Primordial comet mantle - Irradiation production of a stable, organic crust

Journal Article · Wed May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Icarus (International Journal of the Solar System); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(91)90129-H· OSTI ID:5502781

Strazzulla, G; Baratta, G A; Johnson, R E; Donn, B ^[1]

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1. Catania, Universita (Italy) Osservatorio Astrofisico, Catania (Italy) Virginia, University, Charlottesville (USA)

The thickness and survivability of a cosmic ray-generated primordial comet refractory mantle, or 'crust', are presently predicted by laboratory data and corrected estimates of cosmic ray dose to be capable of surviving a new comet's entry into the inner solar system over numerous revolutions. It is suggested that, since this mantle may be as much as several meters deep, the probe apparatus of the projected CRAF and Rosetta spacecraft will have to be extended in order to reach the desired, unprocessed cometary material. As things stand, there is a high probability that these missions will sample cometary matter than has been heavily irradiated and reprocessed in the Oort cloud. 28 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5502781
• Journal Information: Icarus (International Journal of the Solar System); (United States), Vol. 91; ISSN 0019-1035
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COMETS
COSMOCHEMISTRY
COSMIC RADIATION
H2 REGIONS
IRRADIATION
LABORATORIES
MORPHOLOGY
SIMULATION
SOLAR SYSTEM
THICKNESS
CHEMISTRY
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
DIMENSIONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
RADIATIONS
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena