Spectrophotometric Properties of Geologically Young Regions on Ceres

Introduction: Results from the Dawn mission showed us an aqueously altered cryovolcanic world of Ceres, maybe a relict Ocean World [1, 2]. Geological studies suggested brine-driven features, including the cryovolcanic dome Ahuna Mons [3] and the Cerealia and Vinalia Faculae, which are carbonate- and chloride-rich evaporites [4] formed from brine extrusion with evidence of recent activity [5]. In addition, the Haulani crater is among the youngest impact features on Ceres [6], potentially excavating relatively fresh, volatile-rich subsurface materials with distinctly bright and blue spectral characteristics [7]. In this study, we focus on the spectrophotometric properties of the geologically young features, aiming to characterize Ceres's regolith evolution and better understand the cryovolcanic processes. Here we report the preliminary results of the Haulani crater (latitude -3º to 14º, longitude 0º to 20º) and Ahuna Mons regions (latitude -17º to -3º, longitude 308º - 322º). Data: We used the multiband images of Ceres collected by the Dawn Framing Camera with pixel scales , with rmeasure and rmodel being the measured and modeled reflectance, respectively, N being the number of data points, and being the average measured reflectance, is 4-9%, compared to 4-6% of the global model [11], suggesting a reasonably good fit. The similar results for the background ROIs in all bands in the two regions indicate consistent model fitting across all ROIs. However, the 0º roughness parameter retrieved for the Ahuna Mons ROI in some bands is probably problematic, as also indicated by the relatively high model RMS for this ROI. Figure 2. Modeled Hapke parameters for all ROIs in the Haulani crater region (a) and the Ahuna Mons region (b). A comparison of all ROIs suggests that: 1) The photometric properties in the Haulani crater region are more diverse than those in the Ahuna Mons region. 2) The albedo spectra of all ROIs show a spectral feature centered in the 750 nm filter with varying characteristics. The nature of this feature is unclear. We further calculated the spectral slopes of the SSA and the g-parameter (excluding 440 nm) to quantify the color and phase reddening of all ROIs. Conclusion and Discussion: Our results suggest that these ROIs likely form a trend, with the Haulani crater floor and Ahuna Mons as exceptions (Fig. 3). The apparent trendline of roughness vs. SSA is opposite of what was usually observed in asteroids caused by multiple scattering into shadows. What this trend means to Ceres's regolith is still under investigation. On the other hand, the Haulani crater floor material is clearly below the trendline. Ahuna Mons is below the trendline, but the fitted 0º roughness is dubious. Fig. 3b shows that the trendline is primarily formed by the ROIs in the Haulani crater region. The points of the Ahuna Mons region ROIs cluster near the background. The Haulani crater floor and Ahuna Mons are clearly out of the trendline. Given the much younger geological age of the Haulani crater region of ~2 Ma [6] than that of the Ahuna Mons region (~200 Ma for Ahuna Mons [3], ~600 Ma for Yalode ejecta [13]), if the trendline represents an evolutionary sequence, then the corresponding timescale is around several Ma. Figure 3. Roughness parameter vs. SSA for all ROIs at all bands (a) and the spectral slope of the g-parameter vs. that of the SSA (b). The dashed lines represent eye-balled trendlines. We note that our results presented here are preliminary. The statistical significance of the trendline needs to be further accessed from the model uncertainties. But overall, such an evolutionary trend is in line with the previous results about the regolith evolution caused by the devolatilization of ice-rich materials near young craters [14, 15]. Acknowledgments: This research is supported by NASA Grant #80NSSC21K1017 and partially by the SSERVI16 Cooperative Agreement (#NNH16ZDA001N), SSERVI-TREX. References: [1] Hendrix, A.R., et al., 2019, Astrobiology 19, 1; [2] De Sanctis, M.C., et al. 2020a, SSR 216, 60; [3] Ruesch, O., et al., 2016, Science 353, 1005; [4] Raponi, A., et al., 2019. Icarus 320, 83; [5] De Sanctis, M.C., et al. 2020b, Nature Astron. 4, 786; [6] Krohn, K., et al., 2018, Icarus 316, 84; [7] Schröder, S.E., et al., 2017, Icarus 288, 201; [8] Schröder, S.E., et al., 2013, Icarus 226, 1304; [9] Schröder, S.E., et al., 2014, Icarus 234, 99; [10] Roatsch et al. 2017, DAWN-A-FC2-5- CERESLAMODTMSPG-V1.0, NASA Planetary Data System; [11] Li, J.-Y., et al., 2019, Icarus 322, 144; [12] Helfenstein, P., Veverka, J., 1989, In: Asteroids II, 557; [13] Crown, D.A. et al. 2018, Icarus 316, 167; [14] Stephan, K., et al., 2017, GRL 44, 1660; [15] Schröder, S.E., et al., 2021, Nature Comm. 12, 274

Determination of the light curve of the Rosetta target asteroid (2867) Steins by the OSIRIS cameras onboard Rosetta

7 pp.-- Article published by EDP Sciences and available at http://www.aanda.org or http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20066694.-- Table 2 is only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org.[Context] In 2004 asteroid (2867) Steins has been selected as a flyby target for the Rosetta mission. Determination of its spin period and the orientation of its rotation axis are essential for optimization of the flyby planning.[Aims] Measurement of the rotation period and light curve of asteroid (2867) Steins at a phase angle larger than achievable from ground based observations, providing a high quality data set to contribute to the determination of the orientation of the spin axis and of the pole direction.[Methods] On March 11, 2006, asteroid (2867) Steins was observed continuously for 24 h with the scientific camera system OSIRIS onboard Rosetta. The phase angle was 41.7 degrees, larger than the maximum phase angle of 30 degrees when Steins is observed from Earth. A total of 238 images, covering four rotation periods without interruption, were acquired.[Results] The light curve of (2867) Steins is double peaked with an amplitude of ≈0.23 mag. The rotation period is 6.052 ± 0.007 h. The continuous observations over four rotation periods exclude the possibility of period ambiguities. There is no indication of deviation from a principal axis rotation state. Assuming a slope parameter of G = 0.15, the absolute visual magnitude of Steins is 13.05 ± 0.03.The OSIRIS imaging system on board Rosetta is managed by the Max-Planck-Intitute for Solar System Research in Katlenburg-Lindau (Germany), thanks to an International collaboration between Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Sweden. The support of the national funding agencies DLR, CNES, ASI, MEC, and SNSB is gratefully acknowledged. We acknowledge the work of the Rosetta Science Operations Centre at ESA/ESTEC and of the Rosetta Mission Operations Centre at ESA/ESOC who made these observations possible on short notation and operated the spacecraft. S.C.L. acknowledges support from the Leverhulme Trust. This research made use of JPL’s online ephemeris generator (HORIZONS).Peer reviewe

Irregular Moons of the Giant Planets: Potential for Observations by Spacecraft

While the first Irregular moon of a giant planet has been found on photographic plates in 1899 (Phoebe), and another ten (also through photography) until 1975, the vast majority of discoveries (now with CCDs) started no earlier than 1997, with big advances in the early noughties (almost 100 moons) and again since 2017 (well over 100 objects). Ground-based observations are important for discoveries and the determination of orbital elements and physical properties like brightness (size) and colors. However, there are geometric limits – mainly the restriction to low phase angles (25 mag), which requires large telescopes difficult to access over long periods of time. With spacecraft orbiting a giant planet, i.e. at distances at the order of 10e7 km to the Irregulars, long-duration observations to obtain lightcurves can be performed for numerous objects. Even with just one observation session over many hours and a bit of luck, a synodic rotation period at the accuracy of minutes may be deduced. With multiple observations, sidereal periods at millisecond-accuracy level, unambiguous pole solutions, and low-order convex-shape models might be obtained. Furthermore, phase curves up to >50° phase angle (for some objects even >100°, on particularly favorable geometries) can be measured. This is possible because a giant-planet orbiter revolves inside the orbits of the Irregular moons, and the Solar phase angles may in principle reach any value from 0° to 180°. Such an Irregular moons campaign has been performed for the first time with Cassini's Narrow Angle Camera while in orbit around Saturn (Denk & Mottola 2019, Icarus), providing 24 new rotation periods of Saturnian Irregulars and about a dozen sidereal periods, pole solutions, shape models, and phase curves. A similar campaign is under consideration for the Juice mission with the JANUS camera, which has the potential for an even larger sample of Jovian Irregulars. The poster will discuss the options and limits for spacecraft-based observations of Irregular moons while orbiting Jupiter or another giant planet. Beyond unresolved observations, upcoming missions to the gas and ice giant planets should also attempt close flybys of an Irregular moon, as has been done by Cassini at Phoebe in 2004. Best opportunities might occur prior to orbit insertion or during the first (large) orbits

Investigating the DART Impact Event with the Lucy LOng Range Reconnaissance Imager

NASA’s Lucy mission is the first to provide flyby reconnaissance of the Jovian trojan asteroids, which are thought to be primordial small bodies that formed at a variety of heliocentric distances during the early stages of the solar system’s formation and were subsequently captured into Jupiter’s L4 and L5 Lagrange stability zones. Since its successful launch on 2021-Oct-16, the Lucy spacecraft has been orbiting the sun within the inner solar system. On 2022-Oct-16, Lucy executes the first of three Earth Gravity Assists (EGAs) that put the spacecraft on the correct trajectory to achieve its encounters with the Jovian trojans. The DART kinetic impact on the secondary body of the Didymos-Dimorphos binarysystem occurs 20 days prior to EGA1, at a time when the Lucy spacecraft is well-placed to observe it. Lucy carries a sensitive panchromatic camera, the Lucy LOng Range Reconnaissance Imager (L’LORRI), which is capable of detecting the binary system with high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and with temporal cadences as fast as once per second. The observing geometry from Lucy is similar to that from the Earth: the range to the Didymos system is 0.126 au from Lucy vs 0.0757 au from Earth, and the solar phase angle is 31.9 deg vs 53.2 deg. The L’LORRI investigation of the DART impact event is divided into eight separate observational phases, starting 12 hr before the impact and ending 24 hr afterwards. L’LORRI cannot resolve the binary, but instead records the total brightness, which is expected to increase after the DART impact due to reflected sunlight from the ejecta. The first two phases are designed to obtain baseline photometry of the Didymos system covering both the Didymos-Dimorphos mutual orbit period (11.92 hr) and the rotational period of Didymos (2.26 hr). Phase 3 covers the impact event itself at one second cadence, starting 3 minutes beforeimpact and ending 4 minutes afterwards. Lucy has a clear view of the predicted DART impact site, theoretically enablingL’LORRI to detect an optical flash in the unlikely event it is brighter than Didymos itself. L’LORRI observations during phases 4 through 8 are designed to monitor the temporal and spatial evolution of ejecta associated with the impact event, but ejecta don’t leave the central pixel during Lucy’s observing period unless their speed is greater than about 2 m/s

CO2-driven surface changes in the Hapi region on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Between 2014 December 31 and 2015 March 17, the OSIRIS cameras on Rosetta documented the growth of a 140 m wide and 0.5 m deep depression in the Hapi region on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. This shallow pit is one of several that later formed elsewhere on the comet, all in smooth terrain that primarily is the result of airfall of coma particles. We have compiled observations of this region in Hapi by the microwave instrument MIRO on Rosetta, acquired during October and November 2014. We use thermophysical and radiative transfer models in order to reproduce the MIRO observations. This allows us to place constraints on the thermal inertia, diffusivity, chemical composition, stratification, extinction coefficients, and scattering properties of the surface material, and how they evolved during the months prior to pit formation. The results are placed in context through long-term comet nucleus evolution modelling. We propose that: 1) MIRO observes signatures that are consistent with a solid-state greenhouse effect in airfall material; 2) CO2 ice is sufficiently close to the surface to have a measurable effect on MIRO antenna temperatures, and likely is responsible for the pit formation in Hapi observed by OSIRIS; 3) the pressure at the CO2 sublimation front is sufficiently strong to expel dust and water ice outwards, and to compress comet material inwards, thereby causing the near-surface compaction observed by CONSERT, SESAME, and groundbased radar, manifested as the 'consolidated terrain' texture observed by OSIRIS

Lucy Mission to the Trojan Asteroids: Science Goals

The Lucy Mission is a NASA Discovery-class mission to send a highly capable and robust spacecraft to investigate seven primitive bodies near both the L4 and L5 Lagrange points with Jupiter: the Jupiter Trojan asteroids. These planetesimals from the outer planetary system have been preserved since early in solar system history. The Lucy mission will fly by and extensively study a diverse selection of Trojan asteroids, including all the recognized taxonomic classes, a collisional family member, and a near equal-mass binary. It will visit objects with diameters ranging from roughly 1 km to 100 km. The payload suite consists of a color camera and infrared imaging spectrometer, a high-resolution panchromatic imager, and a thermal infrared spectrometer. Additionally, two spacecraft subsystems will also contribute to the science investigations: the terminal tracking cameras will supplement imaging during closest approach and the telecommunication subsystem will be used to measure the mass of the Trojans. The science goals are derived from the 2013 Planetary Decadal Survey and include determining the surface composition, assessing the geology, determining the bulk properties, and searching for satellites and rings

On understanding multi-instrument Rosetta data of the innermost dust and gas coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko - results, strengths, and limitations of models

Numerical models are powerful tools for understanding the connection between the emitted gas and dust from the surface of comets and the subsequent expansion into space where remote sensing instruments can perform measurements. We will present such a predictive model which can provide synthetic measurements for multiple instruments on board ESA's Rosetta mission to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (hereafter 67P). We will demonstrate why a multi instrument approach is essential and how models can be used to constrain the gas and dust source distribution on the surface

The Comet Interceptor Mission

Here we describe the novel, multi-point Comet Interceptor mission. It is dedicated to the exploration of a little-processed long-period comet, possibly entering the inner Solar System for the first time, or to encounter an interstellar object originating at another star. The objectives of the mission are to address the following questions: What are the surface composition, shape, morphology, and structure of the target object? What is the composition of the gas and dust in the coma, its connection to the nucleus, and the nature of its interaction with the solar wind? The mission was proposed to the European Space Agency in 2018, and formally adopted by the agency in June 2022, for launch in 2029 together with the Ariel mission. Comet Interceptor will take advantage of the opportunity presented by ESA’s F-Class call for fast, flexible, low-cost missions to which it was proposed. The call required a launch to a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L2 point. The mission can take advantage of this placement to wait for the discovery of a suitable comet reachable with its minimum ΔV capability of 600 ms−1. Comet Interceptor will be unique in encountering and studying, at a nominal closest approach distance of 1000 km, a comet that represents a near-pristine sample of material from the formation of the Solar System. It will also add a capability that no previous cometary mission has had, which is to deploy two sub-probes – B1, provided by the Japanese space agency, JAXA, and B2 – that will follow different trajectories through the coma. While the main probe passes at a nominal 1000 km distance, probes B1 and B2 will follow different chords through the coma at distances of 850 km and 400 km, respectively. The result will be unique, simultaneous, spatially resolved information of the 3-dimensional properties of the target comet and its interaction with the space environment. We present the mission’s science background leading to these objectives, as well as an overview of the scientific instruments, mission design, and schedule

Lightcurves of Lucy Targets: Leucus and Polymele

We present new observations from 2016 of two Jupiter Trojan asteroids that are targets for the Lucy Discovery mission. The extremely long rotation period of (11351) Leucus is confirmed and refined to a secure value of 445.732 ± 0.021 hr with photometric parameters of H r = 11.046 ± 0.003 and G r = 0.58 ± 0.02 in the SDSS r' filter. This leads to a geometric albedo of p V = 4.7%. The amplitude of the light curve was measured to be 0.61 mag, unchanged from the value of one-fourth of a revolution earlier, suggesting a low obliquity. The first light-curve observations for (15094) Polymele are also presented. This object is revealed to have a much shorter rotation period of 5.8607 ± 0.0005 hr with a very low amplitude of 0.09 mag. Its photometric parameters are H r = 11.691 ± 0.002 and G r = 0.22 ± 0.02. These values lead to a refined geometric albedo of p V = 7.3%. This object is either nearly spherical or was being viewed nearly pole-on in 2016. Further observations are required to fully determine the spin pole orientation and convex-hull shapes

Study of the physical properties of selected active objects in the main belt and surrounding regions by broadband photometry

Dynamically different groups of comets and active asteroids with orbits at 2 - 5 a. u. show dust activity in varying degrees and forms. Photometric study and comparison of physical parameters can help to classify mechanisms and nature of the activity for such objects. We present new observations using broadband photometry of 15 active objects in the main asteroid belt and surrounding regions obtained during 2012 – 2016. The study aims to compare the physical properties of main-belt comets (MBCs), quasi-Hilda comets (QHCs), and active asteroids (AAs). The observations were carried out with the 0.7-m telescope of the Kyiv Comet Station, Ukraine, and with the 1.23-m telescope at the Calar Alto Observatory, Spain, using BVR broadband filters. Upper limits for the nuclear radii, A f ρ parameters, and color indices were measured. The results of 2012 – 2016 observations suggest that there exist systematic differences in the physical parameters of MBCs and QHCs