[Report] The structure of the regolith on 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from ROLIS descent imaging

The structure of the upper layer of a comet is a product of its surface activity. The Rosetta Lander Imaging System (ROLIS) on board Philae acquired close-range images of the Agilkia site during its descent onto comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. These images reveal a photometrically uniform surface covered by regolith composed of debris and blocks ranging in size from centimeters to 5 meters. At the highest resolution of 1 centimeter per pixel, the surface appears granular, with no apparent deposits of unresolved sand-sized particles. The thickness of the regolith varies across the imaged field from 0 to 1 to 2 meters. The presence of aeolian-like features resembling wind tails hints at regolith mobilization and erosion processes. Modeling suggests that abrasion driven by airfall-induced particle “splashing” is responsible for the observed formations. Authors: S. Mottola, G. Arnold, H.-G. Grothues, R. Jaumann, H. Michaelis, G. Neukum, J.-P. Bibring, S. E. Schröder, M. Hamm, K. A. Otto, I. Pelivan, G. Proffe, F. Scholten, D. Tirsch, M. Kreslavsky, E. Remetean, F. Souvannavong, B. Dolives

from Science: Current Issue
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/349/6247/aab0232.summary?rss=1

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