Title: | On the nucleus structure and activity of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko |
Authors: | Sierks, Holger Barbieri, Cesare Lamy, Philippe L. Rodrigo, Rafael Koschny, Detlef Rickman, Hans Keller, Horst Uwe Agarwal, Jessica A'Hearn, Michael F. Angrilli, Francesco Auger, Anne-Therese Barucci, M. Antonella Bertaux, Jean-Loup BERTINI, IVANO Besse, Sebastien Bodewits, Dennis Capanna, Claire CREMONESE, Gabriele Da Deppo, Vania Davidsson, Björn Debei, Stefano De Cecco, Mariolino Ferri, Francesca FORNASIER, SONIA FULLE, Marco Gaskell, Robert GIACOMINI, LORENZA Groussin, Olivier Gutierrez-Marques, Pablo Gutiérrez, Pedro J. Güttler, Carsten Hoekzema, Nick Hviid, Stubbe F. Ip, Wing-Huen Jorda, Laurent Knollenberg, Jörg Kovacs, Gabor Kramm, J. Rainer Kührt, Ekkehard Küppers, Michael La Forgia, Fiorangela Lara, Luisa M. Lazzarin, Monica Leyrat, Cédric Lopez Moreno, Josè J. Magrin, Sara Marchi, Simone MARZARI, FRANCESCO MASSIRONI, MATTEO Michalik, Harald Moissl, Richard Mottola, Stefano Naletto, Giampiero Oklay, Nilda PAJOLA, MAURIZIO Pertile, Marco Preusker, Frank Sabau, Lola Scholten, Frank Snodgrass, Colin Thomas, Nicolas TUBIANA, Cecilia Vincent, Jean-Baptiste Wenzel, Klaus-Peter Zaccariotto, Mirco Pätzold, Martin |
Issue Date: | 2015 |
Journal: | SCIENCE |
Number: | 347 |
Issue: | 6220 |
First Page: | aaa1044 |
Abstract: | Images from the OSIRIS scientific imaging system onboard Rosetta show that the nucleus of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko consists of two lobes connected by a short neck. The nucleus has a bulk density less than half that of water. Activity at a distance from the Sun of >3 astronomical units is predominantly from the neck, where jets have been seen consistently. The nucleus rotates about the principal axis of momentum. The surface morphology suggests that the removal of larger volumes of material, possibly via explosive release of subsurface pressure or via creation of overhangs by sublimation, may be a major mass loss process. The shape raises the question of whether the two lobes represent a contact binary formed 4.5 billion years ago, or a single body where a gap has evolved via mass loss. <P /> |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12386/23126 |
URL: | https://science.sciencemag.org/content/347/6220/aaa1044 |
ISSN: | 0036-8075 |
DOI: | 10.1126/science.aaa1044 |
Bibcode ADS: | 2015Sci...347a1044S |
Fulltext: | reserved |
Appears in Collections: | 1.01 Articoli in rivista
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