First experimental studies of large samples of gas-laden amorphous “cometary” ices

In a unique machine, the first of its kind, large (200 cm 2 × 10 cm) samples of gas-laden amorphous ice were prepared at 80 K and 10 −5 Torr. The sample consisted of a fluffy agglomerate of 200-μm ice grains, similar to what is presumed to be the structure of comet nuclei. The sample was heated from...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Icarus (New York, N.Y. 1962) N.Y. 1962), 2003, Vol.161 (1), p.157-163
Main Authors: Bar-Nun, Akiva, Laufer, Diana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Comets
Comets, composition
Ices
Surfaces, comets
Thermal histories
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:In a unique machine, the first of its kind, large (200 cm 2 × 10 cm) samples of gas-laden amorphous ice were prepared at 80 K and 10 −5 Torr. The sample consisted of a fluffy agglomerate of 200-μm ice grains, similar to what is presumed to be the structure of comet nuclei. The sample was heated from above by IR radiation. The properties studied were gas content in the ice and its emanation from the ice upon warming and bearing on the gas/water vapor ratio observed in cometary comae vs this ratio in cometary nuclei and the effect of internal trapped gas on the thermal conductivity of the ice and the density and mechanical properties of pure ice vs gas-laden ice. These findings might have significance for the interpretation of comet observations, the forthcoming ESA’s Rosetta space mission to Comet 46P/Wirtanen in 2012, and to other comet missions.
ISSN:0019-1035
1090-2643
DOI:10.1016/S0019-1035(02)00016-7