Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Bjorn J. R. Davidsson, Bonnie J. Buratti, Michael D. Hicks
Summary: In this study, we investigate the level of albedo variegation on the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The observed albedo variegation is strongly related to the nucleus morphology, with smooth terrain being brighter and consolidated terrain being darker. We find that smooth terrain darkens before morphological changes and that stratigraphically low terrain is brighter than stratigraphically high terrain. The observed albedo variegation is attributed to differences in porosity and the coherent effect, where compaction causes brighter small particles to act collectively as darker larger particles.
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Martin Rubin, Kathrin Altwegg, Jean-Jacques Berthelier, Michael R. Combi, Johan De Keyser, Stephen A. Fuselier, Tamas Gombosi, Murthy S. Gudipati, Nora Hanni, Kristina A. Kipfer, Niels F. W. Ligterink, Daniel R. Muller, Yinsi Shou, Susanne F. Wampfler
Summary: This study analyzes experimental data from the Rosetta mission at comet 67P and reveals that highly volatile species are trapped in H2O and CO2 ices. The study also suggests that CO2 is seasonal frost and finds an elevation in CO abundance during a certain period, which requires further investigation.
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Marcin Wesolowski
Summary: The paper discusses several mechanisms that play a significant role in the formation of dune structures on comet surfaces. These mechanisms include dust migration, local avalanches resulting from landslides, and fluidization of unstable dust, all of which are initiated by ice sublimation. Due to the complex nature of cometary nuclei, the movement of dust may abruptly cease, leading to the formation of dune structures by particle piling. The maximum angular width, particle mobility coefficient, and static fluidization pressure were determined for each mechanism.
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Daniel Gardener, Colin Snodgrass, Nicolas Ligier
Summary: This article introduces a pipeline that calibrates and measures the photometry of comet 67P during its 2016 perihelion passage. The results show that the activity levels of the comet do not change significantly from orbit to orbit, and the colors of the coma remain constant throughout the apparition. An outburst was also detected, which is consistent with the outbursts observed on the nucleus by Rosetta.
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Frederik Dhooghe, Johan De Keyser, Nora Haenni, Kathrin Altwegg, Gael Cessateur, Emmanuel Jehin, Romain Maggiolo, Martin Rubin, Peter Wurz
Summary: A full-mission analysis of Cl-bearing species in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko detected by the Double Focusing Mass Spectrometer (DFMS) of Rosetta's ROSINA instrument revealed a stable chlorine isotopes ratio of 0.336, slightly higher than the standard mean ocean chloride value. The DFMS also indicated the presence of at least one additional chlorine-bearing species besides HCl, CH3Cl, and NH4Cl.
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Bjorn J. R. Davidsson, Nalin H. Samarasinha, Davide Farnocchia, Pedro J. Gutierrez
Summary: The study investigates the European Space Agency's Rosetta/Philae mission to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, aiming to understand the composition and evolution of the comet's nucleus materials.
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Maria N. Drozdovskaya, Isaac R. H. G. I. Schroeder, Martin Rubin, Kathrin Altwegg, Ewine F. van Dishoeck, Beatrice M. Kulterer, Johan De Keyser, Stephen A. Fuselier, Michael Combi
Summary: Deuterated methanol provides insight into the chemical reactions forming deuterium-bearing molecules and the physicochemical history of celestial regions. The detection of mono- and di-deuterated methanol in a comet suggests formation through hydrogenation and substitution reactions, with a close relationship to D2O formation. The ratio of D-methanol/methanol in comets aligns with the composition in prestellar cores and low-mass protostellar regions, indicating a connection to the evolutionary phases of star formation.
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
M. Sachse, D. Kappel, D. Tirsch, K. A. Otto
Summary: By using the discrete element method, this study simulated the formation of aeolian-like surface features on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and found that it involves both deposition of ejected material and surface erosion. The study also determined a set of parameters that produce reasonably realistic simulations.
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Selma Benseguane, Aurelie Guilbert-Lepoutre, Jeremie Lasue, Sebastien Besse, Cedric Leyrat, Arnaud Beth, Marc Costa Sitja, Bjorn Grieger, Maria Teresa Capria
Summary: This study aims to understand how cometary activity has affected the characteristics of pits and alcoves on the surface of 67P. The research findings suggest that progressive erosion cannot form pits and alcoves, and deep circular pits are potentially the least processed morphological features at the surface of 67P.
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
O. Pinzon-Rodriguez, R. Marschall, S. -B. Gerig, C. Herny, J. S. Wu, N. Thomas
Summary: This study aims to investigate the factors influencing the generation of a comet's inner comae and model the gas activity distribution around its nuclei, with a focus on the effects of thermal conductivity and sub-surface ice sources on insolation-driven sublimation. The research found that thermal inertia and the depth of the sublimation front have a significant impact on the emission distribution of the gas flow field, with potential shifts in activity distribution and composition due to the presence of CO2.
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Marius Pfeifer, Jessica Agarwal, Matthias Schroeter
Summary: This study used data from the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission to track the motion of particles in image sequences and derive their velocities and accelerations. An algorithm was developed to locate the particles and reconstruct their tracks using the image sequences' pair-nature. The study found significant information about potential genuine particle tracks and obtained preliminary results on velocity, acceleration, and radius distributions.
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Y. -C. Cheng, D. Bockelee-Morvan, M. Roos-Serote, J. Crovisier, V. Debout, S. Erard, P. Drossart, C. Leyrat, F. Capaccioni, G. Filacchione, M. -L. Dubernet, T. Encrenaz
Summary: This study analyzed the spectra data of comet 67P and determined an ortho-to-para ratio (OPR) of water in the coma of the comet to be 2.94. The study also found that the OPR is strongly affected by opacity effects and shows an inverse correlation with the column density. The measured water rotational temperatures varied with altitude and heliocentric distance, indicating the influence of adiabatic cooling.
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
N. Haenni, K. Altwegg, H. Balsiger, M. Combi, S. A. Fuselier, J. De Keyser, B. Pestoni, M. Rubin, S. F. Wampfler
Summary: By using DFMS data to derive the abundances of three cometary nitriles, the study conducted the first measurements of NCCN in a comet and found that neither NCCN nor the other two nitriles is sufficiently abundant to be a relevant alternative parent to CN.
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
N. Biver, D. Bockelee-Morvan, J. Crovisier, Aa. Sandqvist, J. Boissier, D. C. Lis, M. Cordiner, B. P. Bonev, N. Dello Russo, R. Moreno, S. Milam, N. X. Roth, R. Vervack, M. A. DiSanti
Summary: We conducted a molecular survey of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko using the IRAM 30-m radio telescope in November-December 2021. The observations confirmed that the gas outflow velocity, outgassing pattern, and temperature of the comet were consistent with previous in situ measurements. We determined the abundances relative to water for seven molecules and obtained significant upper limits for approximately five others.
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Bjorn J. R. Davidsson, Samuel Birch, Geoffrey A. Blake, Dennis Bodewits, Jason P. Dworkin, Daniel P. Glavin, Yoshihiro Furukawa, Jonathan Lunine, Julie L. Mitchell, Ann N. Nguyen, Steve Squyres, Aki Takigawa, Jean-Baptiste Vincent, Kris Zacny
Summary: This study focuses on the transfer process of material on an active comet nucleus, specifically 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The research finds that the thickness of airfall material varies significantly with location, with water ice being able to be preserved for a longer period in relatively small dust aggregates.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
J. Licandro, J. de Leon, F. Moreno, C. de la Fuente Marcos, R. de la Fuente Marcos, A. Cabrera-Lavers, L. Lara, A. de Souza-Feliciano, M. De Pra, N. Pinilla-Alonso, S. Geier
Summary: The article studied the observational activity and dynamical evolution of the Jupiter transient co-orbital comet P/2019 LD2 (ATLAS). Through image analysis using the Gran Telescopio Canarias, the comet's brightness and color characteristics were determined, along with spectroscopic studies to search for gas emission. N-body simulations revealed that the comet's quasi-satellite cycle, which began in 2017, will end in 2028 and will experience a very close encounter with Jupiter on January 23, 2063.
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
David Morate, Jorge Marcio Carvano, Alvaro Alvarez-Candal, Mario De Pra, Javier Licandro, Andres Galarza, Max Mahlke, Enrique Solano-Marquez, Javier Cenarro, David Cristobal-Hornillos, Carlos Hernandez-Monteagudo, Carlos Lopez-Sanjuan, Antonio Marin-Franch, Mariano Moles, Jesus Varela, Hector Vazquez Ramio, Jailson Alcaniz, Renato Dupke, Alessandro Ederoclite, Laerte Sodre Jr, Raul E. Angulo, Francisco M. Jimenez-Esteban, Beatriz B. Siffert
Summary: The J-PLUS observational campaign aims to obtain photometry in 12 ultraviolet-visible filters over a large area of the sky, which allows for analysis of a large number of Solar System small bodies. This study presents the first catalog of magnitudes and colors of minor bodies compiled from the J-PLUS data release, and discusses methods used to obtain reflectance spectra of asteroids.
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Eri Tatsumi, Marcel Popescu, Humberto Campins, Julia de Leon, Juan Luis Rizos Garcia, Javier Licandro, Amy A. Simon, Hannah H. Kaplan, Daniella N. DellaGiustina, Dathon R. Golish, Dante S. Lauretta
Summary: Using the multiband imager MapCam on board the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, exogenic materials were identified on the surface of asteroid Bennu, showing various morphologies and compositions, as indicated by near-infrared reflectance spectra. These materials may provide insights into multiple impacts during the early history of the Solar system.
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Fernando Moreno, Javier Licandro, Antonio Cabrera-Lavers, David Morate, Daniel Guirado
Summary: This study investigates the dust activity and dynamical evolution of two faint active asteroids, revealing impulsive events around perihelion for both P/2019 A4 and P/2021 A5. The dust tail models indicate significant dust ejection, with stable orbits and potential instability of dynamical clones on long-time scales. Water-ice sublimation is suggested as the activation mechanism for these asteroids, with estimated nucleus sizes in the few hundred meters range.
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Yuna G. Kwon, Stefano Bagnulo, Johannes Markkanen, Jessica Agarwal, Ludmilla Kolokolova, Anny-Chantal Levasseur-Regourd, Colin Snodgrass, Gian P. Tozzi
Summary: This study examines the evolution of dust particles from comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko through spectropolarimetric observations and modelling. The results indicate that the polarisation degree of the dust is flatter compared to other comets, and the dust color shows a change around 5500 angstrom. The observations suggest that the dust particles are agglomerates of approximately 100 μm in size.
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
D. Morate, M. Popescu, J. Licandro, F. Tinaut-Ruano, E. Tatsumi, J. de Leon
Summary: Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are objects that can cause significant regional damage if they impact Earth due to their close encounters. In this study, we used data from the Visible NEOs Observations Survey (ViNOS) to investigate the physical properties of 14 PHAs. By analyzing their visible and near-infrared spectra, we provided new mineralogical information and taxonomic classifications for 10 of these objects. Comparisons with meteoritic spectra revealed that the majority of the studied PHAs were silicaceous (S-types and subclasses), with ordinary chondrites as the best match for meteoritic analogues.
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
J. de Leon, J. Licandro, N. Pinilla-Alonso, N. Moskovitz, T. Kareta, M. Popescu
Summary: The NASA Lucy mission aims to study Jupiter Trojans, considered as time capsules of our Solar System. The recently selected asteroid Dinkinesh will also be visited by the mission, and this work characterizes its surface composition, albedo, and size using visible spectra, color photometry, and time-series photometry.
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
E. Tatsumi, F. Vilas, J. de Leon, M. Popescu, S. Hasegawa, T. Hiroi, F. Tinaut-Ruano, J. Licandro
Summary: By studying the near-ultraviolet (NUV) absorption of primitive asteroids, strong correlations were found between NUV and OH-band (2.7 μm) absorptions, indicating that NUV absorption can be indicative of hydrated silicates. In addition, there is a significant difference in NUV absorption between large and small asteroids, with large asteroids mainly classified as C types and small asteroids mainly classified as F types. The taxonomic distribution of asteroids also differs between the inner main belt and the middle-outer main belt, with F types dominating the inner main belt.
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Javier Licandro, Marcel Popescu, Eri Tatsumi, Miguel R. Alarcon, Miquel Serra-Ricart, Hissa Medeiros, David Morate, Fernando Tinaut-Ruano, Julia de Leon
Summary: In the ViNOS survey, two superfast rotator NEAs, 2021 NY1 and 2022 AB, were observed using multiple telescopes at the Canary Islands observatories. Photometry and spectrophotometry were obtained for both targets, with additional visible spectroscopy for 2022 AB. The results revealed that 2021 NY1 is a highly elongated superfast rotator with an axis ratio of a/b >= 3.6, and its colors suggest an S-type asteroid. 2022 AB also possesses elongated characteristics, with an axis ratio of a/b >= 1.6, and its unusual surface properties were confirmed through its atypical spectral upturn.
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Miguel R. Alarcon, Javier Licandro, Miquel Serra-Ricart, Enrique Joven, Vicens Gaitan, Rebeca de Sousa
Summary: Scientific CMOS detectors (CMOS) have rapidly developed in recent years, providing a low-cost and highly available alternative to CCDs. This paper focuses on the characterization of the Sony IMX series CMOS sensors, specifically the IMX455M and IMX411M sensors integrated into the QHY600 and QHY411 cameras for astronomical observations. The laboratory characterization showed low dark currents and the presence of warm pixels, which can be easily corrected. On-sky tests demonstrated that these CMOS sensors perform as well as CCDs of similar characteristics, achieving accurate photometric measurements.
PUBLICATIONS OF THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE PACIFIC
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
M. Evangelista-Santana, M. De Pra, J. M. Carvano, C. de la Fuente Marcos, R. de la Fuente Marcos, M. R. Alarcon, J. Licandro, D. Lazzaro, J. Michimani, W. Pereira, E. Rondon, F. Monteiro, P. Arcoverde, T. Correa, T. Rodrigues, C. Paganini-Martins
Summary: We conducted an observational and numerical study on the C/2021 O3 (PANSTARRS) comet as it passed through the inner Solar system. Our observations showed low activity levels compared to other long-period comets, and a decrease in brightness as the comet approached the Sun. The photometric data collected near perihelion indicated that C/2021 O3 was less active than expected for long-period comets, more similar to short-period comets (specifically, the Jupiter-family comets). The analysis of its orbital evolution suggested that C/2021 O3 could be an old comet with a likely origin in the Solar system.
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Oleksandra Ivanova, Javier Licandro, Fernando Moreno, Igor Luk'yanyk, Johannes Markkanen, Dusan Tomko, Marek Husarik, Antonio Cabrera-Lavers, Marcel Popescu, Elena Shablovinskaya, Olena Shubina
Summary: This study presents the results of observing asteroid (248370) QN(173) using three telescopes from July 2021 to January 2022. Analysis showed the presence of a dust tail for approximately six months. Direct images of the asteroid were obtained and its spectrum closely matched that of a C-type asteroid. The color and linear polarization variations along the tail were analyzed, revealing a redder color compared to the Sun. The dust productivity did not show significant changes across different filters.
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Vishnu Reddy, Michael S. Kelley, Jessie Dotson, Davide Farnocchia, Nicolas Erasmus, David Polishook, Joseph Masiero, Lance A. M. Benner, James Bauer, Miguel R. Alarcon, David Balam, Daniel Bamberger, David Bell, Fabrizio Barnardi, Terry H. Bressi, Marina Brozovic, Melissa J. Brucker, Luca Buzzi, Juan Cano, David Cantillo, Ramona Cennamo, Serge Chastel, Omarov Chingis, Young-Jun Choi, Eric Christensen, Larry Denneau, Marek Drozdz, Leonid Elenin, Orhan Erece, Laura Faggioli, Carmelo Falco, Dmitry Glamazda, Filippo Graziani, Aren N. Heinze, Matthew J. Holman, Alexander Ivanov, Cristovao Jacques, Petro Janse van Rensburg, Galina Kaiser, Krzysztof Kaminski, Monika K. Kaminska, Murat Kaplan, Dong-Heun Kim, Myung-Jin Kim, Csaba Kiss, Tatiana Kokina, Eduard Kuznetsov, Jeffrey A. Larsen, Hee-Jae Lee, Robert C. Lees, Julia de Leon, Javier Licandro, Amy Mainzer, Anna Marciniak, Michael Marsset, Ron A. Mastaler, Donovan L. Mathias, Robert S. McMillan, Hissa Medeiros, Marco Micheli, Artem Mokhnatkin, Hong-Kyu Moon, David Morate, Shantanu P. Naidu, Alessandro Nastasi, Artem Novichonok, Waldemar Ogloza, Andras Pal, Fabricio Perez-Toledo, Alexander Perminov, Elisabeta Petrescu, Marcel Popescu, Mike T. Read, Daniel E. Reichart, Inna Reva, Dong-Goo Roh, Clemens Rumpf, Akash Satpathy, Sergei Schmalz, James Scotti, Aleksander Serebryanskiy, Miquel Serra-Ricart, Eda Sonbas, Robert Szakats, Patrick A. Taylor, John L. Tonry, Andrew F. Tubbiolo, Peter Veres, Richard Wainscoat, Elizabeth Warner, Henry J. Weiland, Guy Wells, Robert Weryk, Lorien F. Wheeler, Yulia Wiebe, Hong-Suh Yim, Michal Zejmo, Anastasiya Zhornichenko, Stanislaw Zola, Patrick Michel
Summary: This is a report on the results of a planetary defense exercise conducted to test the global planetary defense capabilities. The exercise aimed to recover, track, and characterize the near-Earth asteroid Apophis as a potential impactor through observation, assessment, and communication.
PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
P. Pravec, C. A. Thomas, A. S. Rivkin, P. Scheirich, N. Moskovitz, M. M. Knight, C. Snodgrass, J. de Leon, J. Licandro, M. Popescu, A. Thirouin, D. Fohring, C. O. Chandler, W. J. Oldroyd, C. A. Trujillo, E. S. Howell, S. F. Green, J. Thomas-Osip, S. S. Sheppard, T. L. Farnham, E. Mazzotta Epifani, E. Dotto, S. Ieva, M. Dall'Ora, R. Kokotanekova, B. Carry, D. Souami
Summary: In support of the DART mission, we performed photometric observations of the binary near-Earth asteroid Didymos. The data indicates the presence of complex topography on Didymos' surface. The solution for the rotation and elongation of the secondary asteroid, Dimorphos, is still unclear and further observations are needed.
PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Noemi Pinilla-Alonso, Marcel Popescu, Javier Licandro, Estela Fernandez-Valenzuela, Will M. Grundy, Rene Duffard, Antonio Cabrera-Lavers, Diego Hidalgo Soto, Juan Luis Rizos, David Morate
Summary: This work presents an analysis of seven mutual events of the Patroclus-Menoetius system (PMS) observed during the last season, comparing the obtained light curves with predicted ones and discussing differences in timing and magnitude. The study provides a collection of orbital parameters based on these observations and compares new solutions for the system's orbit with existing literature. Additionally, an interesting finding of a possible crater in the south pole of Menoetius is discussed.
PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL
(2022)