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Rubin M, Engrand C, Snodgrass C, Weissman P, Altwegg K, Busemann H, Morbidelli A, Mumma M. On the Origin and Evolution of the Material in 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2020; 216:102. [PMID: 32801398 PMCID: PMC7392949 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-020-00718-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Primitive objects like comets hold important information on the material that formed our solar system. Several comets have been visited by spacecraft and many more have been observed through Earth- and space-based telescopes. Still our understanding remains limited. Molecular abundances in comets have been shown to be similar to interstellar ices and thus indicate that common processes and conditions were involved in their formation. The samples returned by the Stardust mission to comet Wild 2 showed that the bulk refractory material was processed by high temperatures in the vicinity of the early sun. The recent Rosetta mission acquired a wealth of new data on the composition of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (hereafter 67P/C-G) and complemented earlier observations of other comets. The isotopic, elemental, and molecular abundances of the volatile, semi-volatile, and refractory phases brought many new insights into the origin and processing of the incorporated material. The emerging picture after Rosetta is that at least part of the volatile material was formed before the solar system and that cometary nuclei agglomerated over a wide range of heliocentric distances, different from where they are found today. Deviations from bulk solar system abundances indicate that the material was not fully homogenized at the location of comet formation, despite the radial mixing implied by the Stardust results. Post-formation evolution of the material might play an important role, which further complicates the picture. This paper discusses these major findings of the Rosetta mission with respect to the origin of the material and puts them in the context of what we know from other comets and solar system objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Rubin
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Cécile Engrand
- CNRS/IN2P3, IJCLab, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Colin Snodgrass
- Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, EH9 3HJ UK
| | | | - Kathrin Altwegg
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Henner Busemann
- Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Michael Mumma
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Rd., Greenbelt, 20771 MD USA
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Rubin M, Engrand C, Snodgrass C, Weissman P, Altwegg K, Busemann H, Morbidelli A, Mumma M. On the Origin and Evolution of the Material in 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2020. [PMID: 32801398 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-019-0625-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Primitive objects like comets hold important information on the material that formed our solar system. Several comets have been visited by spacecraft and many more have been observed through Earth- and space-based telescopes. Still our understanding remains limited. Molecular abundances in comets have been shown to be similar to interstellar ices and thus indicate that common processes and conditions were involved in their formation. The samples returned by the Stardust mission to comet Wild 2 showed that the bulk refractory material was processed by high temperatures in the vicinity of the early sun. The recent Rosetta mission acquired a wealth of new data on the composition of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (hereafter 67P/C-G) and complemented earlier observations of other comets. The isotopic, elemental, and molecular abundances of the volatile, semi-volatile, and refractory phases brought many new insights into the origin and processing of the incorporated material. The emerging picture after Rosetta is that at least part of the volatile material was formed before the solar system and that cometary nuclei agglomerated over a wide range of heliocentric distances, different from where they are found today. Deviations from bulk solar system abundances indicate that the material was not fully homogenized at the location of comet formation, despite the radial mixing implied by the Stardust results. Post-formation evolution of the material might play an important role, which further complicates the picture. This paper discusses these major findings of the Rosetta mission with respect to the origin of the material and puts them in the context of what we know from other comets and solar system objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Rubin
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Cécile Engrand
- CNRS/IN2P3, IJCLab, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Colin Snodgrass
- Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, EH9 3HJ UK
| | | | - Kathrin Altwegg
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Henner Busemann
- Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Michael Mumma
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Rd., Greenbelt, 20771 MD USA
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Luspay-Kuti A, Altwegg K, Berthelier JJ, Beth A, Dhooghe F, Fiethe B, Fuselier SA, Gombosi TI, Hansen KC, Hässig M, Livadiotis G, Mall U, Mandt KE, Mousis O, Petrinec SM, Rubin M, Trattner KJ, Tzou CY, Wurz P. Comparison of neutral outgassing of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko inbound and outbound beyond 3 AU from ROSINA/DFMS. ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS 2019; 630:A30. [PMID: 32699429 PMCID: PMC7375265 DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201833536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Pre-equinox measurements of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko with the mass spectrometer ROSINA/DFMS on board the Rosetta spacecraft revealed a strongly heterogeneous coma. The abundances of major and various minor volatile species were found to depend on the latitude and longitude of the nadir point of the spacecraft. The observed time variability of coma species remained consistent for about three months up to equinox. The chemical variability could be generally interpreted in terms of surface temperature and seasonal effects superposed on some kind of chemical heterogeneity of the nucleus. AIMS We compare here pre-equinox (inbound) ROSINA/DFMS measurements from 2014 to measurements taken after the outbound equinox in 2016, both at heliocentric distances larger than 3 AU. For a direct comparison we limit our observations to the southern hemisphere. METHODS We report the similarities and differences in the concentrations and time variability of neutral species under similar insolation conditions (heliocentric distance and season) pre- and post-equinox, and interpret them in light of the previously published observations. In addition, we extend both the pre- and post-equinox analysis by comparing species concentrations with a mixture of CO2 and H2O. RESULTS Our results show significant changes in the abundances of neutral species in the coma from pre- to post-equinox that are indicative of seasonally driven nucleus heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS The observed pre- and post-equinox patterns can generally be explained by the strong erosion in the southern hemisphere that moves volatile-rich layers near the surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Luspay-Kuti
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - K Altwegg
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstr. 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Center for Space and Habitability (CSH), Universität Bern, Sidlerstr. 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - J J Berthelier
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales, Institut Pierre Simon Laplace, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 4 avenue de Neptune, 94100 Saint-Maur, France
| | - A Beth
- Department of Physics/SPAT, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - F Dhooghe
- Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, BIRA-IASB, Ringlaan 3, 1180 Brussels, Belgium
- Center for Plasma Astrophysics, K.U. Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - B Fiethe
- Institute of Computer and Network Engineering (IDA), TU Braunschweig, Hans-Sommer-Strasse 66, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - S A Fuselier
- Space Science Directorate, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Rd., San Antonio, TX 78228, USA
| | - T I Gombosi
- Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - K C Hansen
- Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - M Hässig
- Space Science Directorate, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Rd., San Antonio, TX 78228, USA
| | - G Livadiotis
- Space Science Directorate, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Rd., San Antonio, TX 78228, USA
| | - U Mall
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - K E Mandt
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - O Mousis
- Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, CNRS, Aix Marseille Université, 13388 Marseille, France
| | - S M Petrinec
- Lockheed Martin Space Systems Advanced Technology Center, 3251 Hanover St., Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - M Rubin
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstr. 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - K J Trattner
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder, 3665 Discovery Dr., Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - C-Y Tzou
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstr. 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - P Wurz
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstr. 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Center for Space and Habitability (CSH), Universität Bern, Sidlerstr. 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
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Contributions from Accreted Organics to Titan’s Atmosphere: New Insights from Cometary and Chondritic Data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/aaf561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Luspay-Kuti A, Mousis O, Lunine JI, Ellinger Y, Pauzat F, Raut U, Bouquet A, Mandt KE, Maggiolo R, Ronnet T, Brugger B, Ozgurel O, Fuselier SA. Origin of Molecular Oxygen in Comets: Current Knowledge and Perspectives. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2018; 214:115. [PMID: 30613113 PMCID: PMC6317742 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-018-0541-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA) instrument onboard the Rosetta spacecraft has measured molecular oxygen (O2) in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/C-G) in surprisingly high abundances. These measurements mark the first unequivocal detection of O2 in a cometary environment. The large relative abundance of O2 in 67P/C-G despite its high reactivity and low interstellar abundance poses a puzzle for its origin in comet 67P/C-G, and potentially other comets. Since its detection, there have been a number of hypotheses put forward to explain the production and origin of O2 in the comet. These hypotheses cover a wide range of possibilities from various in situ production mechanisms to protosolar nebula and primordial origins. Here, we review the O2 formation mechanisms from the literature, and provide a comprehensive summary of the current state of knowledge of the sources and origin of cometary O2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienn Luspay-Kuti
- Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - Olivier Mousis
- Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, UMR CNRS 7326, Aix-Marseille Université & OSU Pythéas, Marseille, France
| | - Jonathan I Lunine
- Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Yves Ellinger
- CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie Théorique, LCT, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Françoise Pauzat
- CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie Théorique, LCT, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Ujjwal Raut
- Department of Space Research, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Rd., San Antonio, TX 78238, USA
| | - Alexis Bouquet
- Department of Space Research, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Rd., San Antonio, TX 78238, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Kathleen E Mandt
- Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - Romain Maggiolo
- Royal Institute for Space Aeronomy, 3 Avenue Circulaire, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thomas Ronnet
- Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, UMR CNRS 7326, Aix-Marseille Université & OSU Pythéas, Marseille, France
| | - Bastien Brugger
- Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, UMR CNRS 7326, Aix-Marseille Université & OSU Pythéas, Marseille, France
| | - Ozge Ozgurel
- CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie Théorique, LCT, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Stephen A Fuselier
- Department of Space Research, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Rd., San Antonio, TX 78238, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
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Noble Gas Abundance Ratios Indicate the Agglomeration of 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko from Warmed-up Ice. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/aadf89] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Dauphas N, Hu MY, Baker EM, Hu J, Tissot FLH, Alp EE, Roskosz M, Zhao J, Bi W, Liu J, Lin JF, Nie NX, Heard A. SciPhon: a data analysis software for nuclear resonant inelastic X-ray scattering with applications to Fe, Kr, Sn, Eu and Dy. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2018; 25:1581-1599. [PMID: 30179200 PMCID: PMC6140397 DOI: 10.1107/s1600577518009487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The synchrotron radiation technique of nuclear resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (NRIXS), also known as nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy or nuclear inelastic scattering, provides a wealth of information on the vibrational properties of solids. It has found applications in studies of lattice dynamics and elasticity, superconductivity, heme biochemistry, seismology, isotope geochemistry and many other fields. It involves probing the vibrational modes of solids by using the nuclear resonance of Mössbauer isotopes such as 57Fe, 83Kr, 119Sn, 151Eu and 161Dy. After data reduction, it provides the partial phonon density of states of the Mössbauer isotope that is investigated, as well as many other derived quantities such as the mean force constant of the chemical bonds and the Debye velocity. The data reduction is, however, not straightforward and involves removal of the elastic peak, normalization and Fourier-Log transformation. Furthermore, some of the quantities derived are highly sensitive to details in the baseline correction. A software package and several novel procedures to streamline and hopefully improve the reduction of the NRIXS data generated at sector 3ID of the Advanced Photon Source have been developed. The graphical user interface software is named SciPhon and runs as a Mathematica package. It is easily portable to other platforms and can be easily adapted for reducing data generated at other beamlines. Several tests and comparisons are presented that demonstrate the usefulness of this software, whose results have already been used in several publications. Here, the SciPhon software is used to reduce Kr, Sn, Eu and Dy NRIXS data, and potential implications for interpreting natural isotopic variations in those systems are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Dauphas
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences and Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicago, 5734 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60615, USA
| | - Michael Y. Hu
- Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439, USA
| | - Erik M. Baker
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences and Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicago, 5734 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60615, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Justin Hu
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences and Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicago, 5734 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60615, USA
| | - Francois L. H. Tissot
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences and Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicago, 5734 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60615, USA
| | - E. Ercan Alp
- Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439, USA
| | - Mathieu Roskosz
- IMPMC-UMR CNRS 7590, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC, IRD, MNHN, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, 61 Rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jiyong Zhao
- Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439, USA
| | - Wenli Bi
- Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439, USA
| | - Jin Liu
- Department of Geological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jung-Fu Lin
- Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Nicole X. Nie
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences and Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicago, 5734 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60615, USA
| | - Andrew Heard
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences and Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicago, 5734 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60615, USA
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O'D Alexander CM, McKeegan KD, Altwegg K. Water Reservoirs in Small Planetary Bodies: Meteorites, Asteroids, and Comets. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2018; 214:36. [PMID: 30842688 PMCID: PMC6398961 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-018-0474-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Asteroids and comets are the remnants of the swarm of planetesimals from which the planets ultimately formed, and they retain records of processes that operated prior to and during planet formation. They are also likely the sources of most of the water and other volatiles accreted by Earth. In this review, we discuss the nature and probable origins of asteroids and comets based on data from remote observations, in situ measurements by spacecraft, and laboratory analyses of meteorites derived from asteroids. The asteroidal parent bodies of meteorites formed ≤4 Ma after Solar System formation while there was still a gas disk present. It seems increasingly likely that the parent bodies of meteorites spectroscopically linked with the E-, S-, M- and V-type asteroids formed sunward of Jupiter's orbit, while those associated with C- and, possibly, D-type asteroids formed further out, beyond Jupiter but probably not beyond Saturn's orbit. Comets formed further from the Sun than any of the meteorite parent bodies, and retain much higher abundances of interstellar material. CI and CM group meteorites are probably related to the most common C-type asteroids, and based on isotopic evidence they, rather than comets, are the most likely sources of the H and N accreted by the terrestrial planets. However, comets may have been major sources of the noble gases accreted by Earth and Venus. Possible constraints that these observations can place on models of giant planet formation and migration are explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conel M O'D Alexander
- Dept. Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution for Science, 5241 Broad Branch Road NW, Washington, DC 20015, USA. . Tel. (202) 478 8478
| | - Kevin D McKeegan
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567, USA.
| | - Kathrin Altwegg
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
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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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10
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Waite JH, Glein CR, Perryman RS, Teolis BD, Magee BA, Miller G, Grimes J, Perry ME, Miller KE, Bouquet A, Lunine JI, Brockwell T, Bolton SJ. Cassini finds molecular hydrogen in the Enceladus plume: Evidence for hydrothermal processes. Science 2017; 356:155-159. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aai8703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 281] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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12
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Luspay-Kuti A, Mousis O, Hässig M, Fuselier SA, Lunine JI, Marty B, Mandt KE, Wurz P, Rubin M. The presence of clathrates in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2016; 2:e1501781. [PMID: 27152351 PMCID: PMC4846445 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1501781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Cometary nuclei are considered to most closely reflect the composition of the building blocks of our solar system. As such, comets carry important information about the prevalent conditions in the solar nebula before and after planet formation. Recent measurements of the time variation of major and minor volatile species in the coma of the Jupiter family comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P) by the ROSINA (Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis) instrument onboard Rosetta provide insight into the possible origin of this comet. The observed outgassing pattern indicates that the nucleus of 67P contains crystalline ice, clathrates, and other ices. The observed outgassing is not consistent with gas release from an amorphous ice phase with trapped volatile gases. If the building blocks of 67P were formed from crystalline ices and clathrates, then 67P would have agglomerated from ices that were condensed and altered in the protosolar nebula closer to the Sun instead of more pristine ices originating from the interstellar medium or the outskirts of the disc, where amorphous ice may dominate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienn Luspay-Kuti
- Department of Space Research, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA
| | - Olivier Mousis
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LAM (Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille), UMR 7326, 13388 Marseille, France
| | - Myrtha Hässig
- Department of Space Research, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stephen A. Fuselier
- Department of Space Research, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas at San Antonio, 1 UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Jonathan I. Lunine
- Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Space Sciences Building Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Bernard Marty
- CRPG-CNRS, Nancy-Université, 15 rue Notre Dame des Pauvres, 54501 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Kathleen E. Mandt
- Department of Space Research, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas at San Antonio, 1 UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Peter Wurz
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Center for Space and Habitability, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Martin Rubin
- Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
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