Continuum Observations of Asteroid (2867) Steins With the MIRO Millimeter and Submillimeter Instrument on Rosetta

Physics

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

6205 Asteroids

Scientific paper

The European Space Agency Rosetta Spacecraft passed within 802 km of the asteroid (2867) Steins on September 5, 2008, on its long journey to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko which will be encountered in 2014. The Rosetta Spacecraft carries a number of scientific instruments including a relatively small and lightweight millimeter and submillimeter instrument, the first of its kind launched into deep space. The instrument, named MIRO (Microwave Instrument for the Rosetta Orbiter), consists of a 30-cm diameter, offset parabolic reflector telescope followed by two heterodyne receivers. Center-band operating frequencies of the receivers are near 190 GHz (1.6 mm) and 562 GHz (0.5 mm). Broadband continuum channels are implemented in both frequency bands for the measurement of near surface temperatures and temperature gradients in two asteroids, (2867) Steins and (21) Lutetia, and Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. A 4096 channel CTS (Chirp Transform Spectrometer) spectrometer having 180 MHz total bandwidth and 44 kHz resolution is, in addition to the continuum channel, connected to the submillimeter receiver. We present the continuum observations of Asteroid (2867) Steins obtained during the flyby with the MIRO instrument. Thermal models and radiative transfer calculations will be presented to deduce near surface (regolith) physical properties of (2867) Steins. The work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology was supported by NASA.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Continuum Observations of Asteroid (2867) Steins With the MIRO Millimeter and Submillimeter Instrument on Rosetta does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Continuum Observations of Asteroid (2867) Steins With the MIRO Millimeter and Submillimeter Instrument on Rosetta, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Continuum Observations of Asteroid (2867) Steins With the MIRO Millimeter and Submillimeter Instrument on Rosetta will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1107918

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.