Thermal and mechanical properties of the near-surface layers of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Spohn, T.; Knollenberg, J.; Ball, A. J.; Banaszkiewicz, M.; Benkhoff, J.; Grott, M.; Grygorczuk, J.; Huettig, C.; Hagermann, A.; Kargl, G.; Kaufmann, E.; Koemle, N.; Kuehrt, E.; Kossacki, K. J.; Marczewski, W.; Pelivan, I.; Schroedter, R.; Seiferlin, Karsten (2015). Thermal and mechanical properties of the near-surface layers of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Science, 349(6247), aab0464-aab0464. American Association for the Advancement of Science 10.1126/science.aab0464

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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, we found the diurnal temperature to vary between 90 and 130 K. The surface emissivity was 0.97, and the local thermal inertia was 85 +/- 35 J m(-2) K(-1)s(-1/2). The MUPUS thermal probe did not fully penetrate the near-surface layers, suggesting a local resistance of the ground to penetration of >4 megapascals, equivalent to >2 megapascal uniaxial compressive strength. A sintered near-surface microporous dust-ice layer with a porosity of 30 to 65% is consistent with the data.

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