Cometary coma dust size distribution from in situ IR spectra

Abstract

Dust is the most abundant component in cometary comae. Here, we investigate the dust size distribution in 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/CG) using data from the Rosetta spacecraft that was in close proximity to the comet from 2014 August to 2016 September. The Visual, Infrared and Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS-M), spectral range of 0.25–5 μm, and the Grain Impact Analyser and Dust Accumulator (GIADA), both part of the Rosetta payload, together provide a powerful means to characterize the dust coma properties. On March 28, Rosetta performed a flyby close to the nucleus that allowed GIADA to detect a large amount of dust particles used to constraint the differential size distribution power-law index of −2.2 ± 0.3. In April 2015, VIRTIS-M observed the spectral radiance in the wavelength range of 1–5 μm. A simple radiative transfer model has been applied to simulate the VIRTIS-M radiances, thus allowing to infer the dust properties. We assumed an optically thin dust coma and spherical amorphous carbon particles in the size range between 0.1 to 1000 μm. We obtained the infrared data best fit with a differential dust size distribution power-law index of −3.1+−30.1. This index matches the one determined using GIADA March 2015 data indicating that, before perihelion, the inner coma radiance is dominated by particles larger than 10 μm; and the dust coma did not change its properties during most of the 67P/CG inbound orbit.