Decay of COSAC and Ptolemy mass spectra at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Krüger, Harald; Goesmann, Fred; Giri, Chaitanya; Wright, I. P.; Morse, A. D.; Bredehöft, Jan Hendrik; Ulamec, Stephan; Cozzoni, B.; Ehrenfreund, P.; Gautier, Thomas; McKenna‐Lawlor, S.; Raulin, F.; Steininger, Harald; Szopa, Cyril

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201630286

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Shortly after Philae's first touchdown, first Ptolemy and then COSAC performed preprogrammed measurement sequences in their sniff modes (Ulamec et al 2016); they sampled cometary material most probably ejected from the Agilkia site during the touchdown, providing the first ever mass spectra so close to a comet (Goesmann et al 2015;Wright et al 2015). Further measurements were made; however, these initial spectra were noted to have the highest intensities and a number of peaks (Goesmann et al 2015;Krüger et al 2017) for the entire science operation period of Philae from 2014 November 12 to 15.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organics in comet 67P – a first comparative analysis of mass spectra from ROSINA–DFMS, COSAC and Ptolemy

Altwegg

Balsiger

Berthelier

et al. 2017

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

180

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The ESA Rosetta spacecraft followed comet 67P at a close distance for more than 2 yr. In addition, it deployed the lander Philae on to the surface of the comet. The (surface) composition of the comet is of great interest to understand the origin and evolution of comets. By combining measurements made on the comet itself and in the coma, we probe the nature of this surface material and compare it to remote sensing observations. We compare data from the double focusing mass spectrometer (DFMS) of the ROSINA experiment on ESA's Rosetta mission and previously published data from the two mass spectrometers COSAC (COmetary Sampling And Composition) and Ptolemy on the lander. The mass spectra of all three instruments show very similar patterns of mainly CHO-bearing molecules that sublimate at temperatures of 275 K. The DFMS data also show a great variety of CH-, CHN-, CHS-, CHO 2-and CHNO-bearing saturated and unsaturated species. Methyl isocyanate, propanal and glycol aldehyde suggested by the earlier analysis of the measured COSAC spectrum could not be confirmed. The presence of polyoxymethylene in the Ptolemy spectrum was found to be unlikely. However, the signature of the aromatic compound toluene was identified in DFMS and Ptolemy data. Comparison with remote sensing instruments confirms the complex nature of the organics on the surface of 67P, which is much more diverse than anticipated.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organics in comet 67P – a first comparative analysis of mass spectra from ROSINA–DFMS, COSAC and Ptolemy

Altwegg

Balsiger

Berthelier

et al. 2017

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

180

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“…However, in the COSAC measurements the peak at m/z 44 decays much slower than all the other ion species, including the water peak and, the m/z 44 peak also decays much slower in the COSAC measurements than in the Ptolemy data. From these results, it has been concluded that COSAC analysed a regolith sample from the cometary nucleus in situ while Ptolemy measured cometary gas from the ambient coma [7].…”

Section: Detection Of Organic Molecules On the Comet Surface-cosac Mamentioning

confidence: 95%

Rosetta Mission: Electron Scattering Cross Sections—Data Needs and Coverage in BEAMDB Database

Marinković

Bredehöft

Vujčić

et al. 2017

Atoms

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Abstract:The emission of [O I] lines in the coma of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko during the Rosetta mission have been explained by electron impact dissociation of water rather than the process of photodissociation. This is the direct evidence for the role of electron induced processing has been seen on such a body. Analysis of other emission features is handicapped by a lack of detailed knowledge of electron impact cross sections which highlights the need for a broad range of electron scattering data from the molecular systems detected on the comet. In this paper, we present an overview of the needs for electron scattering data relevant for the understanding of observations in coma, the tenuous atmosphere and on the surface of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko during the Rosetta mission. The relevant observations for elucidating the role of electrons come from optical spectra, particle analysis using the ion and electron sensors and mass spectrometry measurements. To model these processes electron impact data should be collated and reviewed in an electron scattering database and an example is given in the BEAMD, which is a part of a larger consortium of Virtual Atomic and Molecular Data Centre-VAMDC.

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“…Nonetheless, a precious few measurements were made with the lander including those from the two distinct MS instruments: COSAC and PTOLEMY. COSAC's mission objective aimed to study both the chemical composition and isotopic abundance of volatiles in the cometary atmosphere and from samples collected from the surface (Rosenbauer et al, 1999;Goesmann et al, 2007Goesmann et al, , 2014Krüger et al, 2017). To do so, it utilized a GC-coupled to a multipass TOF instrument with a mass range from 1 to 1500 m/z, as described in detail by Goesmann et al (2006) Originally the multipass TOF design was proposed with either a figure-of-eight geometry or a clover-leaf geometry (Rosenbauer et al, 1999) but was later changed to a linear gridless reflectron configuration.…”

Section: Philae Landermentioning

confidence: 99%

In Situ Mass Spectrometers for Applications in Space

Vazquez

Vuppala

Ayodeji

et al. 2020

Mass Spectrometry Reviews

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Mass spectrometry (MS) has played a remarkable role in exploring the chemical make‐up of our solar system. In situ probes were historically developed to analyze inorganic/elemental compositions while leveraging native ions or harsh ionization methods to aid in exploring astrophysics applications (e.g., heliophysics). The part played by MS is demonstrated in a majority of scientific payloads focused on exploration, particularly at the turn of the century with missions including Cassini‐Huygens, Rosetta, and now Mars Science Laboratory. Plasma mass spectrometers have grown more sophisticated to interrogate fundamental inorganic analysis (e.g., solar wind and magnetospheres) including both native ions and neutrals. Cosmic dust floating in‐between and orbiting planetary bodies has been targeted by unique sampling via impact ionization. More complex systems rely on landed planetary instrumentation with lessons learned from pioneering missions in the 1970s and 1980s to near neighbors Mars and Venus. Modern probes have expanded applicable target chemicals by recognizing the needs to provide for molecular analyses, extended mass range, and high resolution to provide unequivocal detection and identification. Notably, as the field surrounding astrobiology has gained momentum, so has the in situ detection of complex molecular chemistry including the chemical evolution of organic molecules. Mission context often includes long term timelines from spacecraft launch to arrival and additionally the diverse target environments across various planets. Therefore, customized experimental designs for space MS have been born of necessity. To this point, the development of MS instrumentation on Earth has now far outpaced development for experiments in space. Therefore, exciting developments lie ahead among various international space agencies conducting current and future mission planning with increasingly enhanced instrumentation. For instance, near‐neighbor Mars has entertained considerable attention with complex MS instrumentation with laser desorption ionization aboard the Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer instrument. To study comets, the Rosetta mission employs a secondary ionization mechanism. Meanwhile, the various moons of Jupiter and Saturn have intriguing surface and subsurface properties that warrant more advanced analyzer systems. Instrumentation design will continue to evolve as requirements develop and this review serves as a reflection of the contribution of in situ MS to space exploration in the past 20 years and the anticipated contribution yet to come. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Mass Spec Rev

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Decay of COSAC and Ptolemy mass spectra at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Cited by 8 publications

References 16 publications

Organics in comet 67P – a first comparative analysis of mass spectra from ROSINA–DFMS, COSAC and Ptolemy

Organics in comet 67P – a first comparative analysis of mass spectra from ROSINA–DFMS, COSAC and Ptolemy

Rosetta Mission: Electron Scattering Cross Sections—Data Needs and Coverage in BEAMDB Database

In Situ Mass Spectrometers for Applications in Space

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