RESUMO
The Rosetta spacecraft has investigated comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from large heliocentric distances to its perihelion passage and beyond. We trace the seasonal and diurnal evolution of the colors of the 67P nucleus, finding changes driven by sublimation and recondensation of water ice. The whole nucleus became relatively bluer near perihelion, as increasing activity removed the surface dust, implying that water ice is widespread underneath the surface. We identified large (1500 square meters) ice-rich patches appearing and then vanishing in about 10 days, indicating small-scale heterogeneities on the nucleus. Thin frosts sublimating in a few minutes are observed close to receding shadows, and rapid variations in color are seen on extended areas close to the terminator. These cyclic processes are widespread and lead to continuously, slightly varying surface properties.
RESUMO
Images obtained by the Optical, Spectroscopic, and Infrared Remote Imaging System (OSIRIS) cameras onboard the Rosetta spacecraft reveal that asteroid 21 Lutetia has a complex geology and one of the highest asteroid densities measured so far, 3.4 ± 0.3 grams per cubic centimeter. The north pole region is covered by a thick layer of regolith, which is seen to flow in major landslides associated with albedo variation. Its geologically complex surface, ancient surface age, and high density suggest that Lutetia is most likely a primordial planetesimal. This contrasts with smaller asteroids visited by previous spacecraft, which are probably shattered bodies, fragments of larger parents, or reaccumulated rubble piles.
RESUMO
The European Space Agency's Rosetta mission encountered the main-belt asteroid (2867) Steins while on its way to rendezvous with comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Images taken with the OSIRIS (optical, spectroscopic, and infrared remote( )imaging system) cameras on board Rosetta show that Steins is an oblate body with an effective spherical diameter of 5.3 kilometers. Its surface does not show color variations. The morphology of Steins is dominated by linear faults and a large 2.1-kilometer-diameter crater near its south pole. Crater counts reveal a distinct lack of small craters. Steins is not solid rock but a rubble pile and has a conical appearance that is probably the result of reshaping due to Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack (YORP) spin-up. The OSIRIS images constitute direct evidence for the YORP effect on a main-belt asteroid.
RESUMO
We report on thin-film photodetectors optimized for detecting the vacuum UV and rejection of the visible spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. The devices are made of hydrogenated amorphous silicon and silicon carbide on a glass substrate. At room temperature the photodetectors exhibit quantum efficiencies of 52% at lambda = 58.4 nm, 1% at lambda = 400 nm, and 0.1% at lambda = 650 nm. The response time for UV pulses from an N(2) laser gives signals of 6-mus full width at half-maximum and 500-ns rise time.
RESUMO
The optical performances of the spectrometer assembly for the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory mission have been tested. The flight unit of the spectrometer assembly, consisting of the structure equipped with the entrance slits assembly, the grating drive mechanisms mounting two toroidal gratings, and the photon-counting detectors, has been integrated and aligned; also the flight unit of the White Light Channel has been integrated and aligned in the spectrometer assembly. Tests with both visible and UV radiation have been performed. Aberration and stray-light measurements have shown that the instrument performs satisfactorily, almost in compliance with the scientific requirements; also some measurements of the polarimeter modulation curve and the relative error have shown performances within the specified requirements.
