Origin of Molecular Oxygen in Comets: Current Knowledge and Perspectives
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Authors
Luspay-Kuti, A.
Mousis, O.
Lunine, J.I.
Ellinger, Y.
Pauzat, F.
Raut, U.
Bouquet, A.
Mandt, K.E.
Maggiolo, R.
Ronnet, T.
Brugger, B.
Ozgurel, O.
Fuselier, S.A.
Discipline
Physical sciences
Subject
Molecular oxygen
Comets
Radiolysis
Ice
Astrobiology
Audience
Scientific
Date
2018Metadata
Show full item recordDescription
The Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA) instrument onboard the Rosetta spacecraft has measured molecular oxygen (O2) in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/C-G) in surprisingly high abundances. These measurements mark the first unequivocal detection of O2 in a cometary environment. The large relative abundance of O2 in 67P/C-G despite its high reactivity and low interstellar abundance poses a puzzle for its origin in comet 67P/C-G, and potentially other comets. Since its detection, there have been a number of hypotheses put forward to explain the production and origin of O2 in the comet. These hypotheses cover a wide range of possibilities from various in situ production mechanisms to protosolar nebula and primordial origins. Here, we review the O2 formation mechanisms from the literature, and provide a comprehensive summary of the current state of knowledge of the sources and origin of cometary O2.
Citation
Luspay-Kuti, A.; Mousis, O.; Lunine, J.I.; Ellinger, Y.; Pauzat, F.; Raut, U.; Bouquet, A.; Mandt, K.E.; Maggiolo, R.; Ronnet, T.; Brugger, B.; Ozgurel, O.; Fuselier, S.A. (2018). Origin of Molecular Oxygen in Comets: Current Knowledge and Perspectives. , Space Science Reviews, Vol. 214, Issue 8, A115, DOI: 10.1007/s11214-018-0541-2.Identifiers
Type
Article
Peer-Review
Yes
Language
eng