Composition-dependent outgassing of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from ROSINA/DFMS

Luspay-Kuti, A.; Hässig, Myrtha; Fuselier, S. A.; Mandt, K. E.; Altwegg, Kathrin; Balsiger, Hans; Gasc, Sébastien; Jäckel, Annette; Le Roy, Léna; Rubin, Martin; Tzou, Chia-Yu; Wurz, Peter; Mousis, O.; Dhooghe, F.; Berthelier, J. J.; Fiethe, B.; Gombosi, T. I.; Mall, U. (2015). Composition-dependent outgassing of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from ROSINA/DFMS. Astronomy and astrophysics, 583(A4), A4. EDP Sciences 10.1051/0004-6361/201526205

Text aa26205-15.pdf - Published Version Restricted to registered users only Available under License Publisher holds Copyright. Download (1MB)

Context. Early measurements of Rosetta’s target comet, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P), showed a strongly heterogeneous coma in H2O, CO, and CO2.
Aims. The purpose of this work is to further investigate the coma heterogeneity of 67P, and to provide predictions for the near-perihelion outgassing profile based on the proposed explanations.
Methods. Measurements of various minor volatile species by ROSINA/DFMS on board Rosetta are examined. The analysis focuses on the currently poorly illuminated winter (southern) hemisphere of 67P.
Results. Coma heterogeneity is not limited to the major outgassing species. Minor species show better correlation with either H2O or CO2. The molecule CH4 shows a different diurnal pattern from all other analyzed species. Such features have implications for nucleus heterogeneity and thermal processing.
Conclusions. Future analysis of additional volatiles and modeling the heterogeneity are required to better understand the observed coma profile.

Interest & Impact

Downloads

2 since deposited on 13 Jun 2016
0 in the past 12 months

Citations

5 Citations in Web of Science ®
6 Citations in Scopus

Search

in Google Scholar™

Services

Actions (login required)

Edit item

Actions (login required)

Edit item