Search Publications
Dynamics of aspherical dust grains in a cometary atmosphere: I. axially symmetric grains in a spherically symmetric atmosphere
Fulle, M.; Della Corte, V.; Rotundi, A. +3 more
In-situ measurements of individual dust grain parameters in the immediate vicinity of a cometary nucleus are being carried by the Rosetta spacecraft at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. For the interpretations of these observational data, a model of dust grain motion as realistic as possible is requested. In particular, the results of the Stardust …
The effect of asymmetric surface topography on dust dynamics on airless bodies
Horányi, M.; Piquette, M.
Without a significant atmosphere or global magnetic field, the lunar surface is exposed to micrometeoroid bombardment, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and the solar wind. Micrometeoroid bombardment grinds the surface into a regolith comprised of dust grains ranging in size from 10 nm to 1 mm (Grün et al., 2011). Incident UV radiation and solar wind el…
Close-up images of the final Philae landing site on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko acquired by the ROLIS camera
Bibring, J. -P.; Jaumann, R.; Keller, H. U. +11 more
After coming to rest on the night side of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the ROLIS camera on-board Rosetta's Philae lander acquired five images of the surface below the lander, four of which were with the aid of LED illumination of different colors. The images confirm that Philae was perched on a sloped surface. A local horizon is visible in one…
Analysis of R-band observations of an outburst of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 to place constraints on the nucleus' rotation state
Schambeau, Charles A.; Fernández, Yanga R.; Samarasinha, Nalin H. +2 more
We present analysis of five nights of R-band observations of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 (SW1) taken on September 2008 which show the comet undergoing an outburst. Coma morphology shows a projected asymmetric shell of material expanding radially and four linear features on the northern side of the coma at position angles 37°, 78°, 300°, and 3…
Hyperactivity in 103P/Hartley 2: Chunks from the sub-surface in Type IIa jet regions
Belton, Michael J. S.
We analyze the observed radial distribution of column densities of water-ice particulates embedded in the primary jet region (J1) of 103P's inner coma at altitudes between 439 and 1967 m (Protopapa et al., 2014, Icarus 238, 191-204) and determine the speed and acceleration of particles and their mass-flow within the filaments of the jet…