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The morphology and surface processes of Comet 19/P Borrelly |
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| Authors: | DT Britt DC Boice H Campins J Oberst SA Stern N Thomas |
| Institution: | a University of Central Florida, Department of Physics, PO Box 162385, Orlando, FL 32816-2385, USA b Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 400, Boulder, CO 80302, USA c Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA d German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Space Sensor Technology and Planetary Exploration, Rutherfordstr. 2, D-12489 Berlin, Germany e Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA f United States Geological Survey Astrogeology Branch, 2255 North Gemini Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA g Department of Space Research and Planetology, Physikalisches Institut, Sidlerstr. 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland |
| Abstract: | The flyby of the nucleus of the Comet 19P/Borrelly by the Deep Space 1 spacecraft produced the best views to date of the surface of these interesting objects. It transformed Borrelly from an astronomical object shrouded in coma of gas and dust into a geological object with complex surface processes and a rich history of erosion and landform evolution. Based on analysis of the highest resolution images, stereo images, photometry, and albedo we have mapped four major morphological units and four terrain features. The morphological units are named dark spots, mottled terrain, mesas, and smooth terrain. The features are named ridges, troughs, pits, and hills. In strong contrast to asteroids, unambiguous impact craters were not observed on Borrelly's surface. Because of the relatively short period of this comet, surface erosion by volatile sublimation is, in geologic terms, a very active process. The formation and the morphologies of units and features appear to be driven by differential rates of sublimation erosion. Erosional rates across the comet are probably controlled by solar energy input and the location of the subsolar point during perihelion. Differences in energy input may produce different varieties of sublimation erosional landforms. The terrains on Borrelly suggest that solar energy input could map directly into erosional processes and landforms. |
| Keywords: | Comets Geological processes Regoliths Surfaces comets |
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