Search Publications
The water production rate of Rosetta target Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko near perihelion in 1996, 2002 and 2009 from Lyman α observations with SWAN/SOHO
Schmidt, W.; Bertaux, J. -L.; Combi, M. R. +1 more
We report here the observations of the hydrogen cloud in Lyman alpha emission of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at the last three passages through its perihelion, in 1996, 2002 and 2009. This comet became the target of ESA space mission Rosetta in 2003, and is therefore of particular interest. The data were collected with the SWAN instrument on b…
Collecting cometary dust particles on metal blacks with the COSIMA instrument onboard ROSETTA
Krüger, Harald; Langevin, Yves; Fischer, Henning +8 more
After a brief review of the instrument development and materials selection for collecting cometary dust in the vicinity of comet 67/P Churyumov-Gerasimenko we focus on laboratory verification for the capability of metal black targets to decelerate and capture dust particles (velocities in the order of 100 m/s; sizes of some 10 µm). The resul…
Single minerals, carbon- and ice-coated single minerals for calibration of GIADA onboard ROSETTA to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Della Corte, Vincenzo; Ferrari, Marco; Rotundi, Alessandra +1 more
In preparation of the rendezvous of the European Space Agency Rosetta spacecraft with short period Jupiter Family comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko we undertook the selection and characterization of mineral grains to serve as analogs of dust from the comet. Specifically, these dust analogs are used to calibrate the performance of the onboard Grain I…
Possible observation of charged nanodust from comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko: An analysis for the ROSETTA mission
Szego, K.; Bebesi, Z.; Juhasz, A.
Nanodust particles are ubiquitous in the solar system; we may expect that comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the target of the upcoming ROSETTA mission, is also a source of nanodust, that is dust particles of nanometer size. Due to their small size and mass, the dust detectors cannot observe them directly neither on the orbiter nor on the Philae lan…
Permittivity of porous granular matter, in relation with Rosetta cometary mission
Brouet, Y.; Encrenaz, P.; Levasseur-Regourd, A. C. +1 more
We report measurements in laboratory conditions of the relative complex permittivity (hereafter permittivity) of porous material on a large range of frequencies from 50 MHz to 190 GHz. Such measurements, developed in preparation of the Rosetta mission to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, specifically for the MIRO radiometric experiment, were obtain…
COSAC prepares for sampling and in situ analysis of cometary matter from comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Ehrenfreund, P.; Szopa, C.; Ulamec, S. +11 more
The comet rendezvous mission Rosetta will be the first mission to encounter and land on a comet nucleus. After a 10-year journey Rosetta is set for rendezvous with Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The mission goal is: to study the origin of comets; the relationship between cometary and interstellar material and its implications for the origin of t…
Lutetia's lineaments
Küppers, M.; Thomas, N.; Besse, S. +2 more
The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft flew by asteroid (21) Lutetia on July 10, 2010. Observations through the OSIRIS camera have revealed many geological features. Lineaments are identified on the entire observed surface of the asteroid. Many of these features are concentric around the North Pole Crater Cluster (NPCC). As observed on (43…
Magnetic pileup boundary and field draping at Comet Halley
Volwerk, M.; Bertucci, C.; Delva, M. +2 more
The approach of the Rosetta S/C to Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014 reactivates the interest in the plasma interaction of the solar wind with the cometary coma. In preparation for the upcoming S/C observations and the start of outgassing of the cometary nucleus, we reinvestigate the magnetic field data from the Vega-1 S/C at the flyby of Comet …
Analysis of Rosetta/VIRTIS spectra of earth using observations from ENVISAT/AATSR, TERRA/MODIS and ENVISAT/SCIAMACHY, and radiative-transfer simulations
Oliva, F.; Irwin, P. G. J.; Capaccioni, F. +7 more
Rosetta, the Solar System cornerstone mission of ESA's Horizon 2000 programme, consists of an orbiter and a lander, and is due to arrive at the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in May 2014. Following its 2004 launch, Rosetta carried out a series of planetary fly-bys and gravitational assists. On these close fly-bys of the Earth, measurements were t…
Dust Impact Monitor (DIM) onboard Rosetta/Philae: Tests with ice particles as comet analog materials
Flandes, Alberto; Krüger, Harald; Loose, Alexander +2 more
In 2014 the European Space Agency's spacecraft Rosetta will encounter the short-period comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Rosetta carries the lander spacecraft Philae on board which will attempt to land on the comet's nucleus. Amongst Philae's instruments, the Dust Impact Monitor (DIM) using piezoelectric sensors is aimed at measuring the physical p…