Dust measurements in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko inbound to the Sun

A. Rotundi(Parthenope University of Naples), H. Sierks(Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research), Vincenzo Della Corte(Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology), M. Fulle(Trieste Astronomical Observatory), P. J. Gutiérrez(Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía), L. M. Lara(Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía), C. Barbieri(Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova), P. Lamy(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), R. Rodrigo(Centro de Astrobiología), D. Koschny(European Space Agency), H. Rickman(Centrum Badań Kosmicznych), H. U. Keller(Technische Universität Braunschweig), J. J. López‐Moreno(Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía), M. Accolla(Parthenope University of Naples), Jessica Agarwal(Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research), Michael F. A’Hearn(University of Maryland, College Park), N. Altobelli(European Space Agency), F. Angrilli(University of Padua), M. A. Barucci(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Jean‐Loup Bertaux(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Ivano Bertini(University of Padua), Dennis Bodewits(University of Maryland, College Park), E. Bussoletti(Parthenope University of Naples), L. Colangelí(European Space Research and Technology Centre), M. Cosi(Albert Einstein College of Medicine), G. Cremonese(Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova), Jean‐François Crifo(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Vania Da Deppo(Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie), B. Davidsson(Uppsala University), S. Debei(University of Padua), M. De Cecco(University of Trento), F. Esposito(Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte), Marco Ferrari(Parthenope University of Naples), S. Fornasier(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), F. Giovane(Virginia Tech), B. Å. S. Gustafson(University of Florida), Simon Green(The Open University), O. Groussin(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), E. Grün(Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics), C. Güttler(Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research), M. Herranz(Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía), S. F. Hviid(Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR)), Wing Ip(National Central University), Stavro Ivanovski(Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology), J. M. Jerónimo(Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía), L. Jordá(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Joerg Knollenberg(Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR)), R. Kramm(Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research), E. Kührt(Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR)), M. Küppers(European Space Agency), M. Lazzarin(Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova), M. R. Leese(The Open University), A. C. López Jiménez(Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía), F. Lucarelli(Parthenope University of Naples), S. C. Lowry(University of Kent), F. Marzari(University of Padua), E. Mazzotta Epifani(Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte), J. A. M. McDonnell(The Open University), V. Mennella(Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte), H. Michalik(Institut für Medien- und Kommunikationspolitik), A. Molina(Universidad de Granada), R. Morales(Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía), F. Moreno(Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía), S. Mottola(Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR)), G. Naletto(University of Padua), N. Oklay(Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research), J. L. Ortiz(Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía), E. Palomba(Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology), P. Palumbo(Parthenope University of Naples), J. M. Perrin(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Julio Rodríguez(Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía), L. Sabau(Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial), C. Snodgrass(The Open University), R. Sordini(Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology), Nicolas Thomas(University of Bern), C. Tubiana(Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research), Jean‐Baptiste Vincent(Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research), P. R. Weissman(Jet Propulsion Laboratory), Klaus-Peter Wenzel(European Space Agency), Vladimir Zakharov(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), J. C. Zarnecki(The Open University)
Science
January 22, 2015
10.1126/science.aaa3905
Cited by 362Open Access
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Abstract

Critical measurements for understanding accretion and the dust/gas ratio in the solar nebula, where planets were forming 4.5 billion years ago, are being obtained by the GIADA (Grain Impact Analyser and Dust Accumulator) experiment on the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft orbiting comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Between 3.6 and 3.4 astronomical units inbound, GIADA and OSIRIS (Optical, Spectroscopic, and Infrared Remote Imaging System) detected 35 outflowing grains of mass 10(-10) to 10(-7) kilograms, and 48 grains of mass 10(-5) to 10(-2) kilograms, respectively. Combined with gas data from the MIRO (Microwave Instrument for the Rosetta Orbiter) and ROSINA (Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis) instruments, we find a dust/gas mass ratio of 4 ± 2 averaged over the sunlit nucleus surface. A cloud of larger grains also encircles the nucleus in bound orbits from the previous perihelion. The largest orbiting clumps are meter-sized, confirming the dust/gas ratio of 3 inferred at perihelion from models of dust comae and trails.

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