Shape Effect in Aggregation and Thermal Evolution of Comet Nuclei

Details Shape Effect in Aggregation and Thermal Evolution of Comet Nuclei Shape Effect in Aggregation and Thermal Evolution of Comet Nuclei

Oct 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007dps....39.4308l&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #39, #43.08; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.499

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Scientific paper

Comet nuclei are considered as the most pristine bodies of the Solar System. Their study consequently sheds an important light on the processes occurring during the initial stages of the solar system formation.
Simulations have been developed in our teams to describe new aspects of comet formation and evolution. Particle aggregation simulations taking into account age-related cohesive energy of cometesimals during accretions in the Kuiper belt can be used to interpret the layered structure and surface features observed for comet 9P/Tempel 1 [1] and quantify the tensile strengths of these objects. Thermal evolution models of comet nuclei have been rather successful in explaining global aspects of comet observations [2]. A new quasi-3D approach for non-spherically shaped comet nuclei has been developed to analyse the effect of the irregular shapes (non-spherical shapes, mountain-like and crater-like features) of comet nuclei on their thermal evolution, on the local crust formation and the onset of their activity. Our simulations suggest that depressions on the surface play a role in the internal stratification of the nucleus and can disappear in a comet's lifetime [3]. New simulations specifically designed for the orbital history and irregular shape of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko will be presented.
These tensile strength indications and activity predictions will provide vital clues for the international Rosetta mission rendezvous that will provide further constraints on the formation and evolution processes of comets.
[1] Belton et al., Icarus 187, 332 (2007)
[2] DeSanctis et al., Astron. Astrophys. 444, 605 (2005)
[3] Lasue et al., in preparation
This research has been funded by the French Space Agency (CNES)

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