Comet 67P outbursts and quiescent coma at 1.3 AU from the Sun: dust properties from Rosetta/VIRTIS-H observations

TL;DR

This study analyzes dust properties of comet 67P during outbursts at 1.3 AU using Rosetta/VIRTIS-H spectra, revealing small grains, bright ejecta, and compositional insights, enhancing understanding of cometary activity.

Contribution

First detailed spectroscopic analysis of 67P's outbursts at 1.3 AU, linking dust properties to outburst mechanisms and composition.

Findings

Outbursts produce very small grains (≤100 nm) in ejecta.

Dust ejecta have high albedo (~0.7), indicating bright grains.

No water ice absorption detected during outbursts.

Abstract

We present 2-5 $\mu$m spectroscopic observations of the dust coma of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko obtained with the VIRTIS-H instrument onboard Rosetta during two outbursts that occurred on 2015, 13 September 13.6 h UT and 14 September 18.8 h UT at 1.3 AU from the Sun. Scattering and thermal properties measured before the outburst are in the mean of values measured for moderately active comets. The colour temperature excess (or superheat factor) can be attributed to submicrometre-sized particles composed of absorbing material or to porous fractal-like aggregates such as those collected by the Rosetta in situ dust instruments. The power law index of the dust size distribution is in the range 2-3. The sudden increase of infrared emission associated to the outbursts is correlated with a large increase of the colour temperature (from 300 K to up to 630 K) and a change of the dust colour at 2-2.5 $\mu$m from red to blue colours, revealing the presence of very small grains ($\leq$ 100 nm) in the outburst material. In addition, the measured large bolometric albedos ($\sim$ 0.7) indicate bright grains in the ejecta, which could either be silicatic grains, implying the thermal degradation of the carbonaceous material, or icy grains. The 3-$\mu$m absorption band from water ice is not detected in the spectra acquired during the outbursts, whereas signatures of organic compounds near 3.4 $\mu$m are observed in emission. The H$_2$O 2.7-$\mu$m and CO$_2$ 4.3-$\mu$m vibrational bands do not show any enhancement during the outbursts.