have been observed from space telescopes. We report the detection of water ice in a mid-latitude crater and its unexpected variation with time. The Dawn spectrometer data show a change of water ice signatures over a period of 6 months, which is well modeled as ~2-km2 increase of water ice. The observed increase, coupled with Ceres' orbital parameters, points to an ongoing process that seems correlated with solar flux. The reported variation on Ceres' surface indicates that this body is chemically and physically active at the present time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Raponi
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, INAF, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina De Sanctis
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, INAF, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Alessandro Frigeri
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, INAF, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | | | - Mauro Ciarniello
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, INAF, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Michelangelo Formisano
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, INAF, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Jean-Philippe Combe
- Bear Fight Institute, 22 Fiddler’s Road, P.O. Box 667, Winthrop, WA 98862, USA
| | - Gianfranco Magni
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, INAF, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Federico Tosi
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, INAF, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Filippo Giacomo Carrozzo
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, INAF, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Sergio Fonte
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, INAF, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Marco Giardino
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, INAF, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Steven P. Joy
- Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, 603 Charles E. Young Drive, East, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Carol A. Polanskey
- NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Marc D. Rayman
- NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Fabrizio Capaccioni
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, INAF, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Capria
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, INAF, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Andrea Longobardo
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, INAF, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Ernesto Palomba
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, INAF, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Francesca Zambon
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, INAF, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Carol A. Raymond
- NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Christopher T. Russell
- Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, 603 Charles E. Young Drive, East, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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17
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Bockelée-Morvan D, Biver N. The composition of cometary ices. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2017; 375:rsta.2016.0252. [PMID: 28554972 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2016.0252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The chemical composition of cometary ices provides clues for the conditions of formation and evolution of the early Solar System. A large number of molecules have been identified in cometary atmospheres, from both ground-based observations and space, including in situ investigations. This includes large organic molecules, which are also observed in star-forming regions. This paper presents a review of molecular abundances measured in cometary atmospheres from remote sensing observations with ground-based and space-based telescopes. The diversity of composition observed in comet populations is presented and discussed.This article is part of the themed issue 'Cometary science after Rosetta'.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Bockelée-Morvan
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
| | - N Biver
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
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18
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Taylor MGGT, Altobelli N, Buratti BJ, Choukroun M. The Rosetta mission orbiter science overview: the comet phase. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2017; 375:rsta.2016.0262. [PMID: 28554981 PMCID: PMC5454230 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2016.0262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The international Rosetta mission was launched in 2004 and consists of the orbiter spacecraft Rosetta and the lander Philae. The aim of the mission is to map the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by remote sensing, and to examine its environment in situ and its evolution in the inner Solar System. Rosetta was the first spacecraft to rendezvous with and orbit a comet, accompanying it as it passes through the inner Solar System, and to deploy a lander, Philae, and perform in situ science on the comet's surface. The primary goals of the mission were to: characterize the comet's nucleus; examine the chemical, mineralogical and isotopic composition of volatiles and refractories; examine the physical properties and interrelation of volatiles and refractories in a cometary nucleus; study the development of cometary activity and the processes in the surface layer of the nucleus and in the coma; detail the origin of comets, the relationship between cometary and interstellar material and the implications for the origin of the Solar System; and characterize asteroids 2867 Steins and 21 Lutetia. This paper presents a summary of mission operations and science, focusing on the Rosetta orbiter component of the mission during its comet phase, from early 2014 up to September 2016.This article is part of the themed issue 'Cometary science after Rosetta'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - N Altobelli
- ESA/ESAC, 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain
| | - B J Buratti
- JPL/California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - M Choukroun
- JPL/California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
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19
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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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20
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Wright IP, Sheridan S, Morgan GH, Barber SJ, Morse AD. On the attempts to measure water (and other volatiles) directly at the surface of a comet. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2017; 375:rsta.2015.0385. [PMID: 28416724 PMCID: PMC5394252 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2015.0385] [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: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The Ptolemy instrument on the Philae lander (of the Rosetta space mission) was able to make measurements of the major volatiles, water, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, directly at the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. We give some background to the mission and highlight those instruments that have already given insights into the notion of water in comets, and which will continue to do so as more results are either acquired or more fully interpreted. On the basis of our results, we show how comets may in fact be heterogeneous over their surface, and how surface measurements can be used in a quest to comprehend the daily cycles of processes that affect the evolution of comets.This article is part of the themed issue 'The origin, history and role of water in the evolution of the inner Solar System'.
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Affiliation(s)
- I P Wright
- Department of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
| | - S Sheridan
- Department of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
| | - G H Morgan
- Department of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
| | - S J Barber
- Department of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
| | - A D Morse
- Department of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
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21
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Yao Y, Giapis KP. Dynamic molecular oxygen production in cometary comae. Nat Commun 2017; 8:15298. [PMID: 28480881 PMCID: PMC5424151 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Abundant molecular oxygen was discovered in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Its origin was ascribed to primordial gaseous O2 incorporated into the nucleus during the comet's formation. This thesis was put forward after discounting several O2 production mechanisms in comets, including photolysis and radiolysis of water, solar wind-surface interactions and gas-phase collisions. Here we report an original Eley-Rideal reaction mechanism, which permits direct O2 formation in single collisions of energetic water ions with oxidized cometary surface analogues. The reaction proceeds by H2O+ abstracting a surface O-atom, then forming an excited precursor state, which dissociates to produce O2-. Subsequent photo-detachment leads to molecular O2, whose presence in the coma may thus be linked directly to water molecules and their interaction with the solar wind. This abiotic O2 production mechanism is consistent with reported trends in the 67P coma and raises awareness of the role of energetic negative ions in comets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunxi Yao
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
| | - Konstantinos P Giapis
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
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22
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Giant ripples on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko sculpted by sunset thermal wind. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:2509-2514. [PMID: 28223535 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1612176114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Explaining the unexpected presence of dune-like patterns at the surface of the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko requires conceptual and quantitative advances in the understanding of surface and outgassing processes. We show here that vapor flow emitted by the comet around its perihelion spreads laterally in a surface layer, due to the strong pressure difference between zones illuminated by sunlight and those in shadow. For such thermal winds to be dense enough to transport grains-10 times greater than previous estimates-outgassing must take place through a surface porous granular layer, and that layer must be composed of grains whose roughness lowers cohesion consistently with contact mechanics. The linear stability analysis of the problem, entirely tested against laboratory experiments, quantitatively predicts the emergence of bedforms in the observed wavelength range and their propagation at the scale of a comet revolution. Although generated by a rarefied atmosphere, they are paradoxically analogous to ripples emerging on granular beds submitted to viscous shear flows. This quantitative agreement shows that our understanding of the coupling between hydrodynamics and sediment transport is able to account for bedform emergence in extreme conditions and provides a reliable tool to predict the erosion and accretion processes controlling the evolution of small solar system bodies.
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23
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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: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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24
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Filacchione G, Raponi A, Capaccioni F, Ciarniello M, Tosi F, Capria MT, De Sanctis MC, Migliorini A, Piccioni G, Cerroni P, Barucci MA, Fornasier S, Schmitt B, Quirico E, Erard S, Bockelee-Morvan D, Leyrat C, Arnold G, Mennella V, Ammannito E, Bellucci G, Benkhoff J, Bibring JP, Blanco A, Blecka MI, Carlson R, Carsenty U, Colangeli L, Combes M, Combi M, Crovisier J, Drossart P, Encrenaz T, Federico C, Fink U, Fonti S, Fulchignoni M, Ip WH, Irwin P, Jaumann R, Kuehrt E, Langevin Y, Magni G, McCord T, Moroz L, Mottola S, Palomba E, Schade U, Stephan K, Taylor F, Tiphene D, Tozzi GP, Beck P, Biver N, Bonal L, Combe JP, Despan D, Flamini E, Formisano M, Frigeri A, Grassi D, Gudipati MS, Kappel D, Longobardo A, Mancarella F, Markus K, Merlin F, Orosei R, Rinaldi G, Cartacci M, Cicchetti A, Hello Y, Henry F, Jacquinod S, Reess JM, Noschese R, Politi R, Peter G. Seasonal exposure of carbon dioxide ice on the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Science 2016; 354:1563-1566. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aag3161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- G. Filacchione
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - A. Raponi
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - F. Capaccioni
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - M. Ciarniello
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - F. Tosi
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - M. T. Capria
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - M. C. De Sanctis
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - A. Migliorini
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - G. Piccioni
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - P. Cerroni
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - M. A. Barucci
- Laboratoire d’Études Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris, Paris Sciences and Letters Research University, CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC (Université Pierre et Marie Curie) Université Paris 06, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - S. Fornasier
- Laboratoire d’Études Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris, Paris Sciences and Letters Research University, CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC (Université Pierre et Marie Curie) Université Paris 06, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - B. Schmitt
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Institut de Planetologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - E. Quirico
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Institut de Planetologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - S. Erard
- Laboratoire d’Études Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris, Paris Sciences and Letters Research University, CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC (Université Pierre et Marie Curie) Université Paris 06, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - D. Bockelee-Morvan
- Laboratoire d’Études Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris, Paris Sciences and Letters Research University, CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC (Université Pierre et Marie Curie) Université Paris 06, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - C. Leyrat
- Laboratoire d’Études Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris, Paris Sciences and Letters Research University, CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC (Université Pierre et Marie Curie) Université Paris 06, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - G. Arnold
- Institute for Planetary Research, DLR (Deutschen Zentrums für Luft- und Raumfahrt), Berlin, Germany
| | - V. Mennella
- INAF Osservatorio di Capodimonte, Naples, Italy
| | - E. Ammannito
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California–Los Angeles, 603 Charles Young Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567, USA
| | - G. Bellucci
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - J. Benkhoff
- ESA (European Space Agency), European Space Research and Technology Centre, Noordwjik, Netherlands
| | - J. P. Bibring
- Institut d’Astrophysique Spatial, CNRS, Orsay, France
| | - A. Blanco
- Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica “Ennio De Giorgi,” Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - M. I. Blecka
- Space Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - R. Carlson
- NASA JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - U. Carsenty
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Institut de Planetologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - L. Colangeli
- ESA (European Space Agency), European Space Research and Technology Centre, Noordwjik, Netherlands
| | - M. Combes
- Laboratoire d’Études Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris, Paris Sciences and Letters Research University, CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC (Université Pierre et Marie Curie) Université Paris 06, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - M. Combi
- Space Physics Research Laboratory, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - J. Crovisier
- Laboratoire d’Études Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris, Paris Sciences and Letters Research University, CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC (Université Pierre et Marie Curie) Université Paris 06, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - P. Drossart
- Laboratoire d’Études Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris, Paris Sciences and Letters Research University, CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC (Université Pierre et Marie Curie) Université Paris 06, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - T. Encrenaz
- Laboratoire d’Études Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris, Paris Sciences and Letters Research University, CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC (Université Pierre et Marie Curie) Université Paris 06, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | | | - U. Fink
- Lunar Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - S. Fonti
- Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica “Ennio De Giorgi,” Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - M. Fulchignoni
- Laboratoire d’Études Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris, Paris Sciences and Letters Research University, CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC (Université Pierre et Marie Curie) Université Paris 06, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - W.-H. Ip
- National Central University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - P. Irwin
- Departement of Physics, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - R. Jaumann
- Institute for Planetary Research, DLR (Deutschen Zentrums für Luft- und Raumfahrt), Berlin, Germany
| | - E. Kuehrt
- Institute for Planetary Research, DLR (Deutschen Zentrums für Luft- und Raumfahrt), Berlin, Germany
| | - Y. Langevin
- Institut d’Astrophysique Spatial, CNRS, Orsay, France
| | - G. Magni
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - T. McCord
- Bear Fight Institute, Winthrop, WA 98862, USA
| | - L. Moroz
- Institute for Planetary Research, DLR (Deutschen Zentrums für Luft- und Raumfahrt), Berlin, Germany
| | - S. Mottola
- Institute for Planetary Research, DLR (Deutschen Zentrums für Luft- und Raumfahrt), Berlin, Germany
| | - E. Palomba
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - U. Schade
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Berlin, Germany
| | - K. Stephan
- Institute for Planetary Research, DLR (Deutschen Zentrums für Luft- und Raumfahrt), Berlin, Germany
| | - F. Taylor
- Departement of Physics, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - D. Tiphene
- Laboratoire d’Études Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris, Paris Sciences and Letters Research University, CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC (Université Pierre et Marie Curie) Université Paris 06, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - G. P. Tozzi
- INAF Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Firenze, Italy
| | - P. Beck
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Institut de Planetologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - N. Biver
- Laboratoire d’Études Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris, Paris Sciences and Letters Research University, CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC (Université Pierre et Marie Curie) Université Paris 06, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - L. Bonal
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Institut de Planetologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | | | - D. Despan
- Laboratoire d’Études Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris, Paris Sciences and Letters Research University, CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC (Université Pierre et Marie Curie) Université Paris 06, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | | | - M. Formisano
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - A. Frigeri
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - D. Grassi
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - M. S. Gudipati
- NASA JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - D. Kappel
- Institute for Planetary Research, DLR (Deutschen Zentrums für Luft- und Raumfahrt), Berlin, Germany
| | - A. Longobardo
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - F. Mancarella
- Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica “Ennio De Giorgi,” Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - K. Markus
- Institute for Planetary Research, DLR (Deutschen Zentrums für Luft- und Raumfahrt), Berlin, Germany
| | - F. Merlin
- Laboratoire d’Études Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris, Paris Sciences and Letters Research University, CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC (Université Pierre et Marie Curie) Université Paris 06, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - R. Orosei
- INAF Istituto di Radioastronomia, Bologna, Italy
| | - G. Rinaldi
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - M. Cartacci
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - A. Cicchetti
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - Y. Hello
- Laboratoire d’Études Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris, Paris Sciences and Letters Research University, CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC (Université Pierre et Marie Curie) Université Paris 06, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - F. Henry
- Laboratoire d’Études Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris, Paris Sciences and Letters Research University, CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC (Université Pierre et Marie Curie) Université Paris 06, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - S. Jacquinod
- Laboratoire d’Études Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris, Paris Sciences and Letters Research University, CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC (Université Pierre et Marie Curie) Université Paris 06, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - J. M. Reess
- Laboratoire d’Études Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris, Paris Sciences and Letters Research University, CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Sorbonne Universités, UPMC (Université Pierre et Marie Curie) Université Paris 06, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - R. Noschese
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - R. Politi
- INAF-IAPS (Istituto Nazionale di AstroFisica–Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali), Rome, Italy
| | - G. Peter
- Institute of Optical Sensor Systems, DLR, Berlin, Germany
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Fornasier S, Mottola S, Keller HU, Barucci MA, Davidsson B, Feller C, Deshapriya JDP, Sierks H, Barbieri C, Lamy PL, Rodrigo R, Koschny D, Rickman H, A’Hearn M, Agarwal J, Bertaux JL, Bertini I, Besse S, Cremonese G, Da Deppo V, Debei S, De Cecco M, Deller J, El-Maarry MR, Fulle M, Groussin O, Gutierrez PJ, Güttler C, Hofmann M, Hviid SF, Ip WH, Jorda L, Knollenberg J, Kovacs G, Kramm R, Kührt E, Küppers M, Lara ML, Lazzarin M, Moreno JJL, Marzari F, Massironi M, Naletto G, Oklay N, Pajola M, Pommerol A, Preusker F, Scholten F, Shi X, Thomas N, Toth I, Tubiana C, Vincent JB. Rosetta’s comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko sheds its dusty mantle to reveal its icy nature. Science 2016; 354:1566-1570. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aag2671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Bright carbonate deposits as evidence of aqueous alteration on (1) Ceres. Nature 2016; 536:54-7. [PMID: 27362221 DOI: 10.1038/nature18290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 212] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The typically dark surface of the dwarf planet Ceres is punctuated by areas of much higher albedo, most prominently in the Occator crater. These small bright areas have been tentatively interpreted as containing a large amount of hydrated magnesium sulfate, in contrast to the average surface, which is a mixture of low-albedo materials and magnesium phyllosilicates, ammoniated phyllosilicates and carbonates. Here we report high spatial and spectral resolution near-infrared observations of the bright areas in the Occator crater on Ceres. Spectra of these bright areas are consistent with a large amount of sodium carbonate, constituting the most concentrated known extraterrestrial occurrence of carbonate on kilometre-wide scales in the Solar System. The carbonates are mixed with a dark component and small amounts of phyllosilicates, as well as ammonium carbonate or ammonium chloride. Some of these compounds have also been detected in the plume of Saturn’s sixth-largest moon Enceladus. The compounds are endogenous and we propose that they are the solid residue of crystallization of brines and entrained altered solids that reached the surface from below. The heat source may have been transient (triggered by impact heating). Alternatively, internal temperatures may be above the eutectic temperature of subsurface brines, in which case fluids may exist at depth on Ceres today.
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EVOLUTION OF THE DUST SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF COMET 67P/CHURYUMOV–GERASIMENKO FROM 2.2 au TO PERIHELION. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.3847/0004-637x/821/1/19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Rosu-Finsen A, Marchione D, Salter TL, Stubbing JW, Brown WA, McCoustra MRS. Peeling the astronomical onion. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 18:31930-31935. [DOI: 10.1039/c6cp05751a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
This work presents a study of water mobility on interstellar dust grain analogues at temperatures as low as 18 K. The work indicates that water forms pure domains rather than covering the entire grain, thereby leaving bare dust grain surfaces available on which other molecules can adsorb as well as themselves providing surfaces for further adsorption from the interstellar gas.
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