Main Results from the ISSI International Team “Characterization of 67P Cometary Activity”

• DOI: 10.3390/universe9100446
• Publication Date: 2023-10-11T06:20:52Z
• Authors: Andrea Longobardo; Minjae Kim; Boris Pestoni; Mauro Ciarniello; Giovanna Rinaldi; Stavro Ivanovski; Fabrizio Dirri; Marco Fulle; Vincenzo Della Corte; Alessandra Rotundi; Martin Rubin
• Keywords: Orbiter; Sublimation; Comet dust

The ESA/Rosetta mission accompanied the Jupiter Family Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and provided a huge amount of data which are providing important results about cometary activity mechanisms. We summarize obtained within ISSI International Team Characterization 67P activity, studied dust gas ejection in different stages comet’s orbit, by means fusion between instruments onboard Rosetta orbiter, i.e., OSIRIS camera, VIRTIS imaging spectrometer, GIADA detector, MIDAS atomic force microscope, COSIMA mass ROSINA supported numerical models experimental work. team reconstructed motion particles ejected from comet surface, finding correlation solar illumination as well larger occurrence fluffy (pristine) less processed more pebble-rich terrains. Dust is ice-rich terrains, indicating that water sublimation dominant process during perihelion phase. comparison fluxes particle size suggests link morphology speed, generation micrometric fragmentation millimetric dust, homogeneity physical properties compact across surface. refractory ice small particles, released when they fragmented. A new model has been finally developed, according to nucleus includes Water-Ice-Enriched Blocks (WEBs), that, exposed CO2 main sources ejection.