G. Schwehm

DEVELOPMENT OF A DUST MANTLE ON THE SURFACE OF AN INSOLATED ICE-DUST MIXTURE : RESULTS FROM THE KOSI-9 EXPERIMENT

Astronomical observations indicate that formation and destruction of dust mantles on cometary nuclei may be the cause for erratic and systematic variations of cometary activity, i.e. emission of dust. A laboratory experiment (KOSI-9) has been performed to study the evolution of a dust mantle on top of a sublimating ice-dust mixture in vacuum. A sample consisting of water ice with a 10% (by weight) admixture of olivine grains has been insolated in three periods at variable intensities from 200 to 1900 W/m2. Both increasing surface temperature of the sample and decreasing gas and particle emissions indicated the formation of a dust mantle during the first period. During the second insolation period after the gas flux had reached a critical value of a few 1021 water molecules m−2 s−1, avalanches of mantle material occurred on the inclined sample surface, broke up the mantle locally, and opened up a fresh icy surface. Enhanced ice and dust particle emission resumed for some time from these spots. A large number of the emitted dust particles were of a fluffy aggregate structure, i.e., they had large cross section to mass ratios compared to compact particles. During the third period the critical gas flux was not reached and no enhanced dust and ice emission was observed. A dry dust mantle of a few millimeters thickness developed during the course of the experiment. Consequences of these findings for cometary scenarios are discussed.

Galileo observes electromagnetically coupled dust in the Jovian magnetosphere

Measurements of dust coupled to the Jovian magnetosphere have been obtained with the dust detector on board the Galileo spacecraft. We report on data obtained during the first four orbits about Jupiter that had flybys of the Galilean satellites: Ganymede (orbits 1 and 2), Callisto (orbit 3), and Europa (orbit 4). The most prominent features observed are highly time variable dust streams recorded throughout the Jovian system. The impact rate varied by up to 2 orders of magnitude with a 5 and 10 hour periodicity, which shows a correlation with Galileos position relative to the Jovian magnetic field. Around 20 RJ (Jupiter radius, RJ=71, 492 km) in bound a dip in the impact rate has been found consistently. At the same times, reversals by 180° in impact direction occurred. This behavior can be qualitatively explained by strong coupling of nanometer-sized dust to the Jovian magnetic field. At times of satellite flybys, enhanced rates of dust impacts have been observed, which suggests that all Galilean satellites are sources of ejecta particles. Inside about 20 RJ impacts of micrometer-sized particles have been recorded that could be particles on bound orbits about Jupiter. (Less)

Three years of Galileo dust data

Abstract From its launch in October 1989 until the end of 1992, the Galileo spacecraft traversed interplanetary space from Venus to the asteroid belt and successfully executed close flybys of Venus, the Earth, and the asteroid Gaspra. The dust instrument has been operating most of the time since it was switched on in December 1989. Except for short time intervals near Earth, data from the instrument were received via occasional (once per week to once per month) memory read outs containing 282–818 bytes of data. All events (impacts or noise events) were classified by an onboard program into 24 categories. Over the three-year time span, the dust detector recorded 469 “big” dust impacts. These were counted in 21 of the 24 event categories. The three remaining categories of very low amplitude events contain mostly noise events. The impact rate varied from 0.2 to 2 impacts per day depending on heliocentric distance and direction of spacecraft motion with respect to the interplanetary dust cloud. Because the average data transmission rate was very low, some data were not received on the ground. Complete data sets for 358 “big” impacts were received, but the other 111 “big” impacts were only counted. The observed impact rates are compared with a model of the meteoroid complex.

Two years of Ulysses dust data

Abstract From October 18, 1990 to February 8, 1992 the Ulysses spacecraft traversed interplanetary space between the Earth and Jupiter; at Jupiter the spacecraft was deflected below the ecliptic onto a highly-inclined orbit ( i ∼80°). Here, we report on dust impact data obtained from launch until the end of 1992, nearly a year after the Jupiter flyby. During that time (792 days), the Ulysses dust detector recorded 968 impacts of dust particles with masses ranging from 10 −16 g to 10 −18 g. The impact rate varied from as low as one impact per week during quiet times to more than one per minute during the dust stream of March 10–11, 1992. In this paper, we present and describe the complete data set including both raw and reduced data. The performance of the sensor, which has been very satisfactory so far, is discussed in detail together with the noise discrimination scheme employed. The instruments detection threshold is given as a function of both the particles mass and its speed relative to Ulysses . The derived impact rates and the distribution of particle masses, speeds and impact directions are compared to a model of the meteoroid complex.

Three years of Galileo dust data. II. 1993-1995

Abstract Between January 1993–December 1995, the Galileo spacecraft traversed interplanetaryspace between Earth and Jupiter and arrived at Jupiter on 7 December 1995. The dust instrumentonboard the spacecraft was operating during most of the time and data from the instrument wereobtained via memory readouts which occurred at rates between twice per day and once per week.All events were classified by an onboard program into 24 categories. Noise events were usuallyrestricted to the lowest categories (class 0). During Galileos passage through Jupiters radiationbelts on 7 December 1995, several of the higher categories (classes 1 and 2) also show evidencefor contamination by noise. The highest categories (class 3) were noise-free all the time. Arelatively constant impact rate of interplanetary and interstellar (big) particles of 0.4 impacts perday was detected over the whole three-year time span. In the outer solar system (outside about2.6 AU) they are mostly of interstellar origin, whereas in the inner solar system they are mostlyinterplanetary particles. Within about 1.7 AU from Jupiter intense streams of small dust particleswere detected with impact rates of up to 20,000 per day whose impact directions are compatiblewith a Jovian origin. Two different populations of dust particles were detected in Jovianmagnetosphere: small stream particles during Galileos approach to the planet and big particlesconcentrated closer to Jupiter between the Galilean satellites. There is strong evidence that thedust stream particles are orders of magnitude smaller in mass and faster than the instrumentscalibration, whereas the calibration is valid for the big particles. Because the data transmissionrate was very low, the complete data set for only a small fraction (2525) of all detected particlescould be transmitted to Earth; the other particles were only counted. Together with the 358particles published earlier, information about 2883 particles detected by the dust instrumentduring Galileos six years journey to Jupiter is now available.

Rosetta goes to Comet Wirtanen

The International Rosetta Mission, approved by the Science Programme Committee of the European Space Agency as the Planetary Cornerstone Mission in ESA’s long-term programme Horizon 2000, will rendezvous in 2011 with Comet 46P/Wirtanen close to its aphelion and will study the nucleus and the evolution of the coma for almost two years until it reaches perihelion. In addition to the investigations performed by the scientific instruments on board the orbiter, a Surface Science Package (Rosetta Lander) will be deployed onto the surface of the nucleus early during the near-nucleus study phase. On its way to Comet 46P/Wirtanen, Rosetta will fly by and study the two asteroids 4979 Otawara and 140 Siwa.

Dust measurements in the Jovian magnetosphere

Dust measurements have been obtained with the dust detector onboard the Galileo spacecraft inside a distance of about 60RJ from Jupiter (Jupiter radius, RJ = 71,492 km) during two periods of about 8 days around Galileos closest approaches to Ganymede on 27 June and on 6 Sept 1996. The impact rate of submicrometer-sized particles fluctuated by a factor of several hundred with a period of about 10 hours, implying that their trajectories are strongly affected by the interaction with the Jovian magnetic field. Concentrations of small dust impacts were detected at the times of Ganymede closest approaches that could be secondary ejecta particles generated upon impact of other particles onto Ganymedes surface. Micrometer-sized dust particles, which could be on bound orbits about Jupiter, are concentrated in the inner Jovian system inside about 20RJ from Jupiter.

Laboratory Simulation of Cometary Processes: Results From First Kosi Experiments

In situ observations of comet Halley provided the first photographs of a cometary nucleus and yielded information about its environment, including the emitted gas and dust. The relation between these measurements and properties of and processes on the nucleus is established by theoretical modelling, while laboratory experiments may provide some of the physical parameters needed. In addition, laboratory tests can stimulate new ideas for processes that may be relevant to cometary physics. Processes to be studied in detail by large-scale laboratory experiments may include: (1) heat transport phenomena during sublimation of porous ice-dust mixtures, (2) material modification and chemical fractionation caused by the sublimation processes, (3) buildup and destruction of dust mantles, (4) detailed studies of gas release from mixtures of volatile ices, and (5) the investigation of ice and dust particle release mechanisms. The KOSI-team (Kometensimulation) carried out sublimation experiments with ice-mineral mixtures in a large Space Simulator. During initial experiments, cylindrical samples of 30-cm diameter and 15-cm thickness were irradiated with up to 2700-W/m2 light energy. The samples consisted of water-ice or water- and CO2-ice mineral mixtures. The experiments showed the importance of advection for heat transport into the interior. It was found that the sublimation of CO2 advances into the sample at a higher speed than that of water vapor release. Therefore, emission of volatile gases responded to insolation changes with a time lag of several hours. The ratio of the emitted gas species, as well as the dust-to-gas mass ratio, differs significantly from the values within the sample. A partly permeable refractory mantle of minerals and carbonaceous material developed with time. Dust and ice particle emission has been observed to occur from irradiated dirty ices as well as from dust mantles.

The International Rosetta Mission

The International Rosetta Mission was approved in November 1993 by ESA’s Science Programme Committee as the Planetary Cornerstone Mission in ESA’s long-term programme Horizon 2000. The mission goal is a rendez-vous with comet 46 P/Wirtanen. A subsidiary aim is the study of two asteroids during close fly-bys en route to the comet.

Dust Measurements During Galileo's Approach to Jupiter and Io Encounter

About a hundred dust impacts per day were detected during the first week in December 1995 by Galileo during its approach to Jupiter. These impacts were caused by submicrometer-sized particles that were just above the detection limit. After the closest approach to Io on 7 December, impacts of these small particles ceased. This effect is expected for dust grains emitted from Io that exit the field of view of the instrument after the flyby. The impact rate of bigger micrometer-sized dust grains continued to increase toward Jupiter. These dust particles are in orbit about Jupiter or are interplanetary grains that are gravitationally concentrated near Jupiter.