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Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko: Hardening of the sub-surface layer

Kührt, E.; Spohn, T.; Kaufmann, E. +2 more

From the operation of the MUPUS thermal probe Spohn et al. (2015) concluded that the material of the nucleus of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is likely to have a high strength, at least locally at the Philae landing site. In this work we consider the derived strength of the material in order to constrain its granulation. For this purpose we performed …

Photometric analysis of Asteroid (21) Lutetia from Rosetta-OSIRIS images

Vincent, J. -B.; Masoumzadeh, N.; Li, Jian-Yang +1 more

We analyzed the photometric properties of Asteroid (21) Lutetia based on images captured by Rosetta during its flyby. We utilized the images recorded in the F17 filter (λ = 631.6 nm) of the Wide Angle Camera (WAC) and in the F82 & F22 filters (λ = 649.2 nm) of the Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the OSIRIS imaging system onboard the spacecraft. W…

Mineralogical and spectral analysis of Vesta's Gegania and Lucaria quadrangles and comparative analysis of their key features

Longobardo, Andrea; Palomba, Ernesto; Zinzi, Angelo +9 more

This work is aimed at developing and interpreting infrared albedo, pyroxene and OH band depths, and pyroxene band center maps of Vesta's Gegania and Lucaria quadrangles, obtained from data provided by the Visible and InfraRed (VIR) mapper spectrometer on board NASA's Dawn spacecraft.

The Gegania and Lucaria quadrangles span latitudes from 22°…

First extreme and far ultraviolet spectrum of a Comet Nucleus: Results from 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Stern, S. A.; Feldman, P. D.; Bertaux, J. -L. +7 more

We used the Alice spectrograph onboard the Rosetta comet orbiter spacecraft to observe the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in the extreme and far ultraviolet (EUV/FUV) from 700 to 2050 Å in mid-August 2014. These observations were before significant EUV/FUV coma signatures were observed by Alice. The resulting coadded spectrum has high …

Coma dust scattering concepts applied to the Rosetta mission

Fink, Uwe; Rinaldi, Giovanna

This paper describes basic concepts, as well as providing a framework, for the interpretation of the light scattered by the dust in a cometary coma as observed by instruments on a spacecraft such as Rosetta. It is shown that the expected optical depths are small enough that single scattering can be applied. Each of the quantities that contribute t…

Properties of craters on the Achaia region of Asteroid (21) Lutetia

Jorda, L.; Lamy, P. L.; Groussin, O. +3 more

We report on the physical properties of the craters of Achaia region of the main-belt Asteroid (21) Lutetia, based on images obtained with the OSIRIS instrument during the Rosetta flyby that took place on 10 July 2010. Images of the surface were acquired with its Narrow Angle Camera, from which Digital Terrain Models (DTM) of the surface were cons…