Characteristics of the dust trail of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko: an application of the IMEX model

Soja, R.; Sommer, Maximilian; Herzog, J.; Agarwal, Jessica; Rodmann, J.; Srama, R.; Vaubaillon, Jérémie; Strub, Peter; Hornig, A.; Bausch, L.; Grün, E.

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201526184

Cited by 24 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 35 publications

(64 reference statements)

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“…This is in agreement with the findings of Snodgrass et al (2013) for the previous orbit and their predictions for the current orbit. In their trail model, Soja et al (2015) reported values of ∼10 kg s −1 at 3 au, which is in line with ours, but of ∼3.5 kg s −1 at 4.3 au, a value that is considerably larger than our estimate at that heliocentric distance.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Thus, the particle differen-tial size distribution was found to be adequately described by a differential power law of index α=-2, except for the largest particle size bins (r 1 mm) for which an index α=-4 is needed to satisfy the 67P trail data, which are mostly sensitive to those large particles, and which were acquired in previous revolutions . A close value of α ∼-3.7 for large particles has been found by Soja et al (2015) from analysis of 67P trail Spitzer data. This also agrees with the distribution of blocks that are larger than a few centimetres in size on the surface of smooth terrains found by Mottola et al (2015) (α=-3.8±0.2) from the Rosetta Lander Imaging System (ROLIS) on board Philae.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 77%

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The dust environment of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from Rosetta OSIRIS and VLT observations in the 4.5 to 2.9 AU heliocentric distance range inbound

Moreno

Snodgrass

Hainaut

et al. 2016

A&A

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Context. The ESA Rosetta spacecraft, currently orbiting around comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, has already provided in situ measurements of the dust grain properties from several instruments, particularly OSIRIS and GIADA. We propose adding value to those measurements by combining them with ground-based observations of the dust tail to monitor the overall, time-dependent dust-production rate and size distribution. Aims. To constrain the dust grain properties, we take Rosetta OSIRIS and GIADA results into account, and combine OSIRIS data during the approach phase (from late April to early June 2014) with a large data set of ground-based images that were acquired with the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) from February to November 2014. Methods. A Monte Carlo dust tail code, which has already been used to characterise the dust environments of several comets and active asteroids, has been applied to retrieve the dust parameters. Key properties of the grains (density, velocity, and size distribution) were obtained from Rosetta observations: these parameters were used as input of the code to considerably reduce the number of free parameters. In this way, the overall dust mass-loss rate and its dependence on the heliocentric distance could be obtained accurately. Results. The dust parameters derived from the inner coma measurements by OSIRIS and GIADA and from distant imaging using VLT data are consistent, except for the power index of the size-distribution function, which is α = −3, instead of α = −2, for grains smaller than 1 mm. This is possibly linked to the presence of fluffy aggregates in the coma. The onset of cometary activity occurs at approximately 4.3 AU, with a dust production rate of 0.5 kg/s, increasing up to 15 kg/s at 2.9 AU. This implies a dust-to-gas mass ratio varying between 3.8 and 6.5 for the best-fit model when combined with water-production rates from the MIRO experiment.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 77%

The dust environment of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from Rosetta OSIRIS and VLT observations in the 4.5 to 2.9 AU heliocentric distance range inbound

Moreno

Snodgrass

Hainaut

et al. 2016

A&A

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“…The initial particle orbits were integrated for 1 Myr using the "PIntegrator", which uses a Runge-Kutta-Nyström 7(6) method with variable step size (Dormand & Prince 1978) to propagate the trajectories of all dust particles under solar and planetary gravity; radiation pressure; and Poynting-Robertson drag force, with a factor also included for solar wind drag (Soja et al 2015). Particles that came within ten solar radii of the Sun were removed to manage the integration process and because particles inward of this distance are expected to sublimate (Mann et al 2011).…”

Section: Modelling the Long-term Trajectories Of Cometary And Asteroimentioning

confidence: 99%

IMEM2: a meteoroid environment model for the inner solar system

Soja

Grün

Strub

et al. 2019

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Context. The interplanetary dust complex is currently understood to be largely the result of dust production from Jupiter-family comets, with contributions also from longer-period comets (Halley- and Oort-type) and collisionally produced asteroidal dust. Aims. Here we develop a dynamical model of the interplanetary dust cloud from these source populations in order to develop a risk and hazard assessment tool for interplanetary meteoroids in the inner solar system. Methods. The long-duration (1 Myr) integrations of dust grains from Jupiter-family and Halley-type comets and main belt asteroids were used to generate simulated distributions that were compared to COBE infrared data, meteor data, and the diameter distribution of lunar microcraters. This allowed the constraint of various model parameters. Results. We present here the first attempt at generating a model that can simultaneously describe these sets of observations. Extended collisional lifetimes are found to be necessary for larger (radius ≥ 150 μm) particles. The observations are best fit with a differential size distribution that is steep (slope = 5) for radii ≥ 150 μm, and shallower (slope = 2) for smaller particles. At the Earth the model results in ~ 90–98% Jupiter-family comet meteoroids, and small contributions from asteroidal and Halley-type comet particles. In COBE data we find an approximately 80% contribution from Jupiter-family comet meteoroids and 20% from asteroidal particles. The resulting flux at the Earth is mostly within a factor of about two to three of published measurements.

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“…Recently, the Interplanetary Meteoroid Environment for eXploration (IMEX) dust streams in space model was developed by Soja et al (2015bSoja et al ( ,a, 2019 under contract by the European Space Agency. IMEX is a new universal and physical model for dust dynamics and orbital evolution that simulates recently created cometary dust trails in the inner Solar System.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Helios spacecraft data revisited: detection of cometary meteoroid trails by following in situ dust impacts

Krüger

Strub

Sommer

et al. 2020

A&A

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Context. Cometary meteoroid trails exist in the vicinity of comets, forming a fine structure of the interplanetary dust cloud. The trails consist predominantly of the largest cometary particles (with sizes of approximately 0.1 mm-1 cm), which are ejected at low speeds and remain very close to the comet orbit for several revolutions around the Sun. In the 1970s, two Helios spacecraft were launched towards the inner Solar System. The spacecraft were equipped with in situ dust sensors which measured the distribution of interplanetary dust in the inner Solar System for the first time. Recently, when re-analysing the Helios data, a clustering of seven impacts was found, detected by Helios in a very narrow region of space at a true anomaly angle of 135 ± 1 • , which the authors considered as potential cometary trail particles. However, at the time, this hypothesis could not be studied further. Aims. We re-analyse these candidate cometary trail particles in the Helios dust data to investigate the possibility that some or all of them indeed originate from cometary trails and we constrain their source comets. Methods. The Interplanetary Meteoroid Environment for eXploration (IMEX) dust streams in space model is a new and recently published universal model for cometary meteoroid streams in the inner Solar System. We use IMEX to study the traverses of cometary trails made by Helios. Results. During ten revolutions around the Sun, the Helios spacecraft intersected 13 cometary trails. For the majority of these traverses the predicted dust fluxes are very low. In the narrow region of space where Helios detected the candidate dust particles, the spacecraft repeatedly traversed the trails of comets 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková and 72P/Denning-Fujikawa with relatively high predicted dust fluxes. The analysis of the detection times and particle impact directions shows that four detected particles are compatible with an origin from these two comets. By combining measurements and simulations we find a dust spatial density in these trails of approximately 10 −8-10 −7 m −3. Conclusions. The identification of potential cometary trail particles in the Helios data greatly benefited from the clustering of trail traverses in a rather narrow region of space. The in situ detection and analysis of meteoroid trail particles which can be traced back to their source bodies by spacecraft-based dust analysers provides a new opportunity for remote compositional analysis of comets and asteroids without the necessity to fly a spacecraft to or even land on those celestial bodies. This provides new science opportunities for future missions like DESTINY + (Demonstration and Experiment of Space Technology for INterplanetary voYage with Phaethon fLyby and dUst Science), Europa Clipper, and the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe.

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Characteristics of the dust trail of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko: an application of the IMEX model

Cited by 24 publications

References 35 publications

The dust environment of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from Rosetta OSIRIS and VLT observations in the 4.5 to 2.9 AU heliocentric distance range inbound

The dust environment of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from Rosetta OSIRIS and VLT observations in the 4.5 to 2.9 AU heliocentric distance range inbound

IMEM2: a meteoroid environment model for the inner solar system

Helios spacecraft data revisited: detection of cometary meteoroid trails by following in situ dust impacts

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