PREVAILING DUST-TRANSPORT DIRECTIONS ON COMET 67P/CHURYUMOV–GERASIMENKO

Journal Article · Tue Nov 10 00:00:00 EST 2015 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/813/2/L33· OSTI ID:22518694

Kramer, Tobias; Noack, Matthias ^[1]

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1. Konrad-Zuse-Zentrum für Informationstechnik, Takustrasse 7, D-14195 Berlin (Germany)

Dust transport and deposition behind larger boulders on the comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (67P/C–G) have been observed by the Rosetta mission. We present a mechanism for dust-transport vectors based on a homogeneous surface activity model incorporating in detail the topography of 67P/C–G. The combination of gravitation, gas drag, and Coriolis force leads to specific dust transfer pathways, which for higher dust velocities fuel the near-nucleus coma. By distributing dust sources homogeneously across the whole cometary surface, we derive a global dust-transport map of 67P/C–G. The transport vectors are in agreement with the reported wind-tail directions in the Philae descent area.

• OSTI ID: 22518694
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 813, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
COMETS
CORIOLIS FORCE
COSMIC DUST
DEPOSITION
DRAG
GRAVITATION
SURFACES
VECTORS
VELOCITY