Characterization of dust aggregates in the vicinity of the Rosetta spacecraft

C. Güttler; P. H. Hasselmann; Y. Li; M. Fulle; C. Tubiana; G. Kovacs; J. Agarwal; H. Sierks; S. Fornasier; M. Hofmann; P. Gutiérrez Marqués; T. Ott; E. Drolshagen; I. Bertini; C. Barbieri; P. L. Lamy; R. Rodrigo; D. Koschny; H. Rickman; M. F. A'Hearn; M. A. Barucci; D. Bodewits; J. L. Bertaux; S. Boudreault; G. Cremonese; V. Da Deppo; B. Davidsson; S. Debei; M. De Cecco; J. Deller; B. Geiger; O. Groussin; P. J. Gutiérrez; S. F. Hviid; W. H. Ip; L. Jorda; H. U. Keller; J. Knollenberg; J. R. Kramm; E. Kührt; M. Küppers; L. M. Lara; M. Lazzarin; J. J. López-Moreno; F. Marzari; S. Mottola; G. Naletto; N. Oklay; M. Pajola; X. Shi; N. Thomas; J. B. Vincent

doi:10.1093/mnras/stx1692

Characterization of dust aggregates in the vicinity of the Rosetta spacecraft

C. Güttler, P. H. Hasselmann, Y. Li, M. Fulle, C. Tubiana, G. Kovacs, J. Agarwal, H. Sierks, S. Fornasier, M. Hofmann, P. Gutiérrez Marqués, T. Ott, E. Drolshagen, I. Bertini, C. Barbieri, P. L. Lamy, R. Rodrigo, D. Koschny, H. Rickman, M. F. A'HearnM. A. Barucci, D. Bodewits, J. L. Bertaux, S. Boudreault, G. Cremonese, V. Da Deppo, B. Davidsson, S. Debei, M. De Cecco, J. Deller, B. Geiger, O. Groussin, P. J. Gutiérrez, S. F. Hviid, W. H. Ip, L. Jorda, H. U. Keller, J. Knollenberg, J. R. Kramm, E. Kührt, M. Küppers, L. M. Lara, M. Lazzarin, J. J. López-Moreno, F. Marzari, S. Mottola, G. Naletto, N. Oklay, M. Pajola, X. Shi, N. Thomas, J. B. Vincent

Graduate Institute of Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

In a Rosetta/OSIRIS imaging activity in 2015 June, we have observed the dynamic motion of particles close to the spacecraft. Due to the focal setting of the OSIRIS wide angle camera, these particles were blurred, which can be used to measure their distances to the spacecraft. We detected 109 dust aggregates over a 130 min long sequence, and find that their sizes are around a millimetre and their distances cluster between 2 and 40 m from the spacecraft. Their number densities are about a factor 10 higher than expected for the overall coma and highly fluctuating. Their velocities are small compared to the spacecraft orbital motion and directed away from the spacecraft, towards the comet. From this we conclude that they have interacted with the spacecraft and assess three possible scenarios. In the likeliest of the three scenarios, centimetre-sized aggregates collide with the spacecraft and we would observe the fragments. Ablation of a dust layer on the spacecraft's z panel (remote instrument viewing direction) when rotated towards the Sun is a reasonable alternative. We could also measure an acceleration for a subset of 18 aggregates, which is directed away from the Sun and can be explain by a rocket effect, which requires a minimum ice fraction of the order of 0.1 per cent.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	S312-S320
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	469
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx1692
State	Published - 2017

Keywords

Comets: general
Comets: individual: 67P/ Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Techniques: image processing

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10.1093/mnras/stx1692

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Güttler, C., Hasselmann, P. H., Li, Y., Fulle, M., Tubiana, C., Kovacs, G., Agarwal, J., Sierks, H., Fornasier, S., Hofmann, M., Gutiérrez Marqués, P., Ott, T., Drolshagen, E., Bertini, I., Barbieri, C., Lamy, P. L., Rodrigo, R., Koschny, D., Rickman, H., ... Vincent, J. B. (2017). Characterization of dust aggregates in the vicinity of the Rosetta spacecraft. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 469, S312-S320. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx1692

@article{d15f0a299fc04e1faa61f86724d99470,

title = "Characterization of dust aggregates in the vicinity of the Rosetta spacecraft",

abstract = "In a Rosetta/OSIRIS imaging activity in 2015 June, we have observed the dynamic motion of particles close to the spacecraft. Due to the focal setting of the OSIRIS wide angle camera, these particles were blurred, which can be used to measure their distances to the spacecraft. We detected 109 dust aggregates over a 130 min long sequence, and find that their sizes are around a millimetre and their distances cluster between 2 and 40 m from the spacecraft. Their number densities are about a factor 10 higher than expected for the overall coma and highly fluctuating. Their velocities are small compared to the spacecraft orbital motion and directed away from the spacecraft, towards the comet. From this we conclude that they have interacted with the spacecraft and assess three possible scenarios. In the likeliest of the three scenarios, centimetre-sized aggregates collide with the spacecraft and we would observe the fragments. Ablation of a dust layer on the spacecraft's z panel (remote instrument viewing direction) when rotated towards the Sun is a reasonable alternative. We could also measure an acceleration for a subset of 18 aggregates, which is directed away from the Sun and can be explain by a rocket effect, which requires a minimum ice fraction of the order of 0.1 per cent.",

keywords = "Comets: general, Comets: individual: 67P/ Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Techniques: image processing",

author = "C. G{\"u}ttler and Hasselmann, {P. H.} and Y. Li and M. Fulle and C. Tubiana and G. Kovacs and J. Agarwal and H. Sierks and S. Fornasier and M. Hofmann and {Guti{\'e}rrez Marqu{\'e}s}, P. and T. Ott and E. Drolshagen and I. Bertini and C. Barbieri and Lamy, {P. L.} and R. Rodrigo and D. Koschny and H. Rickman and A'Hearn, {M. F.} and Barucci, {M. A.} and D. Bodewits and Bertaux, {J. L.} and S. Boudreault and G. Cremonese and {Da Deppo}, V. and B. Davidsson and S. Debei and {De Cecco}, M. and J. Deller and B. Geiger and O. Groussin and Guti{\'e}rrez, {P. J.} and Hviid, {S. F.} and Ip, {W. H.} and L. Jorda and Keller, {H. U.} and J. Knollenberg and Kramm, {J. R.} and E. K{\"u}hrt and M. K{\"u}ppers and Lara, {L. M.} and M. Lazzarin and L{\'o}pez-Moreno, {J. J.} and F. Marzari and S. Mottola and G. Naletto and N. Oklay and M. Pajola and X. Shi and N. Thomas and Vincent, {J. B.}",

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volume = "469",

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Güttler, C, Hasselmann, PH, Li, Y, Fulle, M, Tubiana, C, Kovacs, G, Agarwal, J, Sierks, H, Fornasier, S, Hofmann, M, Gutiérrez Marqués, P, Ott, T, Drolshagen, E, Bertini, I, Barbieri, C, Lamy, PL, Rodrigo, R, Koschny, D, Rickman, H, A'Hearn, MF, Barucci, MA, Bodewits, D, Bertaux, JL, Boudreault, S, Cremonese, G, Da Deppo, V, Davidsson, B, Debei, S, De Cecco, M, Deller, J, Geiger, B, Groussin, O, Gutiérrez, PJ, Hviid, SF, Ip, WH, Jorda, L, Keller, HU, Knollenberg, J, Kramm, JR, Kührt, E, Küppers, M, Lara, LM, Lazzarin, M, López-Moreno, JJ, Marzari, F, Mottola, S, Naletto, G, Oklay, N, Pajola, M, Shi, X, Thomas, N & Vincent, JB 2017, 'Characterization of dust aggregates in the vicinity of the Rosetta spacecraft', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 469, pp. S312-S320. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx1692

TY - JOUR

T1 - Characterization of dust aggregates in the vicinity of the Rosetta spacecraft

AU - Güttler, C.

AU - Hasselmann, P. H.

AU - Li, Y.

AU - Fulle, M.

AU - Tubiana, C.

AU - Kovacs, G.

AU - Agarwal, J.

AU - Sierks, H.

AU - Fornasier, S.

AU - Hofmann, M.

AU - Gutiérrez Marqués, P.

AU - Ott, T.

AU - Drolshagen, E.

AU - Bertini, I.

AU - Barbieri, C.

AU - Lamy, P. L.

AU - Rodrigo, R.

AU - Koschny, D.

AU - Rickman, H.

AU - A'Hearn, M. F.

AU - Barucci, M. A.

AU - Bodewits, D.

AU - Bertaux, J. L.

AU - Boudreault, S.

AU - Cremonese, G.

AU - Da Deppo, V.

AU - Davidsson, B.

AU - Debei, S.

AU - De Cecco, M.

AU - Deller, J.

AU - Geiger, B.

AU - Groussin, O.

AU - Gutiérrez, P. J.

AU - Hviid, S. F.

AU - Ip, W. H.

AU - Jorda, L.

AU - Keller, H. U.

AU - Knollenberg, J.

AU - Kramm, J. R.

AU - Kührt, E.

AU - Küppers, M.

AU - Lara, L. M.

AU - Lazzarin, M.

AU - López-Moreno, J. J.

AU - Marzari, F.

AU - Mottola, S.

AU - Naletto, G.

AU - Oklay, N.

AU - Pajola, M.

AU - Shi, X.

AU - Thomas, N.

AU - Vincent, J. B.

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - In a Rosetta/OSIRIS imaging activity in 2015 June, we have observed the dynamic motion of particles close to the spacecraft. Due to the focal setting of the OSIRIS wide angle camera, these particles were blurred, which can be used to measure their distances to the spacecraft. We detected 109 dust aggregates over a 130 min long sequence, and find that their sizes are around a millimetre and their distances cluster between 2 and 40 m from the spacecraft. Their number densities are about a factor 10 higher than expected for the overall coma and highly fluctuating. Their velocities are small compared to the spacecraft orbital motion and directed away from the spacecraft, towards the comet. From this we conclude that they have interacted with the spacecraft and assess three possible scenarios. In the likeliest of the three scenarios, centimetre-sized aggregates collide with the spacecraft and we would observe the fragments. Ablation of a dust layer on the spacecraft's z panel (remote instrument viewing direction) when rotated towards the Sun is a reasonable alternative. We could also measure an acceleration for a subset of 18 aggregates, which is directed away from the Sun and can be explain by a rocket effect, which requires a minimum ice fraction of the order of 0.1 per cent.

AB - In a Rosetta/OSIRIS imaging activity in 2015 June, we have observed the dynamic motion of particles close to the spacecraft. Due to the focal setting of the OSIRIS wide angle camera, these particles were blurred, which can be used to measure their distances to the spacecraft. We detected 109 dust aggregates over a 130 min long sequence, and find that their sizes are around a millimetre and their distances cluster between 2 and 40 m from the spacecraft. Their number densities are about a factor 10 higher than expected for the overall coma and highly fluctuating. Their velocities are small compared to the spacecraft orbital motion and directed away from the spacecraft, towards the comet. From this we conclude that they have interacted with the spacecraft and assess three possible scenarios. In the likeliest of the three scenarios, centimetre-sized aggregates collide with the spacecraft and we would observe the fragments. Ablation of a dust layer on the spacecraft's z panel (remote instrument viewing direction) when rotated towards the Sun is a reasonable alternative. We could also measure an acceleration for a subset of 18 aggregates, which is directed away from the Sun and can be explain by a rocket effect, which requires a minimum ice fraction of the order of 0.1 per cent.

KW - Comets: general

KW - Comets: individual: 67P/ Churyumov-Gerasimenko

KW - Techniques: image processing

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85037029176&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/mnras/stx1692

DO - 10.1093/mnras/stx1692

M3 - 期刊論文

AN - SCOPUS:85037029176

SN - 0035-8711

VL - 469

SP - S312-S320

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

ER -

Characterization of dust aggregates in the vicinity of the Rosetta spacecraft

Abstract

Keywords

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