Layering and Smooth Flows: What Comet Nuclei are Really Like

Details Layering and Smooth Flows: What Comet Nuclei are Really Like Layering and Smooth Flows: What Comet Nuclei are Really Like

Sep 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006dps....38.1701v&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #38, #17.01; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 38, p.512

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

Layering and Smooth Flows: What Comet Nuclei are Really Like.
J. Veverka
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
On July 4, 2005, Deep Impact obtained the highest resolution views of a comet nucleus to date. Some 30% of the surface of Tempel 1 was imaged at better than 10 m/pxl. These data revealed several unexpected features including pervasive layering and smooth areas with flow-like characteristics. Several distinct layers ranging from 10 to 200 meters in thickness and of significant lateral extent can be identified. It is likely that some of these layers extend deep into the body of the comet. At least two areas of remarkably smooth terrain are present. The better imaged is an elongated flow-like tongue about 3 km wide, 1 km long and 200 meters thick which displays many characteristics of a down-hill flow emanating from a possible source area only a few hundred meters wide. The detailed characteristics of the layering and smooth areas will be summarized and possible formation models presented. Suggestions of nucleus layering exist in earlier, lower resolution images of both Borrelly and Wild 2. Optimistic viewers may even see suggestions of smooth flows in Deep Space 1 images of Borrelly.

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