Thermal inertia and roughness of the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from MIRO and VIRTIS observations
Publisher DOI
Abstract
Aims. Using data from the Rosetta mission to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, we evaluate the physical properties of the
surface and subsurface of the nucleus and derive estimates for the thermal inertia (TI) and roughness in several regions on the
largest lobe of the nucleus.
Methods. We have developed a thermal model to compute the temperature on the surface and in the uppermost subsurface layers
of the nucleus. The model takes heat conduction, self-heating, and shadowing effects into account. To reproduce the brightness
temperatures measured by the MIRO instrument, the thermal model is coupled to a radiative transfer model to derive the TI. To
reproduce the spatially resolved infrared measurements of the VIRTIS instrument, the thermal model is coupled to a radiance model
to derive the TI and surface roughness. These methods are applied to Rosetta data from September 2014.
Results. The resulting TI values from both instruments are broadly consistent with each other. From the millimetre channel on
MIRO, we determine the TI in the subsurface to be <80 JK
surface and subsurface of the nucleus and derive estimates for the thermal inertia (TI) and roughness in several regions on the
largest lobe of the nucleus.
Methods. We have developed a thermal model to compute the temperature on the surface and in the uppermost subsurface layers
of the nucleus. The model takes heat conduction, self-heating, and shadowing effects into account. To reproduce the brightness
temperatures measured by the MIRO instrument, the thermal model is coupled to a radiative transfer model to derive the TI. To
reproduce the spatially resolved infrared measurements of the VIRTIS instrument, the thermal model is coupled to a radiance model
to derive the TI and surface roughness. These methods are applied to Rosetta data from September 2014.
Results. The resulting TI values from both instruments are broadly consistent with each other. From the millimetre channel on
MIRO, we determine the TI in the subsurface to be <80 JK
Date Issued
2018
Publication Type
Article
Subject(s)
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Marshall, D. | |
Groussin, O. | |
Vincent, J.-B. | |
Kappel, D. | |
Arnold, G. | |
Capria, M. T. | |
Filacchione, G. | |
Hartogh, P. | |
Hofstadter, M. | |
Ip, W.-H. | |
Jorda, L. | |
Kuehrt, E. | |
Lellouch, E. | |
Mottola, S. | |
Rezac, L. | |
Rodrigo, Rafael | |
Rodionov, S. | |
Schloerb, P. |
Additional Credits
Journal
Astronomy and astrophysics
Publisher
EDP Sciences
ISSN
0004-6361
Access(Rights)
open.access