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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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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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Levasseur-Regourd AC, Agarwal J, Cottin H, Engrand C, Flynn G, Fulle M, Gombosi T, Langevin Y, Lasue J, Mannel T, Merouane S, Poch O, Thomas N, Westphal A. Cometary Dust. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2018; 214:64. [PMID: 35095119 PMCID: PMC8793767 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-018-0496-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2018] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
This review presents our understanding of cometary dust at the end of 2017. For decades, insight about the dust ejected by nuclei of comets had stemmed from remote observations from Earth or Earth's orbit, and from flybys, including the samples of dust returned to Earth for laboratory studies by the Stardust return capsule. The long-duration Rosetta mission has recently provided a huge and unique amount of data, obtained using numerous instruments, including innovative dust instruments, over a wide range of distances from the Sun and from the nucleus. The diverse approaches available to study dust in comets, together with the related theoretical and experimental studies, provide evidence of the composition and physical properties of dust particles, e.g., the presence of a large fraction of carbon in macromolecules, and of aggregates on a wide range of scales. The results have opened vivid discussions on the variety of dust-release processes and on the diversity of dust properties in comets, as well as on the formation of cometary dust, and on its presence in the near-Earth interplanetary medium. These discussions stress the significance of future explorations as a way to decipher the formation and evolution of our Solar System.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anny-Chantal Levasseur-Regourd
- Sorbonne Université; UVSQ; CNRS/INSU; Campus Pierre et Marie Curie, BC 102, 4 place Jussieu, F-75005 Paris, France, Tel.: + 33 144274875,
| | - Jessica Agarwal
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg, 3, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Hervé Cottin
- Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques (LISA), UMR CNRS 7583, Université Paris-Est Créteil et Université Paris Diderot, Institut Pierre Simon Laplace, 94000 Créteil, France
| | - Cécile Engrand
- Centre de Sciences Nucléaires et de Sciences de la Matière (CSNSM), CNRS/IN2P3 Université Paris Sud - UMR 8609, Université Paris-Saclay, Bâtiment 104, 91405 Orsay Campus, France
| | - George Flynn
- SUNY-Plattsburgh, 101 Broad St, Plattsburgh, NY 12901, United States
| | - Marco Fulle
- INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico, Via Tiepolo 11, 34143 Trieste Italy
| | - Tamas Gombosi
- Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yves Langevin
- Institut dAstrophysique Spatiale (IAS), CNRS/Université Paris Sud, Bâtiment 121, 91405 Orsay France
| | - Jérémie Lasue
- IRAP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, CNES, Toulouse, France
| | - Thurid Mannel
- Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Schmiedlstrasse 6, 8042 Graz, Austria; Physics Institute, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 5, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Sihane Merouane
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg, 3, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Olivier Poch
- Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Nicolas Thomas
- Physikalisches Institut, Universität Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrew Westphal
- Space Sciences Laboratory, U.C. Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720-7450 USA
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Meech KJ. Setting the scene: what did we know before Rosetta? PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2017; 375:rsta.2016.0247. [PMID: 28554969 PMCID: PMC5454221 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2016.0247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
This paper provides an overview of our state of knowledge about comets prior to the Rosetta mission encounter. Starting with the historical perspective, this paper discusses the development of comet science up to the modern era of space exploration. The extent to which comets are tracers of solar system formation processes or preserve pristine interstellar material has been investigated for over four decades. There is increasing evidence that in contrast with the distinct dynamical comet reservoirs we see today, comet formation regions strongly overlapped in the protoplanetary disc and there was significant migration of material in the disc during the epoch of comet formation. Comet nuclei are now known to be very low-density highly porous bodies, with very low thermal inertia, and have a range of sizes which exhibit a deficiency of very small bodies. The low thermal inertia suggests that comets may preserve pristine materials close to the surface, and that this might be accessible to sample return missions.This article is part of the themed issue 'Cometary science after Rosetta'.
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Affiliation(s)
- K J Meech
- Institute for Astronomy, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
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5
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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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6
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Deca J, Divin A, Henri P, Eriksson A, Markidis S, Olshevsky V, Horányi M. Electron and Ion Dynamics of the Solar Wind Interaction with a Weakly Outgassing Comet. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2017; 118:205101. [PMID: 28581804 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.118.205101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Using a 3D fully kinetic approach, we disentangle and explain the ion and electron dynamics of the solar wind interaction with a weakly outgassing comet. We show that, to first order, the dynamical interaction is representative of a four-fluid coupled system. We self-consistently simulate and identify the origin of the warm and suprathermal electron distributions observed by ESA's Rosetta mission to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and conclude that a detailed kinetic treatment of the electron dynamics is critical to fully capture the complex physics of mass-loading plasmas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Deca
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80303, USA
- Institute for Modeling Plasma, Atmospheres and Cosmic Dust, NASA/SSERVI, Moffett Field, California 94035, USA
| | - Andrey Divin
- Physics Department, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg 198504, Russia
- Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF), Uppsala 751 21, Sweden
| | | | - Anders Eriksson
- Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF), Uppsala 751 21, Sweden
| | | | - Vyacheslav Olshevsky
- Centre for mathematical Plasma Astrophysics (CmPA), KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium
| | - Mihály Horányi
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80303, USA
- Institute for Modeling Plasma, Atmospheres and Cosmic Dust, NASA/SSERVI, Moffett Field, California 94035, USA
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7
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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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8
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Exposed water ice on the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Nature 2016; 529:368-72. [PMID: 26760209 DOI: 10.1038/nature16190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Although water vapour is the main species observed in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and water is the major constituent of cometary nuclei, limited evidence for exposed water-ice regions on the surface of the nucleus has been found so far. The absence of large regions of exposed water ice seems a common finding on the surfaces of many of the comets observed so far. The nucleus of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko appears to be fairly uniformly coated with dark, dehydrated, refractory and organic-rich material. Here we report the identification at infrared wavelengths of water ice on two debris falls in the Imhotep region of the nucleus. The ice has been exposed on the walls of elevated structures and at the base of the walls. A quantitative derivation of the abundance of ice in these regions indicates the presence of millimetre-sized pure water-ice grains, considerably larger than in all previous observations. Although micrometre-sized water-ice grains are the usual result of vapour recondensation in ice-free layers, the occurrence of millimetre-sized grains of pure ice as observed in the Imhotep debris falls is best explained by grain growth by vapour diffusion in ice-rich layers, or by sintering. As a consequence of these processes, the nucleus can develop an extended and complex coating in which the outer dehydrated crust is superimposed on layers enriched in water ice. The stratigraphy observed on 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is therefore the result of evolutionary processes affecting the uppermost metres of the nucleus and does not necessarily require a global layering to have occurred at the time of the comet's formation.
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9
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De Sanctis MC, Capaccioni F, Ciarniello M, Filacchione G, Formisano M, Mottola S, Raponi A, Tosi F, Bockelée-Morvan D, Erard S, Leyrat C, Schmitt B, Ammannito E, Arnold G, Barucci MA, Combi M, Capria MT, Cerroni P, Ip WH, Kuehrt E, McCord TB, Palomba E, Beck P, Quirico E. The diurnal cycle of water ice on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Nature 2015; 525:500-3. [PMID: 26399830 DOI: 10.1038/nature14869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Observations of cometary nuclei have revealed a very limited amount of surface water ice, which is insufficient to explain the observed water outgassing. This was clearly demonstrated on comet 9P/Tempel 1, where the dust jets (driven by volatiles) were only partially correlated with the exposed ice regions. The observations of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko have revealed that activity has a diurnal variation in intensity arising from changing insolation conditions. It was previously concluded that water vapour was generated in ice-rich subsurface layers with a transport mechanism linked to solar illumination, but that has not hitherto been observed. Periodic condensations of water vapour very close to, or on, the surface were suggested to explain short-lived outbursts seen near sunrise on comet 9P/Tempel 1. Here we report observations of water ice on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, appearing and disappearing in a cyclic pattern that follows local illumination conditions, providing a source of localized activity. This water cycle appears to be an important process in the evolution of the comet, leading to cyclical modification of the relative abundance of water ice on its surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C De Sanctis
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - F Capaccioni
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - M Ciarniello
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - G Filacchione
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - M Formisano
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - S Mottola
- Institute for Planetary Research, DLR, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - A Raponi
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - F Tosi
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - D Bockelée-Morvan
- LESIA-Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris Diderot, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
| | - S Erard
- LESIA-Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris Diderot, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
| | - C Leyrat
- LESIA-Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris Diderot, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
| | - B Schmitt
- Université Grenoble Alpes - CNRS Institut de Planetologie et Astrophysique de Grenoble, Batiment D de Physique, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - E Ammannito
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy.,University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - G Arnold
- Institute for Planetary Research, DLR, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - M A Barucci
- LESIA-Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris Diderot, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
| | - M Combi
- Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - M T Capria
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - P Cerroni
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - W-H Ip
- National Central University, No. 300, Jhongda Road, Jhongli District, Taoyuan City, 32001 Taipei, Taiwan
| | - E Kuehrt
- Institute for Planetary Research, DLR, Rutherfordstraße 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - T B McCord
- Bear Fight Institute, 22 Fiddler's Road, Box 667, Winthrop, Washington 98862, USA
| | - E Palomba
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF, via del fosso del cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - P Beck
- Université Grenoble Alpes - CNRS Institut de Planetologie et Astrophysique de Grenoble, Batiment D de Physique, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - E Quirico
- Université Grenoble Alpes - CNRS Institut de Planetologie et Astrophysique de Grenoble, Batiment D de Physique, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
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10
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Mousis O, Chassefière E, Holm NG, Bouquet A, Waite JH, Geppert WD, Picaud S, Aikawa Y, Ali-Dib M, Charlou JL, Rousselot P. Methane clathrates in the solar system. ASTROBIOLOGY 2015; 15:308-326. [PMID: 25774974 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2014.1189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We review the reservoirs of methane clathrates that may exist in the different bodies of the Solar System. Methane was formed in the interstellar medium prior to having been embedded in the protosolar nebula gas phase. This molecule was subsequently trapped in clathrates that formed from crystalline water ice during the cooling of the disk and incorporated in this form into the building blocks of comets, icy bodies, and giant planets. Methane clathrates may play an important role in the evolution of planetary atmospheres. On Earth, the production of methane in clathrates is essentially biological, and these compounds are mostly found in permafrost regions or in the sediments of continental shelves. On Mars, methane would more likely derive from hydrothermal reactions with olivine-rich material. If they do exist, martian methane clathrates would be stable only at depth in the cryosphere and sporadically release some methane into the atmosphere via mechanisms that remain to be determined. In the case of Titan, most of its methane probably originates from the protosolar nebula, where it would have been trapped in the clathrates agglomerated by the satellite's building blocks. Methane clathrates are still believed to play an important role in the present state of Titan. Their presence is invoked in the satellite's subsurface as a means of replenishing its atmosphere with methane via outgassing episodes. The internal oceans of Enceladus and Europa also provide appropriate thermodynamic conditions that allow formation of methane clathrates. In turn, these clathrates might influence the composition of these liquid reservoirs. Finally, comets and Kuiper Belt Objects might have formed from the agglomeration of clathrates and pure ices in the nebula. The methane observed in comets would then result from the destabilization of clathrate layers in the nuclei concurrent with their approach to perihelion. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations show that methane-rich clathrate layers may exist on Pluto as well. Key Words: Methane clathrate-Protosolar nebula-Terrestrial planets-Outer Solar System. Astrobiology 15, 308-326.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Mousis
- 1 Aix Marseille Université , CNRS, LAM (Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille) UMR 7326, Marseille, France
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11
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Capaccioni F, Coradini A, Filacchione G, Erard S, Arnold G, Drossart P, De Sanctis MC, Bockelee-Morvan D, Capria MT, Tosi F, Leyrat C, Schmitt B, Quirico E, Cerroni P, Mennella V, Raponi A, Ciarniello M, McCord T, Moroz L, Palomba E, Ammannito E, Barucci MA, Bellucci G, Benkhoff J, Bibring JP, Blanco A, Blecka M, Carlson R, Carsenty U, Colangeli L, Combes M, Combi M, Crovisier J, Encrenaz T, Federico C, Fink U, Fonti S, Ip WH, Irwin P, Jaumann R, Kuehrt E, Langevin Y, Magni G, Mottola S, Orofino V, Palumbo P, Piccioni G, Schade U, Taylor F, Tiphene D, Tozzi GP, Beck P, Biver N, Bonal L, Combe JP, Despan D, Flamini E, Fornasier S, Frigeri A, Grassi D, Gudipati M, Longobardo A, Markus K, Merlin F, Orosei R, Rinaldi G, Stephan K, Cartacci M, Cicchetti A, Giuppi S, Hello Y, Henry F, Jacquinod S, Noschese R, Peter G, Politi R, Reess JM, Semery A. Cometary science. The organic-rich surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko as seen by VIRTIS/Rosetta. Science 2015; 347:aaa0628. [PMID: 25613895 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa0628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 266] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The VIRTIS (Visible, Infrared and Thermal Imaging Spectrometer) instrument on board the Rosetta spacecraft has provided evidence of carbon-bearing compounds on the nucleus of the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The very low reflectance of the nucleus (normal albedo of 0.060 ± 0.003 at 0.55 micrometers), the spectral slopes in visible and infrared ranges (5 to 25 and 1.5 to 5% kÅ(-1)), and the broad absorption feature in the 2.9-to-3.6-micrometer range present across the entire illuminated surface are compatible with opaque minerals associated with nonvolatile organic macromolecular materials: a complex mixture of various types of carbon-hydrogen and/or oxygen-hydrogen chemical groups, with little contribution of nitrogen-hydrogen groups. In active areas, the changes in spectral slope and absorption feature width may suggest small amounts of water-ice. However, no ice-rich patches are observed, indicating a generally dehydrated nature for the surface currently illuminated by the Sun.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Capaccioni
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy.
| | - A Coradini
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - G Filacchione
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - S Erard
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris/CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie[acute accent over last letter in "Université"]/Université Paris-Diderot, Meudon, France
| | - G Arnold
- Institute for Planetary Research, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Berlin, Germany
| | - P Drossart
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris/CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie[acute accent over last letter in "Université"]/Université Paris-Diderot, Meudon, France
| | - M C De Sanctis
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - D Bockelee-Morvan
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris/CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie[acute accent over last letter in "Université"]/Université Paris-Diderot, Meudon, France
| | - M T Capria
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - F Tosi
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - C Leyrat
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris/CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie[acute accent over last letter in "Université"]/Université Paris-Diderot, Meudon, France
| | - B Schmitt
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - E Quirico
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - P Cerroni
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - V Mennella
- Osservatorio di Capodimonte, INAF, Napoli, Italy
| | - A Raponi
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - M Ciarniello
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - T McCord
- Bear Fight Institute, Winthrop, WA 98862, USA
| | - L Moroz
- Institute for Planetary Research, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Berlin, Germany
| | - E Palomba
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - E Ammannito
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - M A Barucci
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris/CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie[acute accent over last letter in "Université"]/Université Paris-Diderot, Meudon, France
| | - G Bellucci
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - J Benkhoff
- European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), Noordwijk, Netherlands
| | - J P Bibring
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatial, CNRS, Orsay, France
| | - A Blanco
- Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica "Ennio De Giorgi," Università del Salento, Italy
| | - M Blecka
- Space Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - R Carlson
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - U Carsenty
- Institute for Planetary Research, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Berlin, Germany
| | - L Colangeli
- European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), Noordwijk, Netherlands
| | - M Combes
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris/CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie[acute accent over last letter in "Université"]/Université Paris-Diderot, Meudon, France
| | - M Combi
- Space Physics Research Laboratory, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - J Crovisier
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris/CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie[acute accent over last letter in "Université"]/Université Paris-Diderot, Meudon, France
| | - T Encrenaz
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris/CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie[acute accent over last letter in "Université"]/Université Paris-Diderot, Meudon, 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, Italy
| | - W H Ip
- National Central University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - P Irwin
- Departement of Physics, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - R Jaumann
- Institute for Planetary Research, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Berlin, Germany. Free University of Berlin, Institute of Geosciences, Malteserstraße 74-100, Building Haus A, 12249 Berlin, Germany
| | - E Kuehrt
- Institute for Planetary Research, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Y Langevin
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatial, CNRS, Orsay, France
| | - G Magni
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - S Mottola
- Institute for Planetary Research, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Berlin, Germany
| | - V Orofino
- Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica "Ennio De Giorgi," Università del Salento, Italy
| | - P Palumbo
- Università "Parthenope," Napoli, Italy
| | - G Piccioni
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - U Schade
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Berlin, Germany
| | - F Taylor
- Departement of Physics, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - D Tiphene
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris/CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie[acute accent over last letter in "Université"]/Université Paris-Diderot, Meudon, France
| | - G P Tozzi
- Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, INAF, Firenze, Italy
| | - P Beck
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - N Biver
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris/CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie[acute accent over last letter in "Université"]/Université Paris-Diderot, Meudon, France
| | - L Bonal
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - J-Ph Combe
- Bear Fight Institute, Winthrop, WA 98862, USA
| | - D Despan
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris/CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie[acute accent over last letter in "Université"]/Université Paris-Diderot, Meudon, France
| | - E Flamini
- Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, Rome, Italy
| | - S Fornasier
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris/CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie[acute accent over last letter in "Université"]/Université Paris-Diderot, Meudon, France
| | - A Frigeri
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - D Grassi
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - M Gudipati
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA. Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - A Longobardo
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - K Markus
- Institute for Planetary Research, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Berlin, Germany
| | - F Merlin
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris/CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie[acute accent over last letter in "Université"]/Université Paris-Diderot, Meudon, France
| | - R Orosei
- Istituto di Radioastronomia, INAF, Bologna, Italy
| | - G Rinaldi
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - K Stephan
- Institute for Planetary Research, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Berlin, Germany
| | - M Cartacci
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - A Cicchetti
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - S Giuppi
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - Y Hello
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris/CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie[acute accent over last letter in "Université"]/Université Paris-Diderot, Meudon, France
| | - F Henry
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris/CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie[acute accent over last letter in "Université"]/Université Paris-Diderot, Meudon, France
| | - S Jacquinod
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris/CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie[acute accent over last letter in "Université"]/Université Paris-Diderot, Meudon, France
| | - R Noschese
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - G Peter
- Institut für Optische Sensorsysteme, DLR, Berlin, Germany
| | - R Politi
- Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Rome, Italy
| | - J M Reess
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris/CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie[acute accent over last letter in "Université"]/Université Paris-Diderot, Meudon, France
| | - A Semery
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris/CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie[acute accent over last letter in "Université"]/Université Paris-Diderot, Meudon, France
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12
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Dark material on Vesta from the infall of carbonaceous volatile-rich material. Nature 2012; 491:83-6. [PMID: 23128228 DOI: 10.1038/nature11561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2012] [Accepted: 08/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Wilhelm RC, Radtke KJ, Mykytczuk NCS, Greer CW, Whyte LG. Life at the wedge: the activity and diversity of arctic ice wedge microbial communities. ASTROBIOLOGY 2012; 12:347-360. [PMID: 22519974 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2011.0730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The discovery of polygonal terrain on Mars underlain by ice heightens interest in the possibility that this water-bearing habitat may be, or may have been, a suitable habitat for extant life. The possibility is supported by the recurring detection of terrestrial microorganisms in subsurface ice environments, such as ice wedges found beneath tundra polygon features. A characterization of the microbial community of ice wedges from the high Arctic was performed to determine whether this ice environment can sustain actively respiring microorganisms and to assess the ecology of this extreme niche. We found that ice wedge samples contained a relatively abundant number of culturable cells compared to other ice habitats (∼10(5) CFU·mL(-1)). Respiration assays in which radio-labeled acetate and in situ measurement of CO(2) flux were used suggested low levels of microbial activity, though more sensitive techniques are required to confirm these findings. Based on 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing, bacterial and archaeal ice wedge communities appeared to reflect surrounding soil communities. Two Pseudomonas sp. were the most abundant taxa in the ice wedge bacterial library (∼50%), while taxa related to ammonia-oxidizing Thaumarchaeota occupied 90% of the archaeal library. The tolerance of a variety of isolates to salinity and temperature revealed characteristics of a psychrotolerant, halotolerant community. Our findings support the hypothesis that ice wedges are capable of sustaining a diverse, plausibly active microbial community. As such, ice wedges, compared to other forms of less habitable ground ice, could serve as a reservoir for life on permanently cold, water-scarce, ice-rich extraterrestrial bodies and are therefore of interest to astrobiologists and ecologists alike. .
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland C Wilhelm
- Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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14
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Abstract
The biological record suggests that life on Earth arose as soon as conditions were favorable, which indicates that life either originated quickly, or arrived from elsewhere to seed Earth. Experimental research under the theme of “astrobiology” has produced data that some view as strong evidence for the second possibility, known as the panspermia hypothesis. While it is not unreasonable to consider the possibility that Earth’s life originated elsewhere and potentially much earlier, we conclude that the current literature offers no definitive evidence to support this hypothesis.
Chladni’s view, that they fall from the skies, pronounced in 1795, was ridiculed by the learned men of the times. (Rachel, 1881) Evidence of life on Mars, even if only in the distant past, would finally answer the age-old question of whether living beings on Earth are alone in the universe. The magnitude of such a discovery is illustrated by President Bill Clinton’s appearance at a 1996 press conference to announce that proof had been found at last. A meteorite chipped from the surface of the Red Planet some 15 million years ago appeared to contain the fossil remains of tiny life-forms that indicated life had once existed on Mars. (Young and Martel, 2010)
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15
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Andrulis ED. Theory of the origin, evolution, and nature of life. Life (Basel) 2011; 2:1-105. [PMID: 25382118 PMCID: PMC4187144 DOI: 10.3390/life2010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2011] [Revised: 12/10/2011] [Accepted: 12/13/2011] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Life is an inordinately complex unsolved puzzle. Despite significant theoretical progress, experimental anomalies, paradoxes, and enigmas have revealed paradigmatic limitations. Thus, the advancement of scientific understanding requires new models that resolve fundamental problems. Here, I present a theoretical framework that economically fits evidence accumulated from examinations of life. This theory is based upon a straightforward and non-mathematical core model and proposes unique yet empirically consistent explanations for major phenomena including, but not limited to, quantum gravity, phase transitions of water, why living systems are predominantly CHNOPS (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur), homochirality of sugars and amino acids, homeoviscous adaptation, triplet code, and DNA mutations. The theoretical framework unifies the macrocosmic and microcosmic realms, validates predicted laws of nature, and solves the puzzle of the origin and evolution of cellular life in the universe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik D Andrulis
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Wood Building, W212, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
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16
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Water ice and organics on the surface of the asteroid 24 Themis. Nature 2010; 464:1320-1. [PMID: 20428164 DOI: 10.1038/nature09029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 274] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2009] [Accepted: 02/24/2010] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
It has been suggested that Earth's current supply of water was delivered by asteroids, some time after the collision that produced the Moon (which would have vaporized any of the pre-existing water). So far, no measurements of water ice on asteroids have been made, but its presence has been inferred from the comet-like activity of several small asteroids, including two members of the Themis dynamical family. Here we report infrared spectra of the asteroid 24 Themis which show that ice and organic compounds are not only present on its surface but also prevalent. Infrared spectral differences between it and other asteroids make 24 Themis unique so far, and our identification of ice and organics agrees with independent results that rule out other compounds as possible sources of the observed spectral structure. The widespread presence of surface ice on 24 Themis is somewhat unexpected because of the relatively short lifetime of exposed ice at this distance ( approximately 3.2 au) from the Sun. Nevertheless, there are several plausible sources, such as a subsurface reservoir that brings water to the surface through 'impact gardening' and/or sublimation.
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18
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Lisse CM, Vancleve J, Adams AC, A'hearn MF, Fernández YR, Farnham TL, Armus L, Grillmair CJ, Ingalls J, Belton MJS, Groussin O, McFadden LA, Meech KJ, Schultz PH, Clark BC, Feaga LM, Sunshine JM. Spitzer Spectral Observations of the Deep Impact Ejecta. Science 2006; 313:635-40. [PMID: 16840662 DOI: 10.1126/science.1124694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 260] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Spitzer Space Telescope imaging spectrometer observations of comet 9P/Tempel 1 during the Deep Impact encounter returned detailed, highly structured, 5- to 35-micrometer spectra of the ejecta. Emission signatures due to amorphous and crystalline silicates, amorphous carbon, carbonates, phyllosilicates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, water gas and ice, and sulfides were found. Good agreement is seen between the ejecta spectra and the material emitted from comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) and the circumstellar material around the young stellar object HD100546. The atomic abundance of the observed material is consistent with solar and C1 chondritic abundances, and the dust-to-gas ratio was determined to be greater than or equal to 1.3. The presence of the observed mix of materials requires efficient methods of annealing amorphous silicates and mixing of high- and low-temperature phases over large distances in the early protosolar nebula.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Lisse
- Planetary Exploration Group, Space Department, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
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Abstract
This paper presents some of the implications of new comet observations for cometary chemistry: recent observations of bright comets, space missions, and especially the first results of the Deep Impact experiment. Topics which are discussed are the molecular complexity of cometary material, the evidence for molecular diversity from the infrared observations by Deep Impact, possible relations between cometary nuclei and carbonaceous chondrites, the sites of ices in cometary nuclei, the problem of interpretation of the spin temperatures observed in cometary molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacques Crovisier
- Observatoire de Paris, 5 place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon, France.
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