Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Jun 2005
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005sptz.prop20021w&link_type=abstract
Spitzer Proposal ID #20021
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Scientific paper
A key scientific challenge in modern astrophysics is to understand conditions in early protoplanetary disks during the epoch of planetesimal formation. In our own solar system, comets are frozen archives of this early epoch. We propose to study 14 sublimating comets (both Jupiter-family and Oort Cloud members) in a 55.0 hr (42 AORs) program to characterize the coma and nuclear spectra and to establish a statistically sample of high quality cometary spectra. We seek to: 1) study their dust characteristics; 2) search for possible organic (PAH-like) signatures; and 3) address a fundamental question -- the origins of crystalline silicates in the solar nebula. A major objective of our program is a comprehensive survey of faint Jupiter-family comet dust properties, which will permit an in-depth, systematic comparison of Jupiter-family and Oort Cloud comet dust properties and physical characteristics, facilitate assessment of the importance of crystalline silicates as a diagnostic of solar nebula evolution and turbulent mixing models, and establish critical remote-sensing data products to provide interpretive context for NASA and ESA comet rendezvous and sample return missions. Only Spitzer has the sensitivity at mid- and far-IR wavelengths to detect the significant diagnostic spectral features/resonances emitted by dust and organics necessary to effect this study.
Campins Humberto
Gehrz Robert
Hanner Martha
Harker David
Kelley Michael
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