Evolution of H₂O related species in the neutral coma of 67P

André Bieler (1) , Kathrin Altwegg (2, 3) , Hans Balsiger (2) , Akiva Bar-Nun (4) , Jean-Jacques Berthelier (5) , Peter Bochsler (2) , Christelle Briois (6) , Ursina Calmonte (2) , Michael Combi (1) , Johan de Keyser (7) , Ewine van Dishoeck (8) , Björn Fiethe (9) , Stephen Fuselier (10) , Sébastien Gasc (2) , Tamas I. Gombosi (1) , Kenneth Hansen (1) , Myrtha Hässig (10) , Annette Jäckel (2) , Ernest Kopp (2) , Axel Korth (11) , Léna Le Roy (2) , Urs Mall (11) , Romain Maggiolo (7) , Bernard Marty (12) , Olivier Mousis (13) , Tobias Owen (14) , Henri Rème (15) , Martin Rubin (2) , Thierry Sémon (2) , Chia-Yu Tzou (2) , Jack Waite (10) , Catherine Walsh (8) , Peter Wurz (2, 3)

1 AOSS - Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences [Ann Arbor]
2 Physikalisches Institut [Bern]
3 CSH - Center for Space and Habitability
4 TAU - Department of Geophysics [Tel Aviv]
5 PLANETO - LATMOS
6 LPC2E - Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace
7 BIRA-IASB - Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy / Institut d'Aéronomie Spatiale de Belgique
8 Leiden Observatory [Leiden]
9 IDA - Institute of Computer and Network Engineering [Braunschweig]
10 Space Science Division [San Antonio]
11 MPS - Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research
12 CRPG - Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques
13 UTINAM - Univers, Transport, Interfaces, Nanostructures, Atmosphère et environnement, Molécules (UMR 6213)
14 Institute for Astronomy [Honolulu]
15 IRAP - Institut de recherche en astrophysique et planétologie

The ROSINA-DFMS mass spectrometer has been probing the coma of 67P since the spacecraft arrived at the comet in August 2014. The acquired data set covers a large range of viewing geometries for the ever changing conditions of 67P along its journey to pericenter. With the high temporal resolution of ROSINA-DFMS we are able to examine diurnal and seasonal changes of different species in the gaseous coma. Large scale heterogeneities in the coma have been reported since the very first measurements of the neutral inventory at 67P. Many of the minor species are seen to follow one of the major compounds, H₂O, CO or CO₂. In this paper we will present the latest results on H₂O related species. We will discuss the possible trapping/building mechanisms responsible for these species and why it is different from other species such as CO, N₂ or CO₂.

Domains: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics [astro-ph.EP]; Solar and Stellar Astrophysics [astro-ph.SR]

André Bieler, Kathrin Altwegg, Hans Balsiger, Akiva Bar-Nun, Jean-Jacques Berthelier, et al.. Evolution of H₂O related species in the neutral coma of 67P. AGU Fall Meeting 2015, Dec 2015, San Francisco, United States. pp.P33E-01. ⟨insu-01248311⟩