We performed a stereo-photogrammetric (SPG) analysis of more than 1500 Rosetta/OSIRIS NAC images of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P). The images with pixel scales in the range 0.2−3.0 m/pixel ...were acquired between August 2014 and February 2016. We finally derived a global high-resolution 3D description of 67P’s surface, the SPG SHAP7 shape model. It consists of about 44 million facets (1−1.5 m horizontal sampling) and a typical vertical accuracy at the decimeter scale. Although some images were taken after perihelion, the SPG SHAP7 shape model can be considered a pre-periheliondescription and replaces the previous SPG SHAP4S shape model. From the new shape model, some measures for 67P with very low 3σ uncertainties can be retrieved: 18.56 km3 ± 0.02 km3 for the volume and 537.8 kg/m3 ± 0.7 kg/m3 for the mean density assuming a mass value of 9.982 × 1012 kg.
•We derived a global 3D shape model and the rotational parameters of comet 67P/C-G from high-resolution visible images collected aboard the Rosetta spacecraft.•Using this model, we could calculate ...accurate nucleus parameters including a volume of 18.8 ± 0.3 km3 and a density of 532 ± 7 kg m−3.•We could also retrieve the shape and the geometry of the two lobes using computer graphics tools.•A slight excitation of the spin state was detected, with a precession period of 11.5 ± 0.5 day.•The coordinates of the spin axis indicates a slight inhomogeneity of the density distribution.
The Rosetta spacecraft reached Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (hereafter 67P/C-G) in August 2014 at an heliocentric distance of 3.6 a.u. and was then put in orbit around its nucleus to perform detailed observations. Among the collected data are the images acquired by the OSIRIS instrument up to the perihelion passage of the comet in August 2015, which allowed us to map the entire nucleus surface at high-resolution in the visible. Stereophotoclinometry methods have been used to reconstruct a global high-resolution shape model and to monitor its rotational parameters using data collected up to perihelion.
The nucleus has a conspicuous bilobate shape with overall dimensions along its principal axes of (4.34 ± 0.02) × (2.60 ± 0.02) × (2.12 ± 0.06) km. The best-fit ellipsoid dimensions of the individual lobes along their principal axes of inertia are found to be 4.10 × 3.52 × 1.63 km and 2.50 × 2.14 × 1.64 km. Their volume amounts to 66% and 27% of the total volume of the nucleus. The two lobes are connected by a “neck” whose volume has been estimated to represent ∼7% of the total volume of the comet. Combining the derived volume of 18.8 ± 0.3 km3 with the mass of 9.982 ± 0.003 × 1012 kg determined by the Rosetta/RSI experiment, we obtained a bulk density of the nucleus of 532±7kgm−3. Together with the companion value of 535±35kgm−3 deduced from the stereophotogrammetry shape model of the nucleus (Preusker et al. 2015 Astron. Astrophys. 583, A33), these constitute the first reliable and most accurate determination of the density of a cometary nucleus to date. The calculated porosity is quite large, ranging approximately from 70% to 75% depending upon the assumed density of the dust grains and the dust-to-ice mass ratio. The nature of the porosity, either micro or macro or both, remains unconstrained. The coordinates of the center of gravity are not compatible with a uniform nucleus density. The direction of the offset between the center of gravity and the center of figure suggests that the big lobe has a slightly higher bulk density compared to the small one. the center of mass position cannot be explained by different, but homogenous densities in the two lobes.
The initial rotational period of 12.4041 ± 0.0001 h of the nucleus persisted until October 2014. It then slightly increased to a maximum of 12.4304 h reached on 19 May 2015 and finally dropped to 12.305 h just before perihelion on August 10, 2015. A periodogram analysis of the (RA, Dec) direction of the Z-axis of the comet obtained in parallel with the shape reconstruction exhibits a highly significant minima at 11.5 ± 0.5 day clearly indicating an excited rotational state with an amplitude of 0.15 ± 0.03°.
The Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) is the main imaging system onboard the European Space Agency’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) which was launched on 14 March 2016. CaSSIS is ...intended to acquire moderately high resolution (4.6 m/pixel) targeted images of Mars at a rate of 10–20 images per day from a roughly circular orbit 400 km above the surface. Each image can be acquired in up to four colours and stereo capability is foreseen by the use of a novel rotation mechanism. A typical product from one image acquisition will be a
9.5
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swath in full colour and stereo in one over-flight of the target thereby reducing atmospheric influences inherent in stereo and colour products from previous high resolution imagers. This paper describes the instrument including several novel technical solutions required to achieve the scientific requirements.
Increasing cuticular wax accumulation in plants has been associated with improving drought tolerance in plants. In this study, a cDNA clone encoding the SlSHN1 transcription factor, the closest ...ortholog to WIN/SHN1 gene in Arabidopsis, was isolated from tomato plant. Expression analysis of SlSHN1 indicated that it is induced in response to drought conditions. The over-expression of SlSHN1 in tomato under the control of the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter produced plants that showed mild growth retardation phenotype with shiny and dark green leaves. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the over-expression of SlSHN1 in tomato resulted in higher cuticular wax deposition on leaf epidermial tissue when compared to non-transformed plants. Expression analysis in transgenic lines over-expressing SlSHN1 indicated that several wax-related synthesis genes were induced. Transgenic tomato plants over-expressing SlSHN1 showed higher drought tolerance when compared with wild type plants; this was reflected in delayed wilting of transgenic lines, improved water status and reduced water loss rate when compared with wild type plants. In conclusion, the SlSHN1 gene can modulate wax accumulation and could be utilized to enhance drought tolerance in tomato plant.
Images obtained by the Optical, Spectroscopie, and Infrared Remote Imaging System (OSIRIS) cameras onboard the Rosetta spacecraft reveal that asteroid 21 Lutetia has a complex geology and one of the ...highest asteroid densities measured so far, 3.4 ± 0.3 grams per cubic centimeter. The north pole region is covered by a thick layer of regolith, which is seen to flow in major landslides associated with albedo variation. Its geologically complex surface, ancient surface age, and high density suggest that Lutetia is most likely a primordial planetesimal. This contrasts with smaller asteroids visited by previous spacecraft, which are probably shattered bodies, fragments of larger parents, or reaccumulated rubble piles.
ABSTRACT
By using the Rosetta/OSIRIS-NAC data set taken in 2014 August, we focus on the neck region, called Hapi, located on 67P Churyumov–Gerasimenko’s Northern hemisphere. The gravitational ...potential and slopes of Hapi, coupled with the geological unit identification and the boulder size–frequency distributions, support the interpretation that both taluses and gravitational accumulation deposits observable on Hapi are the result of multiple cliff collapses that occurred at different times. By contrast, the fine-particle deposits observable in the central part of the study area are made of aggregates coming from the Southern hemisphere and deposited during each perihelion passage. Both the consolidated terrains on the western part of Hapi, as well as the centrally aligned ridge made of boulder-like features, suggest that Hapi is in structural continuity with the onion-like structure of the main lobe of 67P. Despite the dusty blanket observable on Hapi, its terrains are characterized by water-ice-rich components that, once repeatedly and rapidly illuminated, sublimate, hence resulting in the strong jet activity observed in 2014 August.
The phase function of the dust coma of comet 67P has been determined from Rosetta/OSIRIS images. This function shows a deep minimum at phase angles near 100°, and a strong backscattering enhancement. ...These two properties cannot be reproduced by regular models of cometary dust, most of them based on wavelength-sized and randomly oriented aggregate particles. We show, however, that an ensemble of oriented elongated particles of a wide variety of aspect ratios, with radii r 10 m, and whose long axes are perpendicular to the direction of the solar radiation, are capable of reproducing the observed phase function. These particles must be absorbing, with an imaginary part of the refractive index of about 0.1 to match the expected geometric albedo, and with porosity in the 60%-70% range.
Remote sensing observations of dust particles ejected from comets provide important hints on the intimate nature of the materials composing these primitive objects. The measurement of dust coma ...backscattering ratio, BSR, defined as the ratio of the reflectance at phase angle 0° and 30°, helps tuning theoretical models aimed at solving the inverse scattering problem deriving information on the nature of the ejected particles. The Rosetta/OSIRIS camera sampled the coma phase function of comet 67P, with four series acquired at low phase angles from 2015 January to 2016 May. We also added previously published data to our analysis to increase the temporal resolution of our findings. We measured a BSR in the range ˜ 1.7-3.6, broader than the range found in literature from ground-based observations of other comets. We found that during the post-perihelion phase, the BSR is systematically larger than the classical cometary dust values only for nucleocentric distances smaller than ˜100 km. We explain this trend in terms of a cloud of chunks orbiting the nucleus at distances <100 km ejected during perihelion and slowly collapsing on the nucleus over a few months because of the coma gas drag. This also implies that the threshold particle size for the dust phase function to become similar to the nucleus phase function is between 2.5 mm and 0.1 m, taking into account previous Rosetta findings.
Abstract
The Southern hemisphere of the 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko comet has become visible from Rosetta only since 2015 March. It was illuminated during the perihelion passage and therefore it ...contains the regions that experienced the strongest heating and erosion rates, thus exposing the sub-surface most pristine material. In this work we investigate, thanks to the OSIRIS images, the geomorphology, the spectrophotometry and some transient events of two Southern hemisphere regions: Anhur and part of Bes. Bes is dominated by outcropping consolidated terrain covered with fine particle deposits, while Anhur appears strongly eroded with elongated canyon-like structures, scarp retreats, different kinds of deposits and degraded sequences of strata indicating a pervasive layering. We discovered a new 140 m long and 10 m high scarp formed in the Anhur–Bes boundary during/after the perihelion passage, close to the area where exposed CO2 and H2O ices were previously detected. Several jets have been observed originating from these regions, including the strong perihelion outburst, an active pit and a faint optically thick dust plume. We identify several areas with a relatively bluer slope (i.e. a lower spectral slope value) than their surroundings, indicating a surface composition enriched with some water ice. These spectrally bluer areas are observed especially in talus and gravitational accumulation deposits where freshly exposed material had fallen from nearby scarps and cliffs. The investigated regions become spectrally redder beyond 2 au outbound when the dust mantle became thicker, masking the underlying ice-rich layers.
On 19th October 2016 Schiaparelli module of the ExoMars 2016 mission flew through the Mars atmosphere. After successful entry and descent under parachute, the module failed the last part of the ...descent and crashed on the Mars surface. Nevertheless the data transmitted in real-time by Schiaparelli during the entry and descent, together with the entry state vector as initial condition, have been used to reconstruct both the trajectory and the profiles of atmospheric density, pressure and temperature along the traversed path.The available data-set is only a small sub-set of the whole data acquired by Schiaparelli, with a limited data rate (8 kbps) and a large gap during the entry because of the plasma blackout on the communications.This paper presents the work done by the AMELIA (Atmospheric Mars Entry and Landing Investigations and Analysis) team in the exploitation of the available inertial and radar data. First a reference trajectory is derived by direct integration of the inertial measurements and a strategy to overcome the entry data gap is proposed. First-order covariance analysis is used to estimate the uncertainties on all the derived parameters. Then a refined trajectory is computed incorporating the measurements provided by the on-board radar altimeter.The derived trajectory is consistent with the events reported in the telemetry and also with the impact point identified on the high-resolution images of the landing site.Finally, atmospheric profiles are computed tacking into account the aerodynamic properties of the module. Derived profiles result in good agreement with both atmospheric models and available remote sensing observations.
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