Abstract
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.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Bar-Nun, A., Herman, D., Laufer, D. and Rappaport, M.L., 1985: Trapping and release of gases by water ice and implications for icy bodies; Icarus, 63, 317–332
Bischoff, A. and Stöffler, D., 1988: Comet nucleus simulation experiments: Mineralogical aspects of sample preparation and analysis; Lunar and Planet. Sci. XIX, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, 90–91
Brin, G.D. and Mendis, D.A., 1979: Dust release and mantle development in comets; Astrophys. J., 229, 402–408
Crifo, J.F., 1989: Inferences concerning water vapour viscosity and mean free path at low temperatures; Astron. Astrophys., in press
Delsemme, A.H. and Wenger, A., 1970: Physico-chemical phenomena in comets — I. Experimental study of snows in a cometary environment; Planet. Space Sci., 18, 709–715
Eberhardt, P., Krankowsky, D., Schulte, W., Dolder, U., Lämmerzahl, P., Berthelier, J.J., Woweries, J., Stubbemann, U., Hodges, R.R., Hoffman, J.H. and Illiano, J.M., 1987: The CO and N2 abundance in comet P/Halley; Astron. Astrophys., 187, 481–484
Fanale, F.P. and Salvail, J.R., 1984: An idealized short-period comet model: Surface insolation, H2O flux, dust flux, and mantle evolution; Icarus, 60, 476–511
Gombosi, T.I. and Körösmezey, A., 1989: Modeling of the cometary nucleus-coma interface region; Adv. Space Res., Vol. 9, No. 3, 41–51
Gombosi, T.I., Nagy, A.F. and Cravens, T.E., 1986: Dust and neutral gas modeling of the inner atmosphere of comets; Rev. Geophys., 24, 667–700
Good, W., 1982: Structural investigations of snow and ice on core III from the drilling on Vernagtferner, Austria; Z.f. Gletscherkunde u. Glazialgeologie 18, 53–64
Good, W., 1987: Thin sections, serial cuts and 3-D analysis of snow; Avalanche Formation, Movement and Effects, IAHS Publ. 182, 35–48
Grün, E., Kochan, H., Roessler, K. and Stöffler, D., 1987: Simulation of cometary nuclei; Proc. Symposium on Diversity and Similarity of Comets, eds. E.J. Rolfe and B. Battrick, ESA-SP 278, 501–508
Grün, E., Benkhoff, J., Bischoff, A., Düren, H., Hellmann, H., Hesselbarth, P., Hsiung, P., Keller, H.U., Klinger, J., Knölker, J., Kochan, H., Neukum, G., Oehler, A., Roessler, K., Spohn, T., Stöffler, D. and Thiel, K., 1989a: Modification of comet materials by the sublimation process: Results from simulation experiments; Workshop on Analysis of Returned Comet Nucleus Samples, Milpitas (in press)
Grün, E., Benkhoff, J., Fechtig, H., Hesselbarth, P., Klinger, J., Kochan, H., Kohl, H., Krankowsky, D., Lämmerzahl, P., Seboldt, W., Spohn, T. and Thiel, K., 1989b: Mechanisms of dust emission from the surface of a cometary nucleus; Adv. Space Res., Vol. 9, No. 3, 133–137
Hanner, M.S., 1981: On the detectability of icy grains in the comae of comets; Icarus 47, 342–350
Hapke, B., 1981: Bidirectional reflectance spectroscopy, 1. Theory; J. Geophys. Res., 86, 3039–3054
Horanyi, M., Gombosi, T.I., Cravens, T.e:, Körösmezey, A., Kecskemety, K., Nagy, A.F., and Szegö, K., 1984: The friable sponge model of cometary nuclei; Astrophys. J., 278, 449–455
Ibadinov, K.I., 1989: Laboratory investigation of the sublimation of comet nucleus models; Adv. Space Res., Vol. 9, No. 3, 97–112; cf. also this volume
Jessberger, E.K., Christoforidis, A. and Kissel, J., 1988: Aspects of the major element composition of Halley’s dust; Nature, 332, 691–695
Kajmakov, E.A. and Sharkov, V.I., 1972: Laboratory simulation of icy cometary nuclei; The Motion, Evolution of Orbits, and Origin of Comets, eds. G.A. Chebotarev, E.I. Kazimirchak-Polanskaya and B.G. Marsden, Reidel Publ. Comp., Dordrecht, 308–314
Keller, H. U., Arpigny, C., Barbieri, C., Bonnet, R. M., Cazes, S., Coradini, M., Cosmovici, C. B., Delamere, W. A., Huebner, W. F., Hughes, D.W., Jamar, C., Malaise, D., Reitsema, H.J., Schmidt, H.U., Schmidt, W.K.H., Seige, P., Whipple, F. L. and Wilhelm, K., 1986: First Halley Multicolour Camera imaging results from Giotto; Nature, 321, 320–326.
Kerridge, J.F. and Matthews, M.S. (editors), 1988: Meteorites and the Early Solar System, Univ. of Arizona Press, Tuscon
Kissel, J., Krueger, F.R., 1987: The organic component in dust from comet Halley as measured by the PUMA mass spectrometer on board Vega 1; Nature, 326, 755–760
Klinger, J., 1981: Some consequences of a phase transformation of water ice on the heat balance of a comet; Icarus 47, 320–324.
Klinger, J., Benkhoff, J., Espinasse, S., Grün, E., Ip, W., Joo, F., Keller, H.U., Kochan, H., Kohl, H., Roessler, K., Seboldt, W., Spohn, T. and Thiel, K., 1989a: How far do results of recent simulation experiments fit current models of cometary nuclei?; Proc 19th Lunar Planet. Sci. Conf., Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, 493–497
Klinger, J., Eich, G., Bischoff, A., Joo, F., Kochan, H., Roessler, K., Stichler, and Stöffler, D., 1989b: “KOSI” comet simulation experiment at DFVLR: Sample preparation and the evolution of the 18O/16O and the D/H ratio in the icy component; Adv. Space Res., Vol. 9, No. 3, 123–125
Kochan, H., Benkhoff, J., Bischoff, A., Fechtig, H., Feuerbacher, B., Grün, E., Joo, F., Klinger, J., Kohl, H., Krankowsky, D., Roessler, K., Seboldt, W., Thiel, K., Schwehm, G. and Weishaupt, U., 1989a: Laboratory simulation of a cometary nucleus: Experimental setup and first results; Proc. 19th Lunar Planet. Sci. Conf., Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, 487–492
Kochan, H., Feuerbacher, B., Joo, F., Klinger, J., Seboldt, W., Bischoff, A., Düren, H., Stöffler, D., Spohn, T., Fechtig, H., Grün, E., Kohl, H., Krankowsky, D., Roessler, K., Thiel, K., Schwehm, G. and Weishaupt, U., 1989b: Comet simulation experiments in the DFVLR Space Simulators; Adv. Space Res., Vol. 9, No. 3, 113–122
Kochan, H., Ratke, L., Hellmann, H., Thiel, K. and Grün, E., 1989c: Particle emission from artificial cometary surfaces: Material science aspects; Proc. 20th Lunar and Planet. Sci. Conf., Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, submitted
Kohl, H., Grün, E. and Weishaupt, U., 1989: A new method for analyzing low velocity particle impacts; submitted to Planet. Space Sci.
Krankowsky, D., Lämmerzahl, P., Herrwerth, I., Woweries, J., Eberhardt, P., Dolder, U., Herrman, U., Schulte, W., Berthelier, J.J., Illiano, J.M., Hodges, R.R., and Hoffman, J.H., 1986: In situ gas and ion measurements at comet Halley; Nature, 321, 326–329
Krankowsky, D. and Eberhardt, P., 1989: Evidence for the composition of ices in the nucleus of comet Halley; Comet Halley 1986, Worldwide Investigations, Results and Interpretations, Ellis-Horwood Limited, Chichester, in press
Kührt, E., 1984: Temperature profiles and thermal stress on cometary nuclei; Icarus, 60, 512–521
Mackinnon, I.D.R. and Rietmeijer, F.J.M., 1987: Mineralogy of chondritic interplanetary dust particles; Review of Geophysics, 25, 1527–1553
McDonnell, J.A.M. Pankiewicz, G.S., Birchley, P.N.W., Green, S.F. and Perry, C.H., 1989: The comet nucleus: Ice and dust morphological balances in a production surface of comet P/Halley; Proc. 20th Lunar Planet. Sci. Conf., Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, in press
McKay, C.P., Squires, S.W. and Reynolds, R.T., 1986: Methods for computing core temperatures; Icarus, 66, 625–629
Prialnik, D., 1989: Thermal evolution of cometary nuclei; Adv. Space Res., Vol. 9, No 3, 25–40
Prialnik, D. and Bar-Nun, A., 1988: The formation of a permanent dust mantle and its effect on cometary activity; Icarus, 74, 272–283
Roessler, K., Hsiung, P., Heyl, M., Neukum, G., Oehler, A., Kochan, H., 1989: Handling and analysis of ices in cryostats and glove boxes in view of cometary samples; Workshop on Analysis of Returned Comet Nucleus Samples, Milpitas (in press)
Sagdeev, R.Z., Szabo, F., Avanesov, G.A., Cruvellier, P., Szabo, L., Szegö, K., Abergel, A., Balazs, A., Barinov, I.V., Bertaux, J.-L., Blamont, J., Detaille, M., Dermarelis, E., Dul’nev, G.N., Endröczy, G., Gardos, M., Kanyo, M., Kostenko, V.I., Krasikov, V.A., Nguyen-Trong, T., Nyitrai, Z., Reny, I., Rusznyak, P., Shamis, V.A., Smith, B., Sukhanov, K.G., Szabo, F., Szalai, S., Tarnopolsky, V.I., Toth, I., Tsukanova, G., Valnicek, B.I., Varhalmi, L., Zaiko, Yu K., Zatsepin, S. I., Ziman, Ya L., Zsenei, M. and Zhukov, B. S., 1986: Television observations of comet Halley from Vega spacecraft; Nature, 321, 262–266.
Sandford, S.A. and Walker, R.M., 1985: Laboratory infrared transmission spectra of individual interplanetary dust particles from 2.5 to 25 microns; Astrophys. J., 291, 838–851
Saunders, R.S., Fanale, F.P., Parker, T.J., Stephens, J.B. and Sutton, S., 1986: Properties of filamentary sublimation residues from dispersions of clay in ice; Icarus, 66, 94–104
Shulman, E.M., 1972: The evolution of cometary nuclei; The Motion, Evolution of Orbits, and Origin of Comets, (eds. G.A. Chebotarev, E.I. Kazimirchak-Polanskaya and B.G. Marsden), Reidel Publ. Comp., Dordrecht, 271–276
Simpson, J.A., Rabinowitz, D., Tuzzolino, A.J., Ksanformality, L.V., Sagdeev, R.Z., 1987: The dust coma of comet P/Halley: Measurements on the Vega-1 and Vega-2 spacecraft; Astron. Astrophys. 187, 742–752
Smoluchowski, R., 1981: Amorphous and porous ice in cometary nuclei, Astrophys. J. 244, L31–L34.
Spohn, T. and Benkhoff, J., 1989: Thermal history of models for KOSI sublimation experiments; submitted to Icarus
Spohn, T., Benkhoff, J., Klinger, J., Grün, E. and Kochan, H., 1989: Thermal modeling of two KOSI comet nucleus simulation experiments; Proc. COSPAR workshop on Comet Nucleus Modeling and Cometary Materials, Adv. Space Res., Vol.9, No. 3, 127–131
Stöffler, D., Düren, H. and Knölker, J., 1989: Concepts for the curation, primary examination, and petrographic analysis of comet nucleus samples returned to Earth; Workshop on Analysis of Returned Comet Nucleus Samples, Milpitas (in press)
Storrs, A.D., Fanale, F.P., Saunders, R.S. and Stephens, J.B., 1988: The formation of filamentary sublimate residues (FSR) from mineral grains, Icarus, 76, 493–512
Thiel, K., Kochan, H., Roessler, K., Grün, E., Schwehm, G., Hellmann, H., Hsiung, P. and Kölzer, G., 1989: Mechanical and SEM analysis of artificial comet nucleus samples; Workshop on Analysis of Returned Comet Nucleus Samples, Milpitas (in press)
Weissman, P.R., Kieffer, H.H., 1981: Thermal modeling of cometary nuclei; Icarus 47, 302–311
Whipple, F.L., 1950: A comet model. I. The acceleration of comet Encke; Astrophys. J. 111, 375–394
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1991 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Grün, E. et al. (1991). Laboratory Simulation of Cometary Processes: Results From First Kosi Experiments. In: Newburn, R.L., Neugebauer, M., Rahe, J. (eds) Comets in the Post-Halley Era. Astrophysics and Space Science Library, vol 167. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3378-4_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3378-4_12
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5494-2
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-3378-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive