Deep Impact: Working Properties for the Target Nucleus – Comet 9P/Tempel 1

In 1998, Comet 9P/Tempel 1 was chosen as the target of the Deep Impact mission (A’Hearn, M. F., Belton, M. J. S., and Delamere, A., Space Sci. Rev., 2005) even though very little was known about its physical properties. Efforts were immediately begun to improve this situation by the Deep Impact Science Team leading to the founding of a worldwide observing campaign (Meech et al., Space Sci. Rev., 2005a). This campaign has already produced a great deal of information on the global properties of the comet’s nucleus (summarized in Table I) that is vital to the planning and the assessment of the chances of success at the impact and encounter. Since the mission was begun the successful encounters of the Deep Space 1 spacecraft at Comet 19P/Borrelly and the Stardust spacecraft at Comet 81P/Wild 2 have occurred yielding new information on the state of the nuclei of these two comets. This information, together with earlier results on the nucleus of comet 1P/Halley from the European Space Agency’s Giotto, the Soviet Vega mission, and various ground-based observational and theoretical studies, is used as a basis for conjectures on the morphological, geological, mechanical, and compositional properties of the surface and subsurface that Deep Impact may find at 9P/Tempel 1. We adopt the following working values (circa December 2004) for the nucleus parameters of prime importance to Deep Impact as follows: mean effective radius = 3.25± 0.2 km, shape – irregular triaxial ellipsoid with a/b = 3.2± 0.4 and overall dimensions of ∼14.4 × 4.4 × 4.4 km, principal axis rotation with period = 41.85± 0.1 hr, pole directions (RA, Dec, J2000) = 46± 10, 73± 10 deg (Pole 1) or 287± 14, 16.5± 10 deg (Pole 2) (the two poles are photometrically, but not geometrically, equivalent), Kron-Cousins (V-R) color = 0.56± 0.02, V-band geometric albedo = 0.04± 0.01, R-band geometric albedo = 0.05± 0.01, R-band H(1,1,0) = 14.441± 0.067, and mass ∼7×10¹³ kg assuming a bulk density of 500 kg m⁻³. As these are working values, {i.e.}, based on preliminary analyses, it is expected that adjustments to their values may be made before encounter as improved estimates become available through further analysis of the large database being made available by the Deep Impact observing campaign. Given the parameters listed above the impact will occur in an environment where the local gravity is estimated at 0.027–0.04 cm s⁻² and the escape velocity between 1.4 and 2 m s⁻¹. For both of the rotation poles found here, the Deep Impact spacecraft on approach to encounter will find the rotation axis close to the plane of the sky (aspect angles 82.2 and 69.7 deg. for pole 1 and 2, respectively). However, until the rotation period estimate is substantially improved, it will remain uncertain whether the impactor will collide with the broadside or the ends of the nucleus.     

The Galileo Dust Detector

The Galileo Dust Detector is intended to provide direct observations of dust grains with masses between 10^-19 and 10^-9 kg in interplanetary space and in the Jovian system, to investigate their physical and dynamical properties as functions of the distances to the Sun, to Jupiter and to its satellites, to study its interaction with the Galilean satellites and the Jovian magnetosphere. Surface phenomena of the satellites (like albedo variations), which might be effects of meteoroid impacts will be compared with the dust environment. Electric charges of particulate matter in the magnetosphere and its consequences will be studied; e.g., the effects of the magnetic field on the trajectories of dust particles and fragmentation of particles due to electrostatic disruption. The investigation is performed with an instrument that measures the mass, speed, flight direction and electric charge of individual dust particles. It is a multicoincidence detector with a mass sensitivity 10⁶ times higher than that of previous in-situ experiments which measured dust in the outer solar system. The instrument weighs 4.2 kg, consumes 2.4 W, and has a normal data transmission rate of 24 bits s^-1 in nominal spacecraft tracking mode. On December 29, 1989 the instrument was switched-on. After the instrument had been configured to flight conditions cruise science data collection started immediately. In the period to May 18, 1990 at least 168 dust impacts have been recorded. For 81 of these dust grains masses and impact speeds have been determined. First flux values are given.     

The organic matter of comet Halley as inferred by joint gas phase and solid phase analyses

During encounters with comet Halley, the experiment PICCA onboard GIOTTO measured the gas phase organic ion composition of the coma and the experiment PUMA onboard VEGA-1 measured the dust composition. Joining both results, we obtain a consistent picture of the parent organic matter from which dust and gas is produced. One recognizes a complex unsaturated polycondensate, which splits during coma-formation into the more refractory C=C,C-N-containing dust part, and the more volatile C=C,C-O-containing gas part. The responsible exothermal chemical reactions, which are triggered by the sunlight, may play a major role in the dynamics of coma formation.This paper is a shortened and upgraded version of Krueger, F.R., Korth, A., and Kissel, J.: 1989, in S. Chang (ed.) Proc. of the ROSETTA Conf., Milpitas CA, January 1989, submitted.     

Regolith X-Ray Imaging Spectrometer (REXIS) Aboard the OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission

The Regolith X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (REXIS) is the student collaboration experiment proposed and built by an MIT-Harvard team, launched aboard NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission. REXIS complements the scientific investigations of other OSIRIS-REx instruments by determining the relative abundances of key elements present on the asteroid’s surface by measuring the X-ray fluorescence spectrum (stimulated by the natural solar X-ray flux) over the range of energies 0.5 to 7 keV. REXIS consists of two components: a main imaging spectrometer with a coded aperture mask and a separate solar X-ray monitor to account for the Sun’s variability. In addition to element abundance ratios (relative to Si) pinpointing the asteroid’s most likely meteorite association, REXIS also maps elemental abundance variability across the asteroid’s surface using the asteroid’s rotation as well as the spacecraft’s orbital motion. Image reconstruction at the highest resolution is facilitated by the coded aperture mask. Through this operation, REXIS will be the first application of X-ray coded aperture imaging to planetary surface mapping, making this student-built instrument a pathfinder toward future planetary exploration. To date, 60 students at the undergraduate and graduate levels have been involved with the REXIS project, with the hands-on experience translating to a dozen Master’s and Ph.D. theses and other student publications.     

Hybrid LES/RANS methods for the simulation of turbulent flows

The coupling of large eddy simulation (LES) with statistical turbulence models, i.e. Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) models, is arguably the main strategy to drastically reduce computational cost for making LES affordable in a wide range of complex industrial applications. The present paper presents a coherent review of the various approaches proposed in the recent literature on this topic. First, basic concepts and principal strategies highlighting the underlying ideas are introduced. This culminates in a general scheme to classify hybrid LES/RANS approaches. Following the structure of this novel classification, a larger number of individual methods are then described and assessed. Key methods are discussed in greater detail and illustrated with examples from the literature or by own results. The aim of the review is to provide information on how to distinguish different methods and their ingredients and to further the understanding of inherent limitations and difficulties. On the other hand, successful simulation results demonstrate the high potential of the hybrid approach.     

Mass-spectrometric in situ studies of cometary organics for p/Halley and options for the future.

When the VEGA and GIOTTO spacecrafts flew by comet p/Halley in 1986 the mass-spectrometers Puma and PIA measured the composition of cometary dust particles impacting at speeds of well above 65 km/s. Ion formation upon impact lead to mostly atomic ions. However, a small fraction of the ions measured could be related to molecules. A sophisticated analysis allowed for the first time to point to the chemical nature of cometary organics based on actual mass spectra. With the instrument CoMA for the NASA-BMFT mission CRAF much higher mass-resolution and molecule masses become accessible for in situ measurement, and will yield complementary information to the gas chromatograph CIDEX also onboard CRAF.     

Lessons learned from the dynamic identification/qualification tests on the ESC-A upper stage model

The dynamic qualification of the new cryogenic upper stage ESC-A of the ARIANE 5 is supported by several tests in order to verify the assumptions and the modeling approach made at the beginning of the development. The stage contains a large amount of equipment such as propellant lines, acceleration rockets, batteries, fluid control equipment etc. For the low frequency domain the verification of the equipment responses in the integrated state was done by a sine vibration test, excited to levels representing the predicted flight loads including a qualification factor. Acoustic tests with the upper stage were performed to verify the random vibration responses in the frequency range up to 2000 Hz. To verify the shock response level induced by stage separation (pyro-shock) a stage separation test was performed. The paper concentrates on the experience made with the modal identification and sine vibration test of the stage. For the sine vibration test an electro-dynamic multi-shaker table was used. It was able to produce the required input precisely up to as specified, not an easy task for a test set-up of 20 tons weight. The paper presents the approach of how the dynamic qualification was reached successfully and highlights the experience accomplished.     

Cosima – High Resolution Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer for the Analysis of Cometary Dust Particles onboard Rosetta

The ESA mission Rosetta, launched on March 2nd, 2004, carries an instrument suite to the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The COmetary Secondary Ion Mass Anaylzer – COSIMA – is one of three cometary dust analyzing instruments onboard Rosetta. COSIMA is based on the analytic measurement method of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The experiment’s goal is in-situ analysis of the elemental composition (and isotopic composition of key elements) of cometary grains. The chemical characterization will include the main organic components, present homologous and functional groups, as well as the mineralogical and petrographical classification of the inorganic phases. All this analysis is closely related to the chemistry and history of the early solar system. COSIMA covers a mass range from 1 to 3500 amu with a mass resolution m/Δm @ 50% of 2000 at mass 100 amu. Cometary dust is collected on special, metal covered, targets, which are handled by a target manipulation unit. Once exposed to the cometary dust environment, the collected dust grains are located on the target by a microscopic camera. A pulsed primary indium ion beam (among other entities) releases secondary ions from the dust grains. These ions, either positive or negative, are selected and accelerated by electrical fields and travel a well-defined distance through a drift tube and an ion reflector. A microsphere plate with dedicated amplifier is used to detect the ions. The arrival times of the ions are digitized, and the mass spectra of the secondary ions are calculated from these time-of-flight spectra. Through the instrument commissioning, COSIMA took the very first SIMS spectra of the targets in space. COSIMA will be the first instrument applying the SIMS technique in-situ to cometary grain analysis as Rosetta approaches the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, after a long journey of 10 years, in 2014.