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Particle acceleration by a solar flare termination shock
Krucker, Säm; Chen, Bin; Gary, Dale E. +3 more
Solar flares—the most powerful explosions in the solar system—are also efficient particle accelerators, capable of energizing a large number of charged particles to relativistic speeds. A termination shock is often invoked in the standard model of solar flares as a possible driver for particle acceleration, yet its existence and role have remained…
The landing(s) of Philae and inferences about comet surface mechanical properties
Auster, Hans-Ulrich; Heinisch, Philip; Güttler, Carsten +30 more
The Philae lander, part of the Rosetta mission to investigate comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, was delivered to the cometary surface in November 2014. Here we report the precise circumstances of the multiple landings of Philae, including the bouncing trajectory and rebound parameters, based on engineering data in conjunction with operational instr…
The exceptionally powerful TeV γ-ray emitters in the Large Magellanic Cloud
Klochkov, D.; Santangelo, A.; Quirrenbach, A. +226 more
The Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, has been observed with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) above an energy of 100 billion electron volts for a deep exposure of 210 hours. Three sources of different types were detected: the pulsar wind nebula of the most energetic pulsar known, N 157B; the radio-loud supe…
Properties of the 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko interior revealed by CONSERT radar
Elachi, Charles; Sierks, Holger; Nielsen, Erling +23 more
The Philae lander provides a unique opportunity to investigate the internal structure of a comet nucleus, providing information about its formation and evolution in the early solar system. We present Comet Nucleus Sounding Experiment by Radiowave Transmission (CONSERT) measurements of the interior of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. From the propa…
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 …