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Carbon-rich dust in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko measured by COSIMA/Rosetta
Langevin, Yves; Fischer, Henning; Ligier, Nicolas +23 more
Cometary ices are rich in CO2, CO and organic volatile compounds, but the carbon content of cometary dust was only measured for the Oort Cloud comet 1P/Halley, during its flyby in 1986. The COmetary Secondary Ion Mass Analyzer (COSIMA)/Rosetta mass spectrometer analysed dust particles with sizes ranging from 50 to 1000 µm, collect…
Xenon isotopes in 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko show that comets contributed to Earth's atmosphere
Wurz, P.; Altwegg, K.; Balsiger, H. +27 more
The origin of cometary matter and the potential contribution of comets to inner-planet atmospheres are long-standing problems. During a series of dedicated low-altitude orbits, the Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA) on the Rosetta spacecraft analyzed the isotopes of xenon in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimen…
Evidence for the formation of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko through gravitational collapse of a bound clump of pebbles
Shi, Xian; Blum, Jürgen; Della Corte, Vincenzo +19 more
The processes that led to the formation of the planetary bodies in the Solar system are still not fully understood. Using the results obtained with the comprehensive suite of instruments onboard the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission, we present evidence that comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko likely formed through the gentle gravitational colla…
Organics in comet 67P - a first comparative analysis of mass spectra from ROSINA-DFMS, COSAC and Ptolemy
Balsiger, H.; Berthelier, J. J.; Fuselier, S. A. +14 more
The ESA Rosetta spacecraft followed comet 67P at a close distance for more than 2 yr. In addition, it deployed the lander Philae on to the surface of the comet. The (surface) composition of the comet is of great interest to understand the origin and evolution of comets. By combining measurements made on the comet itself and in the coma, we probe t…
The composition of cometary ices
Biver, N.; Bockelée-Morvan, D.
The chemical composition of cometary ices provides clues for the conditions of formation and evolution of the early Solar System. A large number of molecules have been identified in cometary atmospheres, from both ground-based observations and space, including in situ investigations. This includes large organic molecules, which are also observed i…
The global meter-level shape model of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Jorda, L.; Lara, L. M.; Bertaux, J. -L. +42 more
We performed a stereo-photogrammetric (SPG) analysis of more than 1500 Rosetta/OSIRIS NAC images of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P). The images with pixel scales in the range 0.2-3.0 m/pixel were acquired between August 2014 and February 2016. We finally derived a global high-resolution 3D description of 67P's surface, the SPG SHAP7 shape mo…
Seasonal mass transfer on the nucleus of comet 67P/Chuyumov-Gerasimenko
Jorda, L.; Bertaux, J. -L.; Lamy, P. +47 more
We collect observational evidence that supports the scheme of mass transfer on the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The obliquity of the rotation axis of 67P causes strong seasonal variations. During perihelion the southern hemisphere is four times more active than the north. Northern territories are widely covered by granular material …
The pristine interior of comet 67P revealed by the combined Aswan outburst and cliff collapse
Jorda, L.; Lara, L. M.; Bertaux, J. -L. +61 more
Outbursts occur commonly on comets1 with different frequencies and scales2,3. Despite multiple observations suggesting various triggering processes4,5, the driving mechanism of such outbursts is still poorly understood. Landslides have been invoked6 to explain some outbursts on comet 103P/Hartley 2, alth…
Interplanetary coronal mass ejection observed at STEREO-A, Mars, comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Saturn, and New Horizons en route to Pluto: Comparison of its Forbush decreases at 1.4, 3.1, and 9.9 AU
Barabash, S.; Krupp, N.; Roussos, E. +48 more
We discuss observations of the journey throughout the Solar System of a large interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) that was ejected at the Sun on 14 October 2014. The ICME hit Mars on 17 October, as observed by the Mars Express, Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN Mission (MAVEN), Mars Odyssey, and Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) missions,…
Protostellar and cometary detections of organohalogens
Bourke, Tyler L.; Rosina Team; Öberg, Karin I. +15 more
Organohalogens, a class of molecules that contain at least one halogen atom bonded to carbon, are abundant on the Earth where they are mainly produced through industrial and biological processes1. Consequently, they have been proposed as biomarkers in the search for life on exoplanets2. Simple halogen hydrides have been detec…