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In a recent five-part video compilation Dr Franklin Anariba,
a specialist in electrochemistry offered his extensive analysis
of several papers from the Rosetta mission to comet 67P.
Among the findings Dr. Anariba discussed, was the discovery of electric fields
and fast moving electrons close to the comet nucleus
and the evidence that electrochemical processes
may be responsible for the production of watermolecules in the comet's coma.
In January, science news headlines stated that ESA scientists
have observed so-called exposed water ice on the comet surface.
However, the term exposed water-ice betrays the ongoing assumption
that large amounts of ice exist beneath the exterior of the nucleus.
We asked Dr. Anariba for his thoughts on this development with the Rosetta mission.
This summary is based on the recent publication titled Exposed water ice
on the nucleus of comet 67P/ Churyamov-Gerasimenko by Filacchione et al..
published in the journal Nature in January of this year.
The manuscript focuses on two icy areas displaying bright albedo patches
on the walls of elevated cliffs and debris falls of bedrock material
at the bottom of cliffs in the Imhotep region.
The technique used for the analysis was absorption spectroscopy
in the visible to infrared wavelength from 0.25 to 5 μm,
through the Visible Infra-Red Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) instrument.
The authors attribute prominent spectral features
at λ of 1.05, 1.25, 1.5, 2.0, and 3.0 μm
as representative of the presence of water ice,
while the wavelength at 3.2 μm is interpreted as
corresponding to the presence of organic material.
Temporal analysis and modelling was performed on the obtained data
to derive water-ice abundance maps and grain size in a quantitative manner.
Best fitting results indicate the presence of pure water ice grains
with an average diameter of 2 mm (corresponding to 1.2%)
and an intimate mixture of water ice grains with an average diameter of 56 μm
(corresponding to 3.4%) with dark organic material (corresponding to 95.4%).
To put it in a broader context, the amount of surface water content reported
corresponds to only 4.6% of the overall analysed area
which is in the range of a few tens of meters across.
Based on their results, the authors conclude the following:
1. These different icy grain populations correspond to different growth mechanisms
operating at different spatial and time scales.
2. Micrometre size ice grains are due to vapour recondensation.
3. Millimetre size ice grains can be explained by vapour diffusion
from deeper and ice-rich colder layers.
4. Stratification "would be the result of cometary evolution processes
rather than a remnant of the nucleus formation scenario."
The underlying assumption is still based on a nucleus comprised of icy water
and other icy volatiles with a protective organic
and refractory material outermost layer that is mixed with water ice content.
The data for this publication as well as the reported findings of surface water ice
at the Hopi region and findings through the OSIRIS instrument
are from 2014, months before perihelion.
I will suspect that by now data from the perihelion point is already being analysed.
Hopefully, reports will start coming out soon whereby the water content
in the coma as observed by MIRO instrument can be reconciled
with surface water presence on the nucleus.
Of utmost importance is to correlate surface water ice presence
with the point of origination of observed dust and volatiles jets.
For the condensation-sublimation model to retain consideration,
it will be necessary to link water ice from the nucleus,
whether exposed on the surface or at the subsurface level,
with water presence on the coma via the observed jets.
Additionally, it will be helpful to identify subsurface pressure chambers of volatiles
through the localization of vents from which jets can be clearly seen to originate.
Otherwise, other models of cometary action will have to be strongly considered.
All of these difficulties arise due to the dark and dried surface of the nucleus of 67P.
It is a pleasant surprise to read that the author consider cometary evolutionary processes,
which indicates to me their realization that cometary phenomena is rather complex.
Having realized the complexity, I have previously proposed
the presence of competing mechanisms in action in cometary bodies
for the production of water and volatiles.
These are: 1. Sublimation of volatiles from the nucleus
provided these are present on the nucleus.
2. Water formation on the surface of refractory material due to proton implantation.
3. Water and organic material formation due to electrochemical action.
It is important to highlight that charge separation, the presence of electric fields,
a voltage differential, and ion reconcentration due to electric fields,
lend support to this mechanism.
The current manuscript then falls within the first mechanism.
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