Questions about the evolution of ices, from diffuse molecular clouds to comets

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (S350) ◽  
pp. 15-20
Author(s):  
A. C. A. Boogert
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Absorption Bands ◽  
Complex Organic Molecule ◽  
Interstellar Ice ◽  
Rosetta Mission ◽  
History Of ◽  
Space Environments ◽  
Complex Organic

AbstractThe surfaces of interstellar and circumstellar dust grains are the sites of molecule formation, most of which, except H2, stick and form ice mantles. The study of ice evolution thus seems directly relevant for understanding our own origins, although the relation between interstellar and solar system ices remains a key question. The comparison of interstellar and solar system ices relies evidently on an accurate understanding of the composition and processes in both environments. With the accurate in situ measurements available for the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko with the Rosetta mission, improving our understanding of interstellar ices is the more important. Here, I will address three specific questions. First, while laboratory experiments have made much progress in understanding complex organic molecule (COM) formation in the ices, the question remains, how does COM formation depend on environment and time? Second, what is the carrier of sulfur in the ices? And third, can ice absorption bands trace the processing history of the ices? Laboratory experiments, ranging from infrared spectroscopy to identify interstellar ice species, to surface experiments to determine reaction parameters in ice formation scenarios, to heating and irradiation experiments to simulate space environments, are essential to address these questions and analyze the flood of new observational data that will become available with new facilities in the next 2-10 years.

Analytical Electron Microscopy of Extraterrestrial Ice Analogs

1990 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 594-595
Author(s):  
D.F. Blake ◽  
LJ. Allamandola ◽  
G. Palmer ◽  
A. Pohorille
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Analytical Electron Microscopy ◽  
Biogenic Elements ◽  
Widespread Occurrence ◽  
Interstellar Ice ◽  
Analytical Electron ◽  
History Of ◽  
Interstellar Material ◽  
Astrophysical Ices ◽  
Interstellar Molecular Clouds

The natural history of the biogenic elements H, C, N, O, P and S in the cosmos is of great interest because it is these elements which comprise all life. Material ejected from stars (or pre-existing in the interstellar medium) is thought to condense into diffuse bodies of gravitationally bound gas and dust called cold interstellar molecular clouds. Current theories predict that within these clouds, at temperatures of 10-100° K, gases (primarily H2O, but including CO, CO2, CH3OH, NH3, and others) condense onto submicron silicate grains to form icy grain mantles. This interstellar ice represents the earliest and most primitive association of the biogenic elements. Within these multicomponent icy mantles, pre-biotic organic compounds are formed during exposure to UV radiation. It is thought that icy planetesimals (such as comets) within our solar system contain some pristine interstellar material, including ices, and may have (during the early bombardment of the solar system, ∼4 Ga) carried this material to Earth.Despite the widespread occurrence of astrophysical ices and their importance to pre-biotic organic evolution, few experimental data exist which address the relevant phase equilibria and possible structural states. A knowledge of the petrology of astrophysical ice analogs will allow scientists to more confidently interpret astronomical IR observations. Furthermore, the development and refinement of procedures for analyzing ices and other materials at cryogenic temperatures is critical to the study of materials returned from the proposed Rosetta comet nucleus and Mars sample return missions.

scholarly journals In Situ exploration of the giant planets

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Mousis ◽  
D. H. Atkinson ◽  
R. Ambrosi ◽  
S. Atreya ◽  
D. Banfield ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Giant Planets ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Formation History ◽  
History Of ◽  
Composition Structure ◽  
Galileo Probe ◽  
Probe Measurements

AbstractRemote sensing observations suffer significant limitations when used to study the bulk atmospheric composition of the giant planets of our Solar System. This impacts our knowledge of the formation of these planets and the physics of their atmospheres. A remarkable example of the superiority of in situ probe measurements was illustrated by the exploration of Jupiter, where key measurements such as the determination of the noble gases’ abundances and the precise measurement of the helium mixing ratio were only made available through in situ measurements by the Galileo probe. Here we describe the main scientific goals to be addressed by the future in situ exploration of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, placing the Galileo probe exploration of Jupiter in a broader context. An atmospheric entry probe targeting the 10-bar level would yield insight into two broad themes: i) the formation history of the giant planets and that of the Solar System, and ii) the processes at play in planetary atmospheres. The probe would descend under parachute to measure composition, structure, and dynamics, with data returned to Earth using a Carrier Relay Spacecraft as a relay station. An atmospheric probe could represent a significant ESA contribution to a future NASA New Frontiers or flagship mission to be launched toward Saturn, Uranus, and/or Neptune.

scholarly journals Differential adsorption of complex organic molecule isomers on interstellar ice surfaces

2012 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 349-352
Author(s):  
M. Bertin ◽  
X. Michaut ◽  
M. Lattelais ◽  
H. Mokrane ◽  
F. Pauzat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Molecule ◽  
Complex Organic Molecule ◽  
Interstellar Ice ◽  
Ice Surfaces ◽  
Complex Organic

scholarly journals The Rosetta Mission to Primitive Bodies of the Solar System

1994 ◽  
Vol 160 ◽  
pp. 381-394
Author(s):  
Yves Langevin
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Solar System ◽  
European Space Agency ◽  
Time Span ◽  
Main Belt ◽  
Space Agency ◽  
Rosetta Mission ◽  
One Year ◽  
Definition Of

The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected Rosetta as the next cornerstone mission, to be launched in 2003. The goal is to perfom one or more fly-bys to main belt asteroids, followed by a rendez-vous with an active comet. Advanced in situ analysis, both in the coma and on the surfaces of the nucleus, will be possible, as well as monitoring by remote sensing instruments of the nucleus and of the inner coma for a time span of more than one year, until perihelion. This paper outlines the scientific and technological choices done in the definition of the mission.

scholarly journals Cometary Chemistry and the Origin of Icy Solar System Bodies: The View After Rosetta

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin Altwegg ◽  
Hans Balsiger ◽  
Stephen A. Fuselier
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Protoplanetary Disk ◽  
Isotopic Ratios ◽  
Parent Species ◽  
Rosetta Mission ◽  
Solar System Bodies ◽  
Diverse Origin ◽  
Life On Earth ◽  
Collapsing Cloud

In situ research of cometary chemistry began when measurements from the Giotto mission at Comet 1P/Halley revealed the presence of complex organics in the coma. New telescopes and space missions have provided detailed remote and in situ measurements of the composition of cometary volatiles. Recently, the Rosetta mission to Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (67P) more than doubled the number of parent species and the number of isotopic ratios known for comets. Forty of the 71 parent species have also been detected in pre- and protostellar clouds. Most isotopic ratios are nonsolar. This diverse origin is in contrast to that of the Sun, which received its material from the bulk of the collapsing cloud. The xenon isotopic ratios measured in 67P can explain the long-standing question about the origin of terrestrial atmospheric xenon. These findings strengthen the notion that comets are indeed an important link between the ISM and today's solar system including life on Earth. ▪ Nonsolar isotopic ratios for species such as Xe, N, S, and Si point to a nonhomogenized protoplanetary disk from which comets received their material. ▪ The similarity of the organic inventories of comets and presolar and protostellar material makes it plausible that this material was accreted almost unaltered by comets from the presolar stage. ▪ Large variations in the deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio in water for comets indicate a large range in the protoplanetary disk from which comets formed. ▪ The amount of organics delivered by comets to Earth may be highly significant.

scholarly journals The Rosetta mission orbiter science overview: the comet phase

2017 ◽  
Vol 375 (2097) ◽  
pp. 20160262 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. G. G. T. Taylor ◽  
N. Altobelli ◽  
B. J. Buratti ◽  
M. Choukroun
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Solar System ◽  
Cometary Nucleus ◽  
Rosetta Mission ◽  
Interstellar Material ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Mission Operations ◽  
Comet 67P ◽  
Cometary Activity

The international Rosetta mission was launched in 2004 and consists of the orbiter spacecraft Rosetta and the lander Philae. The aim of the mission is to map the comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko by remote sensing, and to examine its environment in situ and its evolution in the inner Solar System. Rosetta was the first spacecraft to rendezvous with and orbit a comet, accompanying it as it passes through the inner Solar System, and to deploy a lander, Philae, and perform in situ science on the comet's surface. The primary goals of the mission were to: characterize the comet's nucleus; examine the chemical, mineralogical and isotopic composition of volatiles and refractories; examine the physical properties and interrelation of volatiles and refractories in a cometary nucleus; study the development of cometary activity and the processes in the surface layer of the nucleus and in the coma; detail the origin of comets, the relationship between cometary and interstellar material and the implications for the origin of the Solar System; and characterize asteroids 2867 Steins and 21 Lutetia. This paper presents a summary of mission operations and science, focusing on the Rosetta orbiter component of the mission during its comet phase, from early 2014 up to September 2016. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Cometary science after Rosetta’.

scholarly journals Lunar exploration: opening a window into the history and evolution of the inner Solar System

2014 ◽  
Vol 372 (2024) ◽  
pp. 20130315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian A. Crawford ◽  
Katherine H. Joy
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Lunar Exploration ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Moon System ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Geological Evolution ◽  
History Of ◽  
Rocky Planets

The lunar geological record contains a rich archive of the history of the inner Solar System, including information relevant to understanding the origin and evolution of the Earth–Moon system, the geological evolution of rocky planets, and our local cosmic environment. This paper provides a brief review of lunar exploration to-date and describes how future exploration initiatives will further advance our understanding of the origin and evolution of the Moon, the Earth–Moon system and of the Solar System more generally. It is concluded that further advances will require the placing of new scientific instruments on, and the return of additional samples from, the lunar surface. Some of these scientific objectives can be achieved robotically, for example by in situ geochemical and geophysical measurements and through carefully targeted sample return missions. However, in the longer term, we argue that lunar science would greatly benefit from renewed human operations on the surface of the Moon, such as would be facilitated by implementing the recently proposed Global Exploration Roadmap.

scholarly journals Elemental and molecular abundances in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

2019 ◽  
Vol 489 (1) ◽  
pp. 594-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Rubin ◽  
Kathrin Altwegg ◽  
Hans Balsiger ◽  
Jean-Jacques Berthelier ◽  
Michael R Combi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Early Period ◽  
Major Elements ◽  
Rosetta Mission ◽  
Solar System Objects ◽  
Dust Composition ◽  
Solar Abundances ◽  
Molecular Abundances ◽  
Comet 67P

ABSTRACT Comets are considered to be some of the most pristine and unprocessed Solar system objects accessible to in situ exploration. Investigating their molecular and elemental composition takes us on a journey back to the early period of our Solar system and possibly even further. In this work, we deduce the bulk abundances of the major volatile species in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the target of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Rosetta mission. The basis are measurements obtained with the ROSINA instrument suite on board the Rosetta orbiter during a suitable period of high outgassing near perihelion. The results are combined with both gas and dust composition measurements published in the literature. This provides an integrated inventory of the major elements present in the nucleus of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Similar to comet 1P/Halley, which was visited by ESA’s Giotto spacecraft in 1986, comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko also shows near-solar abundances of oxygen and carbon, whereas hydrogen and nitrogen are depleted compared to solar. Still, the degree of devolatilization is lower than that of inner Solar system objects, including meteorites and the Earth. This supports the idea that comets are amongst the most pristine objects in our Solar system.

scholarly journals The in-situ exploration of Jupiter’s radiation belts

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elias Roussos ◽  
Oliver Allanson ◽  
Nicolas André ◽  
Bruna Bertucci ◽  
Graziella Branduardi-Raymont ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Design Science ◽  
High Energy ◽  
White Paper ◽  
Radiation Belts ◽  
Mission Design ◽  
Particle Radiation ◽  
Energetic Radiation ◽  
Space Environments

AbstractJupiter has the most complex and energetic radiation belts in our Solar System and one of the most challenging space environments to measure and characterize in-depth. Their hazardous environment is also a reason why so many spacecraft avoid flying directly through their most intense regions, thus explaining how Jupiter’s radiation belts have kept many of their secrets so well hidden, despite having been studied for decades. In this paper we argue why these secrets are worth unveiling. Jupiter’s radiation belts and the vast magnetosphere that encloses them constitute an unprecedented physical laboratory, suitable for interdisciplinary and novel scientific investigations: from studying fundamental high energy plasma physics processes which operate throughout the Universe, such as adiabatic charged particle acceleration and nonlinear wave-particle interactions, to exploiting the astrobiological consequences of energetic particle radiation. The in-situ exploration of the uninviting environment of Jupiter’s radiation belts presents us with many challenges in mission design, science planning, instrumentation, and technology. We address these challenges by reviewing the different options that exist for direct and indirect observations of this unique system. We stress the need for new instruments, the value of synergistic Earth and Jupiter-based remote sensing and in-situ investigations, and the vital importance of multi-spacecraft in-situ measurements. While simultaneous, multi-point in-situ observations have long become the standard for exploring electromagnetic interactions in the inner Solar System, they have never taken place at Jupiter or any strongly magnetized planet besides Earth. We conclude that a dedicated multi-spacecraft mission to Jupiter is an essential and obvious way forward for exploring the planet’s radiation belts. Besides guaranteeing numerous discoveries and huge leaps in our understanding of radiation belt systems, such a mission would also enable us to view Jupiter, its extended magnetosphere, moons, and rings under new light, with great benefits for space, planetary, and astrophysical sciences. For all these reasons, in-situ investigations of Jupiter’s radiation belts deserve to be given a high priority in the future exploration of our Solar System. This article is based on a White Paper submitted in response to the European Space Agency’s call for science themes for its Voyage 2050 programme.

scholarly journals THz and mid-IR spectroscopy of interstellar ice analogs: methyl and carboxylic acid groups

2014 ◽  
Vol 168 ◽  
pp. 461-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Ioppolo ◽  
B. A. McGuire ◽  
M. A. Allodi ◽  
G. A. Blake
Keyword(s):  
Functional Groups ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Fundamental Problem ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Complex Molecules ◽  
Interstellar Ice ◽  
Different Temperatures ◽  
History Of ◽  
Composition Structure ◽  
Complex Organic

A fundamental problem in astrochemistry concerns the synthesis and survival of complex organic molecules (COMs) throughout the process of star and planet formation. While it is generally accepted that most complex molecules and prebiotic species form in the solid phase on icy grain particles, a complete understanding of the formation pathways is still largely lacking. To take full advantage of the enormous number of available THz observations (e.g.,Herschel Space Observatory, SOFIA, and ALMA), laboratory analogs must be studied systematically. Here, we present the THz (0.3–7.5 THz; 10–250 cm−1) and mid–IR (400–4000 cm−1) spectra of astrophysically-relevant species that share the same functional groups, including formic acid (HCOOH) and acetic acid (CH3COOH), and acetaldehyde (CH3CHO) and acetone ((CH3)2CO), compared to more abundant interstellar molecules such as water (H2O), methanol (CH3OH), and carbon monoxide (CO). A suite of pure and mixed binary ices are discussed. The effects on the spectra due to the composition and the structure of the ice at different temperatures are shown. Our results demonstrate that THz spectra are sensitive to reversible and irreversible transformations within the ice caused by thermal processing, suggesting that THz spectra can be used to study the composition, structure, and thermal history of interstellar ices. Moreover, the THz spectrum of an individual species depends on the functional group(s) within that molecule. Thus, future THz studies of different functional groups will help in characterizing the chemistry and physics of the interstellar medium (ISM).

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