Volatiles in the H$_2$O and CO$_2$ ices of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

TL;DR

This study analyzes the volatile composition of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko using Rosetta data, revealing that highly volatile molecules are trapped in H2O and CO2 ices, with implications for understanding cometary evolution.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the trapping and release of volatile molecules in comet 67P's ices, based on in-situ measurements and laboratory comparisons.

Findings

Highly volatile species are trapped in H2O and CO2 ices.

Most volatile-rich ices were likely lost due to thermal processing.

Seasonal frost of CO2 sublimates, affecting volatile release patterns.

Abstract

ESA's Rosetta spacecraft at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P) was the first mission that accompanied a comet over a substantial fraction of its orbit. On board was the ROSINA mass spectrometer suite to measure the local densities of the volatile species sublimating from the ices inside the comet's nucleus. Understanding the nature of these ices was a key goal of Rosetta. We analyzed the primary cometary molecules at 67P, namely H$_2$O and CO$_2$, together with a suite of minor species for almost the entire mission. Our investigation reveals that the local abundances of highly volatile species, such as CH$_4$ and CO, are reproduced by a linear combination of both H$_2$O and CO$_2$ densities. These findings bear similarities to laboratory-based temperature programmed desorption experiments of amorphous ices and imply that highly volatile species are trapped in H$_2$O and CO$_2$ ices. Our results do not show the presence of ices dominated by these highly volatile molecules. Most likely, they were lost due to thermal processing of 67P's interior prior to its deflection to the inner solar system. Deviations in the proportions co-released with H$_2$O and CO$_2$ can only be observed before the inbound equinox, when the comet was still far from the sun and the abundance of highly volatile molecules associated with CO$_2$ outgassing were lower. The corresponding CO$_2$ is likely seasonal frost, which sublimated and lost its trapped highly volatile species before re-freezing during the previous apparition. CO, on the other hand, was elevated during the same time and requires further investigation.