Characterization of the Abydos region through OSIRIS high-resolution images in support of CIVA measurements

Lucchetti, A.; Cremonese, G.; Jorda, L.; Poulet, F.; Bibring, J. P.; Pajola, M.; La Forgia, F.; Massironi, M.; Elmaarry, Mohamed Ramy; Oklay, N.; Sierks, H.; Barbieri, C.; Lamy, P.; Rodrigo, R.; Koschny, D.; Rickman, H.; Keller, H. U.; Agarwal, J.; A'Hearn, M. F.; Barucci, M. A.; ... (2016). Characterization of the Abydos region through OSIRIS high-resolution images in support of CIVA measurements. Astronomy and astrophysics, 585(L1), L1. EDP Sciences 10.1051/0004-6361/201527330

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Context. On 12 November 2014, the European mission Rosetta delivered the Philae lander on the nucleus of comet 67P /Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P). After the first touchdown, the lander bounced three times before finally landing at a site named Abydos. Aims. We provide a morphologically detailed analysis of the Abydos landing site to support Philae's measurements and to give context for the interpretation of the images coming from the Comet Infrared and Visible Analyser (CIVA) camera system onboard the lander. Methods. We used images acquired by the OSIRIS Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) on 6 December 2014 to perform the analysis of the Abydos landing site, which provided the geomorphological map, the gravitational slope map, the size-frequency distribution of the boulders. We also computed the albedo and spectral reddening maps. Results. The morphological analysis of the region could suggest that Philae is located on a primordial terrain. The Abydos site is surrounded by two layered and fractured outcrops and presents a 0.02 km(2) talus deposit rich in boulders. The boulder size frequency distribution gives a cumulative power-law index of 4.0 + 0.3/0.4, which is correlated with gravitational events triggered by sublimation and /or thermal fracturing causing regressive erosion. The average value of the albedo is 5.8% at lambda(1) = 480.7 nm and 7.4% at lambda(2) = 649.2 nm, which is similar to the global albedos derived by OSIRIS and CIVA, respectively.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

08 Faculty of Science > Physics Institute > Space Research and Planetary Sciences

UniBE Contributor:

Elmaarry, Mohamed Ramy, Thomas, Nicolas

Subjects:

500 Science > 520 Astronomy
500 Science > 530 Physics

ISSN:

0004-6361

Publisher:

EDP Sciences

Language:

English

Submitter:

Katharina Weyeneth-Moser

Date Deposited:

22 Jun 2016 11:06

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:56

Publisher DOI:

10.1051/0004-6361/201527330

Web of Science ID:

000369710300002

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.81938

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/81938

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