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The morphological diversity of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Bertaux, Jean-Loup; Da Deppo, Vania; Naletto, Giampiero +56 more
Images of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko acquired by the OSIRIS (Optical, Spectroscopic and Infrared Remote Imaging System) imaging system onboard the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft at scales of better than 0.8 meter per pixel show a wide variety of different structures and textures. The data show the importance of airfall, surface du…
Time variability and heterogeneity in the coma of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Wurz, P.; Bochsler, P.; Altwegg, K. +33 more
Comets contain the best-preserved material from the beginning of our planetary system. Their nuclei and comae composition reveal clues about physical and chemical conditions during the early solar system when comets formed. ROSINA (Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis) onboard the Rosetta spacecraft has measured the coma compo…
Subsurface properties and early activity of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Hartogh, Paul; Lellouch, Emmanuel; Ip, Wing-Huen +21 more
Heat transport and ice sublimation in comets are interrelated processes reflecting properties acquired at the time of formation and during subsequent evolution. The Microwave Instrument on the Rosetta Orbiter (MIRO) acquired maps of the subsurface temperature of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, at 1.6 mm and 0.5 mm wavelengths, and spectra of wate…
The bubble-like interior of the core-collapse supernova remnant Cassiopeia A
Milisavljevic, Dan; Fesen, Robert A.
The death of massive stars is believed to involve aspheric explosions initiated by the collapse of an iron core. The specifics of these catastrophic explosions remain uncertain, due partly to limited observational constraints on asymmetries deep inside the star. Here we present near-infrared observations of the young supernova remnant Cassiopeia A…
Thermal and mechanical properties of the near-surface layers of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Kührt, E.; Knollenberg, J.; Pelivan, I. +15 more
Thermal and mechanical material properties determine comet evolution and even solar system formation because comets are considered remnant volatile-rich planetesimals. Using data from the Multipurpose Sensors for Surface and Sub-Surface Science (MUPUS) instrument package gathered at the Philae landing site Abydos on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko…
Birth of a comet magnetosphere: A spring of water ions
Barabash, Stas; Lundin, Rickard; Henri, Pierre +26 more
The Rosetta mission shall accompany comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from a heliocentric distance of >3.6 astronomical units through perihelion passage at 1.25 astronomical units, spanning low and maximum activity levels. Initially, the solar wind permeates the thin comet atmosphere formed from sublimation, until the size and plasma pressure of …
CHO-bearing organic compounds at the surface of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko revealed by Ptolemy
Andrews, D. J.; Sheridan, S.; Wright, I. P. +3 more
The surface and subsurface of comets preserve material from the formation of the solar system. The properties of cometary material thus provide insight into the physical and chemical conditions during their formation. We present mass spectra taken by the Ptolemy instrument 20 minutes after the initial touchdown of the Philae lander on the surface …
The structure of the regolith on 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from ROLIS descent imaging
Bibring, J. -P.; Jaumann, R.; Mottola, S. +15 more
The structure of the upper layer of a comet is a product of its surface activity. The Rosetta Lander Imaging System (ROLIS) on board Philae acquired close-range images of the Agilkia site during its descent onto comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. These images reveal a photometrically uniform surface covered by regolith composed of debris and blocks …
Old supernova dust factory revealed at the Galactic center
Morris, M. R.; Lau, R. M.; Herter, T. L. +2 more
Dust formation in supernova ejecta is currently the leading candidate to explain the large quantities of dust observed in the distant, early universe. However, it is unclear whether the ejecta-formed dust can survive the hot interior of the supernova remnant (SNR). We present infrared observations of ~0.02 solar masses of warm (~100 kelvin) dust s…
The nonmagnetic nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Haerendel, Gerhard; Motschmann, Uwe; Russell, Christopher T. +17 more
Knowledge of the magnetization of planetary bodies constrains their origin and evolution, as well as the conditions in the solar nebular at that time. On the basis of magnetic field measurements during the descent and subsequent multiple touchdown of the Rosetta lander Philae on the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P), we show that no global mag…