Optical properties of cometary particles collected by COSIMA: Assessing the differences between microscopic and macroscopic scales

Langevin, Y.; Merouane, S.; Hilchenbach, M.; Vincendon, M.; Hornung, Klaus; Engrand, C.; Schulz, R.; Kissel, J.; Rynö, J.

doi:10.1016/j.pss.2019.104815

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…This agrees with the results from Rosetta’s in situ sampling, in particular microscopic imaging of grains by the COSIMA (Langevin et al. 2020 ; Kimura et al. 2020 ) and MIDAS instruments (Mannel et al.…”

Section: Scientific Contextsupporting

confidence: 90%

The Comet Interceptor Mission

Jones,

Snodgrass,

Tubiana

et al. 2024

Space Sci Rev

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Here we describe the novel, multi-point Comet Interceptor mission. It is dedicated to the exploration of a little-processed long-period comet, possibly entering the inner Solar System for the first time, or to encounter an interstellar object originating at another star. The objectives of the mission are to address the following questions: What are the surface composition, shape, morphology, and structure of the target object? What is the composition of the gas and dust in the coma, its connection to the nucleus, and the nature of its interaction with the solar wind? The mission was proposed to the European Space Agency in 2018, and formally adopted by the agency in June 2022, for launch in 2029 together with the Ariel mission. Comet Interceptor will take advantage of the opportunity presented by ESA’s F-Class call for fast, flexible, low-cost missions to which it was proposed. The call required a launch to a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L2 point. The mission can take advantage of this placement to wait for the discovery of a suitable comet reachable with its minimum $\varDelta $ Δ V capability of $600\text{ ms}^{-1}$ 600 ms − 1 . Comet Interceptor will be unique in encountering and studying, at a nominal closest approach distance of 1000 km, a comet that represents a near-pristine sample of material from the formation of the Solar System. It will also add a capability that no previous cometary mission has had, which is to deploy two sub-probes – B1, provided by the Japanese space agency, JAXA, and B2 – that will follow different trajectories through the coma. While the main probe passes at a nominal 1000 km distance, probes B1 and B2 will follow different chords through the coma at distances of 850 km and 400 km, respectively. The result will be unique, simultaneous, spatially resolved information of the 3-dimensional properties of the target comet and its interaction with the space environment. We present the mission’s science background leading to these objectives, as well as an overview of the scientific instruments, mission design, and schedule.

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Section: Scientific Contextsupporting

confidence: 90%

The Comet Interceptor Mission

Jones,

Snodgrass,

Tubiana

et al. 2024

Space Sci Rev

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“…Additionally, experimental simulations under different conditions (including microgravity) suggest the presence of fluffy aggregates with comparable amounts of minerals and organics (Levasseur-Regourd et al 2015). This agrees with the results from Rosetta's in situ sampling, in particular microscopic imaging of grains by the COSIMA (Langevin et al 2020;Kimura et al 2020) and MIDAS instruments (Mannel et al 2019).…”

Section: Dust Comasupporting

confidence: 80%

Comet Interceptor Mission

Jones¹,

Snodgrass²,

Tubiana³

et al. 2023

Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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Here we describe the novel, multi-point Comet Interceptor mission. It is dedicated to the exploration of a little-processed long-period comet, possibly entering the inner Solar System for the first time, or to encounter an interstellar object originating at another star. The objectives of the mission are to address the following questions: What are the surface composition, shape, morphology, and structure of the target object? What is the composition of the gas and dust in the coma, its connection to the nucleus, and the nature of its interaction with the solar wind? The mission was proposed to the European Space Agency in 2018, and formally adopted by the agency in June 2022, for launch in 2029 together with the Ariel mission. Comet Interceptor will take advantage of the opportunity presented by ESA's F-Class call for fast, flexible, low-cost missions to which it was proposed. The call required a launch to a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L2 point. The mission can take advantage of this placement to wait for the discovery of a suitable comet reachable with its minimum ΔV capability of 600 ms −1 . Comet Interceptor will be unique in encountering and studying, at a nominal closest approach distance of 1000 km, a comet that represents a near-pristine sample of material from the formation of the Solar System. It will also add a capability that no previous cometary mission has had, which is to deploy two sub-probes -B1, provided by the Japanese space agency, JAXA, and B2 -that will follow different trajectories through the coma. While the main probe passes at a nominal 1000 km distance, probes B1 and B2 will follow different chords through the coma at distances of 850 km and 400 km, respectively. The result will be unique, simultaneous, spatially resolved information of the 3-dimensional properties of the target comet and its interaction with the space environment. We present the mission's science background leading to these objectives, as well as an overview of the scientific instruments, mission design, and schedule.

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“…At 1.3 AU, the bolometric albedo of comet C/2013 US 10 (Catalina) is likely measuring the reflectance properties of the refractory particles because ice grains have very short lifetimes at this heliocentric distance (Beer et al 2006;Protopapa et al 2018). Reflectance of individual refractory particles from the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko as measured by Rosetta COSIMA/Cosicope are from 3% to 22% at 650 nm (Langevin et al 2017(Langevin et al , 2020, which spans the range of bolometric albedos measured for comet comae.…”

Section: Dust Bolometric Albedomentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Stardust samples demonstrate that aerodynamic sorting in aggregate formation occurred for particles of olivine compared to FeS, which are denser than olivine (Wozniakiewicz et al 2013(Wozniakiewicz et al , 2012. The Rosetta mission's imaging studies showed that comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's particles are hierarchical aggregates of hundreds of microns to mm-size with components that are submicron to tens of micron in size (Langevin et al 2020;Güttler et al 2019;Hornung et al 2016) Stardust samples and Rosetta particle studies are commensurate with the idea that aggregate particle components of submicron to tens of micron of size may be favored over larger solid particles in their outward movement to the disk regimes of comet-nuclei formation.…”

Section: Comet Crystalline Silicates and Disk Transportmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Coma Dust of Comet C2013 US10 (Catalina) A Window into Carbon in the Solar System

Woodward¹,

Wooden²,

Harker³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Comet C/2013 US 10 (Catalina) was an dynamically new Oort cloud comet whose apparition presented a favorable geometry for observations near close Earth approach (≃ 0.93 au) at heliocentric distances < ∼ 2 au when insolation and sublimation of volatiles drive maximum activity. Here we present mid-infrared 6.0 < ∼ λ(µm) < ∼ 40 spectrophotometric observations at two temporal epochs from NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility that yield an inventory of the refectory materials and their physical characteristics through thermal modeling analysis. The grain composition is dominated by dark dust grains (modeled as amorphous carbon) with a silicate-to-carbon ratio < ∼ 0.9, little of crystalline stoichiometry (no distinct 11.2 µm feature attributed to Mg-rich crystalline olivine), the submicron grain size distribution peaking at ≃ 0.6 µm. The 10 µm silicate feature was weak, ≈ 12.8 ± 0.1% above the local continuum, and the bolometric grain albedo was low ( < ∼ 14%). Comet C/2013 US 10 (Catalina) is a carbon-rich object. This material, which is well-represented by the optical constants of amorphous carbon is similar to the material that darkens and reddens the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. We argue this material is endemic the nuclei of comets, synthesizing results from the study of Stardust samples, interplanetary dust particle investigations and micrometeoritic analyses. The atomic carbon-to-silicate ratio of comet C/2013 US 10 (Catalina) and other comets joins a growing body of evidence suggesting the existence of a C/Si gradient in the primitive solar system, providing new insight to planetesimal formation and the distribution of isotopic and compositional gradients extant today.

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Optical properties of cometary particles collected by COSIMA: Assessing the differences between microscopic and macroscopic scales

Cited by 9 publications

References 30 publications

The Comet Interceptor Mission

The Comet Interceptor Mission

Comet Interceptor Mission

The Coma Dust of Comet C2013 US10 (Catalina) A Window into Carbon in the Solar System

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