Characterization of the NASA EPOXI Mission Target Comet Nucleus 103P/Hartley 2

Details Characterization of the NASA EPOXI Mission Target Comet Nucleus 103P/Hartley 2 Characterization of the NASA EPOXI Mission Target Comet Nucleus 103P/Hartley 2

Mar 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008sptz.prop50593l&link_type=abstract

Spitzer Proposal ID #50593

Mathematics

Probability

Scientific paper

In July 2007 NASA selected the EPOXI mission for flight operations. This mission utilizes the Deep Impact flyby spacecraft, which survived encounter with comet 9P/Tempel (T1) unscathed after returning, in conjunction with Spitzer, a wealth of data on the primordial makeup of comets. EPOXI will rendezvous with comet 103P/Hartley2 (H2) and obtain comparable remote imaging observations of the nucleus surface. However, little is known about its nucleus, not its size, rotation rate, or albedo. Mission success depends critically on the ability of the EPOXI spacecraft to navigate to the comet and make accurate, non-saturated measurements. Despite robust targeting algorithms, large uncertainties in size, shape, albedo, and rotational state significantly degrade the probability that the spacecraft will view a sunlit portion of the surface. We propose here to use Spitzer's MIPS 24 um imaging camera to characterize the nucleus of comet 103P/Hartley2. Observing the comet at 5 different epochs will allow easy detection of the moving object vs. background stellar sources, as well as providing a gross measure of the rotational variability. The derived science will add directly to the JFC nucleus survey of Fernandez et al (PID 30908), and the comet trail survey of Reach et al (PID 3119). Our proposal calls for characterization of H2 during the 11 Aug - 20 Sep 3008 observability window, the only one available during Cycle 5, when the comet will be 5.4 AU from the Sun and 5.0 AU from Spitzer, well outside the ice line and thus inactive. The characterization involves fixed- single mode, dithered MIPS maps of the region immediately surrounding the comet, performed 5 times to verify the motion of the target. The total telescope time requested is 2.64 hours.

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