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Deep Impact: excavating comet Tempel 1.
A'Hearn MF,
Belton MJ,
Delamere WA,
Kissel J,
Klaasen KP,
McFadden LA,
Meech KJ,
Melosh HJ,
Schultz PH,
Sunshine JM,
Thomas PC,
Veverka J,
Yeomans DK,
Baca MW,
Busko I,
Crockett CJ,
Collins SM,
Desnoyer M,
Eberhardy CA,
Ernst CM,
Farnham TL,
Feaga L,
Groussin O,
Hampton D,
Ipatov SI,
Li JY,
Lindler D,
Lisse CM,
Mastrodemos N,
Owen WM Jr,
Richardson JE,
Wellnitz DD,
White RL.
University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA. ma@astro.umd.edu
Deep Impact collided with comet Tempel 1, excavating a crater controlled by gravity. The comet's outer layer is composed of 1- to 100-micrometer fine particles with negligible strength (<65 pascals). Local gravitational field and average nucleus density (600 kilograms per cubic meter) are estimated from ejecta fallback. Initial ejecta were hot (>1000 kelvins). A large increase in organic material occurred during and after the event, with smaller changes in carbon dioxide relative to water. On approach, the spacecraft observed frequent natural outbursts, a mean radius of 3.0 +/- 0.1 kilometers, smooth and rough terrain, scarps, and impact craters. A thermal map indicates a surface in equilibrium with sunlight.
PMID: 16150978 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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