Department: “ASTEROIDS and COMETS” X. Report …...in the Asteroids III book, and is further updated on a regular basis; it can be accessed via a clickable list with entries for

Asteroids

Space Missions MODELS

Technology

Comets

Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. German Aerospace Center Institut für Planetenforschung Institute of Planetary Research

DDeeppaarrttmmeenntt:: ““AASSTTEERROOIIDDSS aanndd CCOOMMEETTSS”” XX.. RReeppoorrtt 22000066//22000077

http://solarsystem.dlr.de

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From left to right Dr. Ekkehard Kührt [email protected] Section leader Dr. Alan W. Harris [email protected] Deputy section leader Dr. Gerhard Hahn [email protected] Scientific staff member Nikolaos Gortsas [email protected] PhD student Dr. Stefano Mottola [email protected] Scientific staff member Dr. Detlef de Niem [email protected] Scientific staff member Dr. Jörg Knollenberg [email protected] Scientific staff member Not appearing in the photo: Prof. Uwe Motschmann [email protected] Guest scientist Dr. Carmen Tornow [email protected] Scientific staff member Dr. Michael Solbrig [email protected] Engineer

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1 Introduction (Kührt) .................................................................................................. 4 2 Asteroid Science ....................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Investigations of the physical properties of asteroids with the Spitzer Space

Telescope (Harris, Müller)....................................................................................... 4 2.2 Asteroid thermal modelling (Mueller, Harris) .......................................................... 5 2.3 Spectroscopic observations of 12 NEAs with UKIRT (Harris) .................................... 6 2.4 Asteroid search and follow-up programmes (Hahn)................................................ 6 3 Comet science.......................................................................................................... 7 3.1 Thermo-physical modeling of cometary nuclei with moving ice boundaries

(Gortsas, Kührt, Motschmann)............................................................................... 7 3.2 Hybrid Simulation Studies of Anisotropic Cometary Plasma Sources (Gortsas,

Motschmann, Kührt, Knollenberg ) ........................................................................ 7 4 Primitive bodies and the planetary system ................................................................. 8 4.1 Impact phenomena (de Niem, Kührt, Motschmann) ............................................... 8 4.2 From the Solar Nebula to minor bodies (Tornow, Kührt, Motschmann)................. 10 5 Space Missions ....................................................................................................... 11 5.1 BepiColombo-MERTIS (Knollenberg) ................................................................... 11 5.2 Rosetta-Mupus (Knollenberg) .............................................................................. 11 5.3 DAWN (Mottola, Kührt)....................................................................................... 12 5.4 Don Quijote: A hazardous asteroid mitigation pre-cursor mission (Harris) ............. 12 6 Technology projects................................................................................................ 13 6.1 HP3 (Knollenberg)................................................................................................ 13 6.2 FIREWATCH (Kührt, Knollenberg, Behnke) ........................................................... 13 7 Scientific Prospects ................................................................................................. 14 7.1 HGF-Alliance (Tornow, Kührt, Motschmann, Harris) ............................................. 14 7.2 AsteroidFinder (Mottola, Kührt, Hahn, Michaelis, Harris) ...................................... 15 8 Appendix................................................................................................................ 16 8.1 Scientific publications in refereed journals and books (submitted or published

2006-2007)......................................................................................................... 16 8.2 Scientific publications in other journals and proceedings (published 2006-2007) .. 18 8.3 Minor Planet Circulars/Electronic Circulars............................................................ 18 8.4 Publications in the popular literature and public outreach .................................... 20 8.5 Observing Campaigns 2006, 2007....................................................................... 21 8.6 Space mission responsibilities............................................................................... 21 8.7 Space Mission proposals ...................................................................................... 22 8.8 Other events and activities................................................................................... 22 8.9 Funding sources .................................................................................................. 22

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1 Introduction (Kührt)

This 10th annual report describes the research results of the “Asteroids and Comets” Department of the Institute of Planetary Research (PF) of the DLR (German Aerospace Center) during the years 2006 and 2007. Presently, the Department consists of 8 scientists, 1 PhD student, 1 diploma student and two guest scientists, one from the University of Padua, Italy, and one from the Technical University Braunschweig. Our scientific goal is to investigate minor bodies in the Solar System by observing them in the visible and infrared wavelength ranges, defining and contributing to relevant space missions and modelling physical processes associated with this class of object. Other fields of interest are risk evaluation of impacts of Near Earth Objects (NEOs) on our home planet, the origin of life and the transfer of space technology to solve environmental problems on Earth.

Scientific interest in the minor bodies of the Solar System is focussed mainly on their crucial role in the formation of the planets and the development of life. Asteroids and comets are thought to be remnant material from the process of formation and the initial development of planets. Due to their peculiar dynamical and physical properties, such as small size, lack of a permanent atmosphere, and relatively little thermal processing, these objects have remained largely unaltered since the time of Solar System formation. Their dynamical evolution is a tracer of the mass distribution in the early planetary system.

Highlights of the period covered by this report include:

• 31 refereed papers in 2006/07.

• The DAWN space probe was launched to investigate Ceres and Vesta. Two staff members (S. Mottola, E. Kührt) belong to the science team.

• Our mission proposal AsteroidFinder was selected in a review process for a launch with a DLR compact satellite in 2012.

• The PF proposal “Planetary evolution and life” with major contributions from our Department was selected by the HGF. Funding will be provided for a 5-year period.

• A staff member (Alan Harris) was awarded the title “DLR Senior Scientist”.

• Michael Müller successfully defended his PhD thesis obtaining an excellent result.

• Some issues with the MUPUS hardware onboard of Rosetta were successfully resolved by means of software uploads.

In Chapters 1 to 4 we report on our scientific results. Contributions to space missions and our activities in technology transfer are described in Sections 5 and 6. Scientific prospects are discussed in Section 7 and the appendix summarises publications, project contributions, observation campaigns, public outreach activities, and our funding.

2 Asteroid Science

2.1 Investigations of the physical properties of asteroids with the Spitzer Space Telescope (Harris, Müller)

The Karin cluster: Our programme of observations of 17 members of the Karin cluster in the main asteroid belt was completed in 2007. The programme (PI: Harris) includes a total of 7 co-investigators from Europe and the USA. The cluster,

Fig. 2.1 Spitzer Space Telescope.

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named after its largest member, (832) Karin, is believed to have been formed only 5.8±0.2 Myr ago in a catastrophic collision. The cluster is of great interest due to the fact that the physical properties of its members may preserve unique information about asteroid fragmentation and surface processes on small asteroids, which include regolith formation and modification of albedo and spectral properties via space weathering. We have determined the sizes and albedos of all objects observed and found evidence for unusually high thermal inertia in a few cases. The albedos of the observed targets are very similar. The mean value, excluding Karin, is pV = 0.18, with a standard error of only 0.01; this compares with pV = 0.15 ± 0.06 for the asteroid Karin itself. Our results strongly support the premise that the family members are taxonomically related. The thermal inertia governs the magnitude of the Yarkovsky effect, i.e. the gradual drift of an asteroid’s orbit due to the momentum carried off by thermal photons. Our observations should assist in determining whether the observed spread in the orbital parameters of the family members since their formation is consistent with the expected magnitude of the Yarkovsky effect. First results were presented at the DPS meeting #39, Orlando, in October 2007. Analysis of the final data set is still in progress.

The potential spacecraft target 1989 ML: We were awarded director’s discretionary time with Spitzer in 2006 to determine the albedo and taxonomic type of the potential spacecraft target (10302) 1989 ML. This NEA has been proposed as a target for several planned space missions, including ESA’s Don Quijiote mission, due to its orbit, which allows relatively low-cost access from the Earth. However, until now very little was known about this asteroid. The available spectroscopic data are ambiguous and compatible with a number of possible taxonomic classes, including P, M, and E associated with low, medium, and high albedos, respectively. The Spitzer observations enabled us to establish that 1989 ML has an albedo of 0.37 ± 0.15 and most likely belongs to the E class, and derive a diameter of only 0.28 ± 0.05 km. The thermal-infrared data are consistent with relatively high surface thermal inertia, indicative of a lack of thermally-insulating dust or regolith. A paper describing the results and analysis of these observations has been published in the journal Icarus (see Section 8.1).

The binary Trojan asteroid (617) Patroclus: Together with five collaborators in Europe and the USA we were awarded 3 hr of Spitzer time to observe a combined eclipse and occultation event of Patroclus. The aim of the observations was to clarify the physical nature of the Patroclus system and constrain its mineralogy, by providing measurements of the thermal inertia, size and albedo of each component and the spectral silicate features around 10μm. The observations were successful and the temperature variation due to the eclipse has been detected. Further analysis is in progress.

2.2 Asteroid thermal modelling (Mueller, Harris)

Asteroid thermal models developed by Müller and Harris have been tested and applied to the analysis of infrared data from the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) and the Spitzer Space Telescope obtained in the course of the projects described above. Furthermore, the models developed were particularly useful in determining the physical characteristics of the potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroid (33342) 1998 WT24. During its close approach in December 2001 it was possible to observe 33342 with the IRTF over an unusually wide range of solar phase angle (10° - 90°). These observations, combined with others from the literature, have since enabled us to determine the size, albedo, thermal inertia, and approximate pole orientation with the aid of the thermal models. This work has been published in the journal Icarus (see Section 8.1). Our main results have been confirmed recently by radar observations.

The thermophysical modelling work of Mueller and the application of thermal models to the study of asteroid surface properties formed the subject of his PhD dissertation (see Section 8.1), which he successfully defended at the Free University of Berlin in July 2007 before taking up a position at the Steward Observatory, University of Arizona.

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2.3 Spectroscopic observations of 12 NEAs with UKIRT (Harris)

Infrared spectra of NEAs taken with the UK Infrared Telescope in Hawaii in the period 1998 – 2003 have been analysed by a team including colleagues from the UK and USA. Two objects were found to be carbonaceous and one, (14402) 1991 DB, has a spectrum and albedo suggestive of the relatively rare M class. M-class objects may have a large metallic (Fe/Ni) content. Four spectra of 4179 Toutatis taken over a very wide range of solar phase angle (0.7 - 81) and at intervals of several weeks are indistinguishable within the uncertainties and therefore do not reveal any evidence for phase reddening or surface variegation. The resulting paper has been published in the journal Icarus (see Section 8.1).

2.4 Asteroid search and follow-up programmes (Hahn)

Despite the fact that our Asteroid search programmes (ODAS, UDAS, ADAS) have discontinued operations, we still maintain the database of astrometric positions and administer the orbits based on the monthly updates from the Minor Planet Center. These updates are incorporated into the web pages of the individual surveys located at: http://earn.dlr.de/odas/ http://earn.dlr.de/udas/ http://dipastro.pd.astro.it/planets/adas/ respectively. Databases Physical properties and discovery circumstances of NEOs are available at http://earn.dlr.de/nea/ A constantly updated database of all known NEOs (as announced and published by the Minor Planet Center - MPC) is maintained, providing a “home-page” for each asteroid. These pages contain the discovery circumstances, and all published data on the physical properties, including references. The database contains an update to the table of physical properties of NEOs published in the Asteroids III book, and is further updated on a regular basis; it can be accessed via a clickable list with entries for more than 660 NEAs. Long-term orbital and physical evolution of short-period comets In cooperation with O. Groussin (PI) estimates of the initial sizes of the nuclei of the Rosetta targets, 46P/Wirtanen (original target) and 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (actual target) were made based on a model of the physical evolution of the nuclei. We provided the long-term orbital evolutions for both comets by means of numerical integrations of a bundle of varied orbits

Fig. 2.2 UK Infrared Telescope, Mauna Kea, Hawaii (credit: Nik Szymanek).

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3 Comet science

3.1 Thermo-physical modeling of cometary nuclei with moving ice boundaries (Gortsas, Kührt, Motschmann)

Thermal-physical modeling of comets is a basic tool to simulate cometary activity. Numerous approaches have been published but the feedback of the surface erosion caused by ice sublimation to the thermal state is commonly neglected. However, near perihelion the characteristic velocity of erosion can be considerably higher than that of heat diffusion.

Therefore, a novel thermal conduction code has been developed to study the effect of moving boundaries on the thermal state of icy bodies. The code that solves the so called Stefan problem has been applied to cometary nuclei. It takes the strong surface erosion caused by ice sublimation near perihelion into account. A substantial constraint is the conservation of energy at each time step.

To investigate the consequences of erosion at the surface for the thermal behavior of comets we start by considering a spherical nucleus consisting of pure water ice. In a second step a mixture of water ice, dust and CO-ice has been simulated. Rotation, orbital motion, and porosity of the nucleus have been taken into account.

Figure 3.1 shows the temperature profile near the surface of a nucleus composed of water ice at perihelion for an orbit of a Jupiter family comet. Taking erosion into account substantially less heat penetrates into the nucleus compared to the case in which surface erosion is neglected.

In the more complex multi-component system the subliming CO-ice front below the surface recedes to greater depths as sublimation progresses. Its depth shows an oscillating behavior with time. The effect of basic parameters, such as thermal conductivity and porosity, on the results has been investigated.

3.2 Hybrid Simulation Studies of Anisotropic Cometary Plasma Sources (Gortsas, Motschmann, Kührt, Knollenberg )

A sophisticated and robust fully 3D hybrid plasma simulation code has been used to study the plasma environment of weakly outgassing comets. From Earth-based observations as well as from spacecraft missions the anisotropic shape of cometary atmospheres has been established as a feature common to many comets ( Festou et al. 2000, Feaga et al. 2007 ). However, most models used to study the plasma environment of comets assume a spherical symmetric cometary plasma source. As a case study we are conducting a series of hybrid plasma simulations to address the open question of if and how an anisotropic cometary plasma source affects global plasma structures. The parameter values for the solar wind and the comet have been chosen according to the expected conditions of the Rosetta target comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Using a gas-dynamical coma model we derive two shape models for the cometary plasma source. The day side model restricts cometary activity solely to the illuminated side of the nuclei, while the cone shape model further confines cometary activity to a cone with an opening angle of 90°. For the purposes of comparison we performed simulations of the spherical symmetric plasma source as well. In all cases the integrated surface activity remains constant. Our results indicate a shift of

Fig. 3.1 Temperature profiles at perihelion of a Jupiter family comet for a nucleus of pure crystalline water ice assuming a Hertz factor of 0.01. Surface erosion leads to a substantial reduction in the amount of heat penetrating into the nucleus.

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plasma structures away from the nuclei as the confinement of cometary activity increases. This behaviour is shown in figure 3.2 for the solar wind proton density for the day side model in comparison to the spherical symmetric case. The point of sharp increase in solar wind proton density along the abscissa shifts from 3 000 km, in the case of the spherical symmetric model, to 6 000 km from the nucleus in the case of the day side restricted model. Hence, geometric confinement of a fixed outgassing rate around the nucleus creates a stronger obstacle to the solar wind plasma flow. A publication on this topic is currently underway.

So far, calculations of the plasma environment of comets have been performed for a fixed heliocentric distance until a steady-state condition is reached. However, interesting phenomena having a dynamic origin are sensitive to perihelion approach. Therefore, we have developed and implemented a method to simulate the movement of comets towards perihelion.

4 Primitive bodies and the planetary system

4.1 Impact phenomena (de Niem, Kührt, Motschmann)

After developing and testing a Eulerian multi-material hydrocode, the algorithm was applied to a number of problems in terrestrial impacts requiring high-resolution and long-term simulations. A Chicxulub-scale impact of a 10 km stony asteroid into a simple one-layered, and a more complicated two-layered, target (described as two distinct materials) has been simulated. A novel method to obtain statistical information about the mass of ejecta with velocities exceeding a given threshold was applied that circumvents costly and unreliable tracers. In contrast, the full information in hydrodynamic data is implemented, even at sub-cell resolution, by means of the volume-of-fluid (VOF) method. Statistical data on each material can be used to find ratios of impactor to target

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Fig. 3.2 2D plots of a fully 3D hybrid plasma simulation at 1.30 AU perihelion distance for a weakly outgassing comet. The solar wind proton density in the polar plane is shown. The axes give the distances from the nucleus in thousands of km. The left-hand plot shows the spherical symmetric case, while the right-hand plot shows results from the restricted coma model. The shift of the bow shock by almost a factor of two is clearly visible.

Fig. 4.1 Impact into two-layered target: granitic basement with sediment cover. Shown is the basement material at 125 seconds after impact. Impactor: 10 km diameter, 20 km/s.

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material in distal ejecta. The simulations demonstrate the inability of events such as the Chicxulub crater formation to drive a ´ballistic´ mass outflow of ejecta (as dust, liquid droplets and condensates) comparable to the amount estimated by geologists for the distal (>7000 km), global K-P (Cretaceous-Paleogene) boundary layer. Instead a non-ballistic mechanism of transport seems to be required for long-distance transport of a mass comparable to that of the impactor. Simulations covered an atmospheric altitude of up to 150 km.

A second case study was conducted for an Eltanin-type impact into a 5.5 km-deep ocean. The grid resolution varied from 800 x 800 to 600 x 1000 cells in cylindrical geometry and with up to 25 km of atmospheric layers to study the influence of the late-stage behaviour of the meteoritic part of the ejecta. The velocity of emergence of meteorite residuals was monitored to understand the size of the submarine Eltanin meteorite deposit. Velocities of meteoritic material of up to 1.25 km/s were found in a late-time ejecta cloud of mushroom appearance, sufficient to explain the lateral extent of the Eltanin strewn field, but insufficient to create a strewn field several 1000 km in diameter. Such strewn fields consequently would have to form in more shallow marine environments or are due to larger impactors.

The hydrodynamic algorithm, in particular the VOF method, was developed further to allow different geometries, such as spherical coordinates. This was tested in quasi-one-dimensional calculations for an expanding vapour plume interacting with a planetary atmosphere. These calculations have been used to generate thermodynamic data relevant to the problem of condensation in impacts. Moreover, the algorithm for chemical equilibrium was extended to include up to 3 distinct phases.

Further work in 2007 included the development of an equation of state (EOS) applicable to chemical equilibrium phenomena, covering a large range of pressures, densities and temperatures. The number of species in the gas phase is 183 (molcules) + 26 (elements). The condensed phase is treated as an effective Mie-Grüneisen EOS with an Einstein model for specific heat. The gas phase satisfies chemical equilibrium whereas the condensed phase in the EOS (not in the chemical equilibrium solver) is chemically inert. The combined hydrodynamic/chemical equilibrium approach was applied to investigate the origin of spinel-bearing spherules in the K-P boundary layer.

The dynamics of a long-time ejecta curtain in the Deep Impact experiment were investigated, extending a previous model to include drag forces due to coma gas. Moreover, an analytical solution for the density distribution in the ejecta curtain was obtained. This is of interest also in risk mitigation for an orbiting spacecraft such as in the case of the proposed Don Quijote mission (see Section 5.4) in which the orbiting spacecraft cannot avoid transiting through a growing ejecta curtain created by the impactor.

Part of the work described above was published in the refereed literature in 2007 (see Section 8.1).

Fig. 4.2 Density of meteorite (above) and target (below) material 500 seconds after the impact of a 10 km diameter stony asteroid.

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4.2 From the Solar Nebula to minor bodies (Tornow, Kührt, Motschmann)

To understand the chemical composition of comets and asteroids the processes in the Solar Nebula (SN) have to be studied. Concerning the evolution of the SN, we can observe its initial state, the prestellar core (PSC), only marginally and its final state, our Solar System, fairly well. The SN could have evolved in a molecular cloud (MC) with a clustered (e.g. Orion MC) or isolated (e.g. Taurus MC) star formation (SF). These SF regimes differ in UV (ultra-violet) radiation intensity and degree of turbulence. If the outer pressure on the PSC increases the SN forms beginning with a quasi-isothermal collapse. Figure 4.3 shows the relation between the gas density and the corresponding temperature resulting from simulations with our RaTeM, a radiation temperature model, in which a thermal gas-dust coupling TG = TD is assumed (TG and TD denote the gas and the dust temperature, respectively). The model considers the balance between dust cooling due to the black-body radiation of the grains and dust heating caused by different thermal sources. At the beginning of the collapse UV radiation from nearby high-mass stars or the interstellar radiation field dominates. Since the dust related optical depths, τν, increase with increasing radiation energy hν, where ν is the frequency, the dust shielding in the infrared is much lower than in the UV. Consequently, an increase of density results in a decrease of temperature in the inner region of the collapsing core. If the collapse proceeds and a protostar forms in the centre of the core, gravitational accretion becomes the dominating energy source of dust heating. It is modeled as black-body radiation with the luminosity L=GMSMt/RS, where MS is the mass of the protostellar object in the centre of the collapsing core, Mt is its mass accretion rate and RS the radius of its accretion shock front. The related temperature of the dust destruction zone fulfils TDD = ηGMSMt/4πσRS

3 where σ is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant and η ≈ 0.25 is an efficiency parameter. In the course of the collapse MS increases and accordingly the temperature TDD. Simultaneously, the gas-dust envelope becomes opaque (~10−14 g/cm3) and prevents any efficient cooling.

As a result, the behavior of gas density and temperature are strongly related as the steep slope in Figure 4.3 illustrates. Subsequently, a protostar forms in the central region of the collapsing core, which remains in hydrostatic equilibrium and consists of a growing amount of ionized gas. Since the ionization is an endothermic process, the temperature increase slows down. If a large number of grains are evaporated the initial assumption of gas-dust coupling breaks down, i.e., the described model can not be extended beyond the dust evaporation front. Therefore, the validity range of RaTeM is limited to approximately 2000 K as shown in Figure 4.3. The calculated temperatures and densities are required to determine the chemical abundances in the gas and ice phase of the SN using a chemical model described in the IX. Annual Report, 2005. In particular, this model computes the ice and dust fraction of the most abundant volatile molecules found in comets and carbonaceous chondrites as well as their gas fraction in the inner SN, the forming region of terrestrial planets and ordinary or enstatite chondrites. Based on these results, we are able to derive the composition of the volatile matter delivered to Earth by these minor bodies before and during the Late Heavy Bombardment.

Figure 4.3 Relation between temperature and density calculated with RaTeM for an adiabatic collapse. The disk influence has not been considered so far. Almost all radiation is coming from the evolving protostar.

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5 Space Missions

5.1 BepiColombo-MERTIS (Knollenberg)

The MERTIS (Mercury Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer) radiometer provides the ability to measure the low surface temperatures of Mercury’s nightside hemisphere (about 100 K), thereby enabling the determination of a thermal inertia map for the whole planet. This goal is achieved by mounting a customized 2x15 elements thermopile double-line array in the focal plane of the entrance optics. A special challenge here is that because of the very small space available the slit for the spectrometer has to be integrated into the radiometer detector chip. In 2007 the contract for the development of this detector has been issued to IPHT Jena. The design of the detector has been finalized and the production of prototypes was initiated. Furthermore, the mechanical (dedicated housing) and electrical detector interfaces (starr-flex PCB) were designed and, partially, fabricated.

In addition, low-noise front end electronics together with the necessary EGSE was designed, fabricated and the performance of the FEE was tested. Because of the stringent performance requirements of the radiometer the core of the FEE is based on a modern commercial part for which no space qualification exists so far. For this reason a radiation test was conducted at the Hahn-Meitner-Institute (Berlin), which demonstrated that the device is usable with up to 70 kRad of total radiation dose with only small performance losses.

5.2 Rosetta-Mupus (Knollenberg)

The major part of the MUPUS activities in 2007 was devoted to the investigation of the different problems (e.g. reliability problems with the MUPUS-CDMS communication, reduced sampling frequency in Anchor mode) encountered after upload of the modified flight software version 7.0 during the Payload Checkout 4 in December 2006. These problems were at this time totally unexpected because the behaviour was different from the PHILAE Ground Reference Model (GRM) where quite extensive tests had revealed no problem at all. As a consequence, in close collaboration with the PHILAE operations team an investigation of all MUPUS data recorded in the past (from before launch to 2006) was conducted which revealed indications that the performance of the MUPUS DPU Flight Model (FM) might be degraded compared to the nominally working Flight Spare (GRM) unit. To test this hypothesis a dedicated MUPUS “Contingency Slot” was executed with the FM during May 2007. The main result of this test was that the FM DPU works only with ½ of the nominal speed and that this hardware flaw is indeed responsible for the observed peculiarities. During the same operational slot an already prepared software patch aimed at solving the communication problems was successfully uploaded. The confirmation that this patch functioned as intended was then achieved during the MUPUS participation in the active Payload Checkout 6 in September 2007. Here, more than 1000 data packets were transferred to the CDMS without a single communication problem. Furthermore, the new “Inflight calibration” procedure was executed successfully for the first time with promising results. The calibration approach could be verified and together with data from the MUPUS ground calibration it was

Fig. 5.1 MERTIS Detector Unit

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possible for the first time to retrieve reasonable temperature data from MUPUS PEN in a low temperature (-100°C) environment.

In addition, the first version of the MUPUS Flight Operations Plan which covers all aspects of MUPUS operations until the end of the mission was released and presented at the PHILAE Science Team Workshop held in Budapest in December 2007.

5.3 DAWN (Mottola, Kührt)

Dawn is a NASA Discovery mission whose goal is to achieve an understanding of the conditions and processes at the Solar System's earliest epoch. Dawn will investigate the internal structure, density and homogeneity of two complementary protoplanets: 1 Ceres and 4 Vesta that have remained intact since their formation, by measuring their mass, shape, volume, and spin rate with imagery and gravity. It will record their elemental and mineral compositions and will provide context for the meteorites that have come from these bodies. Dawn will determine their bombardment and tectonic history, and use gravity and spin-state data to limit the size of any metallic core and infrared and gamma ray spectrometry to search for water-bearing minerals.

The mission uses solar-powered ion engines to deliver the spacecraft first to Vesta, to descend to the high-resolution mapping orbit, and, after a stay of about 7 months, to leave for Ceres, where it stays for 5 months. The spacecraft carries a redundant framing camera, a visible-NIR mapping spectrometer and a gamma ray/neutron spectrometer. DLR contributes to the mission by providing the CCD and front-end electronics of the framing camera. Furthermore, it is represented in the mission Science Team by two co-investigators.

During the period 2006-2007 the critical activities of payload testing and integration in the spacecraft have taken place, which culminated in the successful and spectacular launch on Sep. 27, 2007. Following the launch a series of tests was started, aimed at verifying the functionality of all sub-systems and payloads. After successful completion of these comprehensive check-outs, during which the Dawn cameras captured some awesome images, the spacecraft team declared the long awaited “All systems go” and on Dec. 18, 2007 initiated the interplanetary thrusting to the Asteroid Belt.

5.4 Don Quijote: A hazardous asteroid mitigation pre-cursor mission (Harris)

Don Quijote, a European initiative, is conceived as a test of a mitigation pre-cursor mission. In the event of a hazardous asteroid being identified, and assuming the availability of sufficient time before the impact on the Earth, a mission like Don Quijote could be launched to gather the physical information on the threatening asteroid required for the design of an effective mitigation mission. The Don Quijote concept involves two spacecraft, an orbiter and an impactor. A major goal of the mission is to measure the orbital deflection and change in the rotation state of the asteroid as a result of the impact of the second spacecraft. Three phase-A studies were carried out

Fig. 5.2 The Dawn Mission launching from Cape Canaveral.

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in 2006-2007 by independent consortia of European companies and scientific research institutes. The final presentations of the studies took place at ESA/ESTEC on 16th April, 2007. The studies have been assessed and handed over from the ESA General Studies Programme to colleagues on the technology side at ESTEC. Current plans for the future involve the development of a mini-satellite interplanetary mission using the results developed in the Don Quijote studies, to be managed by ESA’s D/TEC department. The continuation of NEO mitigation-related work at ESA in this framework will depend on the renewal of a mandate to do so by ESA member states. For further information see: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/NEO/SEM6O4OVGJE_0.html

6 Technology projects

6.1 HP3 (Knollenberg)

The main part of the HP3 (Heat Flow and Physical Properties Probe) activities in 2007 was devoted to the performance evaluation of the integrated HP3-TEM (the thermal measurements part of HP3) under realistic ambient conditions for planetary bodies with or without atmosphere, e.g. Mars or Mercury. A test campaign was conducted during April/May 2007 in the Thermal Vacuum chamber at DLR, Berlin. Tests were performed both under high vacuum and also under Mars-like CO2 pressures of some mbars and also for collapsing or non-collapsing boreholes. The main results of these tests can be summarized as follows:

• The integrated HP3-TEM system was operated without any problems for more than two weeks in vacuum and low pressure environments and over a temperature range of -65°C to +40°C.

• The TEM electronics showed sufficient performance for the measurement task both in absolute accuracy as well as noise performance.

• Temperature measurements with direct conductive coupling to the medium (collapsing borehole) work well.

• Temperature measurements with gas coupling only borehole appear to be affected by macroscopic flow inside the tube, which might be related to the experimental setup.

• Thermal conductivity measurements with the THS heaters on the tether function well with conductive coupling to the wall. The required accuracy of +/- 20% can be reached.

• Thermal properties measurements using the Mole Payload Compartment itself as heating element work well. The reproducibility is excellent. The required accuracy of 20% for the thermal conductivity was reached. Inversion of the diffusivity seems also to be promising.

The ESA technology study HP3 was completed with the final presentation at ESTEC in September. In summer 2007 work started on the transfer of the results of the study into a Flight Model for the Humboldt Lander on the ESA ExoMars mission.

6.2 FIREWATCH (Kührt, Knollenberg, Behnke)

Our knowledge of camera development and image processing has been applied to a successful long-term technology transfer project to develop a prototype of an Autonomous Forest Fire Detection System FIREWATCH (Figure 6.1). The aim of the is to detect smoke clouds arising from forest fires up to a distance of 10 km within 8 minutes from outlook towers. The complex

Fig. 5.3 The Don Quijote orbiter observes the impact of the second spacecraft (ESA).

Fig. 6.1 Firewatch System

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system consists of advanced hardware and sophisticated image processing software based on IDL. The operating camera was originally developed for space applications. The know-how was licensed to IQ wireless GmbH and this small company in Berlin established FIREWATCH on the market. In 2007 the installation of systems in Germany was nearly completed. Meanwhile, about 150 systems are operational and keep the forests under surveillance. Trial systems have been tested in France, Chile, Poland, Lithuania and Greece.

7 Scientific Prospects

7.1 HGF-Alliance (Tornow, Kührt, Motschmann, Harris)

The HGF-Alliance "Planetary Evolution and Life" was proposed in order to address three ambitious research challenges:

• to determine whether or not extraterrestrial life exists,

• to understand the evolution of habitability of terrestrial planets, and

• to study the role of life in stabilizing habitability.

WP 3100: Origin and Transport of Organic Matter to Planets

Dynamic N-body simulation code (Nice-model) to calculate particular impact rates of asteroids and comets during the Late Heavy Bombardment with respect to their birthplaces in the SN as well as accretion of terrestrial planets assuming a common feeding zone between 0.4 and 4 AU.

WP 3300: Chemistry in the Impact Vapour Plume

The results should address the following: • origin and distribution of volatile organic matter in the SN and its transport to the planets, • chemical modification of target and impactor materials under the extreme pressure and

temperature conditions of high energy impacts, • delivery of volatile matter by asteroids and comets to planetary bodies and their influence on

the development of atmospheres, hydrospheres and biospheres, and • circumstances for an impact related complete or partial destruction of a developed

biospheres in the course of planetary evolution.

WP 3200: Hydrocode Modelling of Impacts and Related Shock Experiments

Chemical-Hydrodynamic SN Model (see Section 4.2) to calculate the putative amount of important volatile molecules contained in the ice and dust phase of comets and carbonaceous chondrites, respectively, considering their birth-places in the SN.

Multi-material, hydrodynamic impact model (see Section 4.1) to calculate energy input into lithosphere, ocean, and atmosphere as well as melt fractions, mass and velocity of ejecta, aerosol and gas output, and shock-processing history of rock layers, for given chemical composition, energy, porosity, and mass of the impactor.

Perform shock experiments to study the survivability of pre-cooled complex organic molecules and micro-organisms.

Hydrodynamic model to simulate the non-spherical propagation of an impact related atmospheric shock wave.

Chemical model to calculate impact related volatiles important for formation or destruction of live produced in the gas and dust phase.

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Our division contributes to this project by studying the influence of asteroidal and cometary impacts on planetary evolution. The three related work-packages are illustrated in the flow chart. Our research topic is related to two other topics of the HGF-Alliance, namely Biosphere-Atmosphere-Surface Interactions and Evolution and Interior-Atmosphere Interaction, Magnetic Field, and Planetary Evolution.

7.2 AsteroidFinder (Mottola, Kührt, Hahn, Michaelis, Harris)

In the frame of the DLR “Kompaktsatellit” program a standard satellite bus (SSB) is being developed based on the BIRD/TET concept, designed to be compatible with many different mission scenarios and different payloads. Our proposed mission, AsteroidFinder, was selected as the first mission to use the SSB. The goal of this project is to search for so-called “Inner-Earth Objects” (IEOs) which are asteroids with orbits currently inside the Earth’s orbit, i.e. with aphelia < 0.983 AU. These objects, which are difficult to observe from the ground, are believed to populate the inner Solar System, with an estimated number of about 1000 at sizes exceeding 150 m. Currently only 8 such IEOs are known, mostly in

borderline Aten-type orbits.

The idea behind this mission is to scan the region near the Sun between 30 and 60 degrees solar-elongation, from a low-Earth orbit. The satellite will carry a 25 cm telescope and a state-of-the-art detection system, using innovative technology based on OT and/or L3 CCDs.

With a field-of-view of 4 square degrees, and a limiting visual magnitude of about 19, it is hoped to discover some tens of IEOs during the first year of operation. The AsteroidFinder project is presently undergoing Phase A, with a launch envisaged for 2012. Close co-operation and co-ordination with the next generation of ground-based NEO-surveys, such as Pan-STARRS, is planned.

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8 Appendix

8.1 Scientific publications in refereed journals and books (submitted or published 2006-2007)

Auster, H. U., Apathy, I., Berghofer, G., Remizov, A., Roll, R., Fornacon, K. H., Glassmeier, K. H., Haerendel, G., Hejja, I., Kührt, E., Magnes, W., Moehlmann, D., Motschmann, U., Richter, I., Rosenbauer, H., Russell, C. T., Rustenbach, J., Sauer, K., Schwingenschuh, K., Szemerey, I., Waesch, R. 2007. ROMAP: Rosetta Magnetometer and Plasma Monitor. Space Science Reviews 128 (1/4), 221-240.

Barbieri, C., Blanco, C., Bucciarelli, B., Di Paola, A., Lanteri, L., Li Causi, G., Marilli, E., Massimino, P., Mottola, S., Nesci, R., Omizzolo, A., Laudi, L.M., Rampazzi, F., Rossi, C., Stagni, R., Tsvetkov, M.K., Viotti, R. 2006. The Italian and Vatican Experience to Digitize the Astronomical Photographic Archives. In: Tsvetkov, M., Golev, V., Murtag, F., Molina, R. [Hrsg.]: Virtual Observatory: Plate Content Digitization, Archive Mining and Image Sequence Processing, Heron Press Ltd., 61-72.

Bibring, J.-P., Lamy, P., Langevin, Y., Soufflot, A., Berthé, M., Borg, J., Poulet, F., Mottola, S. 2007. CIVA. Space Science Reviews 128, 241-255.

Coradini, A., Capaccioni, F., Drossart, P., Arnold, G., Ammannito, E., Angrilli, F., Barucci, A., Belllucci, J., Benkhoff, J., Bianchini, G., Bibring, J.P., Blecka, M., Bockelee-Morvan, D., Capria, M.T., Carlson, R., Carsenty, U., Cerroni, P., Colangeli, L., Combes, M., Combi, M., Crovisier, J., Desanctis, M.C., Encrenaz, E.T., Erard, S., Federico, C., Filacchione, G., Fink, U., Fonti, S., Formisano, V., Ip, W.H., Jaumann, R., Kuehrt, E., Langevin, Y., Magni, G., Mccord, T., Mennella, V., Mottola, S., Neukum, G., Palumbo, P., Piccioni, G., Rauer, H., Saggin, B., Schmitt, B., Tiphene, D., Tozzi, G. 2007. Virtis: An Imaging Spectrometer for the Rosetta Mission. Space Science Reviews, 128, 529-559.

Davies, J. K., Harris, A. W., Rivkin, A. S., Wolters, S. D., Green, S. F., McBride, N., Mann, R. K., Kerr, T. H. 2007. Near-infrared spectra of 12 near-Earth objects. Icarus, 186, 111-125.

Delbo’, M., dell’Oro, A., Harris, A. W., Mottola, S., and Mueller, M. 2007. Thermal inertia of near-Earth asteroids and implications for the magnitude of the Yarkovsky effect. Icarus, 190, 236-249.

Descamps, P., Marchis, F., Pollock, J., Berthier, J.,Vachier, F., Birlan, M., Kaasalainen, M., Harris, A. W., Wong, M. H., Romanishin, W. J., Cooper, E. M., Kettner, K. A., Wiggins, P., Kryszczynska, A., Polinska, M., Coliac, J.-F., Devyatkin, A., Verestchagina I., Gorshanov, D. 2007. New determination of the size and bulk density of the binary asteroid 22 Kalliope from observations of mutual eclipses. Icarus, in press.

Groussin, O., Hahn, G., Lamy, P. L., Gonczi, R., Valsecchi, G. B. 2007. The long term evolution and initial size of comets 46P/Wirtanen and 67P/Churyumov Gerasimenko. M.N.R.A.S., 376, 1399-1406.

Glassmeier, K-H., Boehnardt, H., Koschny, D., Kührt, E., Richter, I. 2006. The ROSETTA Mission: Flying Towards the Origin of the Solar System. Space Science Reviews, 128 (1/4), 1-22.

Hahn, G., Lagerkvist, C. I., Karlsson, O., Oja, T., Stoss, R. M. 2006. P/2004 A1 (Loneos) a comet under transition from Saturn to Jupiter. Astron. Nachrichten, 327, 17-20.

Hahn, G., Mottola, S., Sen, A. K., Harris, A. W., Kührt, E., Müller, M. 2006. Photometry of Karin Family Asteroids. Bulletin of the Astronomical Society of India, 34 (4), 393-399.

Harris, A. W. 2007. The Asteroids. Landolt-Börnstein – Numerical Data and Functional Relationships. New Series., Springer-Verlag, submitted (invited contribution).

Harris, A. W. 2006, The surface properties of small asteroids from thermal-infrared observations, in Proc. of the Symposium “Asteroids, Comets, Meteors 2005” (invited review), Rio de Janeiro, IAU Symposium 229, D. Lazzaro et al. (eds.), pp. 449-463, Cambridge University Press.

Harris, A. W., Mueller, M., Delbo’, M., Bus, S. J. 2007. Physical characterization of the potentially hazardous high-albedo Asteroid (33342) 1998 WT24 from thermal-infrared observations. Icarus, 188, 414- 424.

Kahle, R., Hahn, G., Kührt, E. 2006. Optimal deflection of NEOs en route of collision with the Earth. Icarus, 182, 482-488.

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Keller, H.U., Barberieri, C., Lamy, P-, Rickman, H., Rodrigo, R., Wenzel, K.-P., Sierks, H., A´Hearn, M. F., Angrilli, F., Angulo, M., Bailey, M. E., Barthol, P., Barucci, M. A., Bertaux, J.-L., Bianchini, G., Boit, J.-L., Brown, V., Burns, J. A., Büttner, I., Castro, J. M., Cremonese, G., Curdt, W., da Deppo, V., Debei, S., de Cecco, M., Dohlen, K., Fornasier, S., Fulle, M., Germerott, D., Gliem, F., Guizzo, G. P., Hviid, S. F., Ip, W.-H-, Jorda, L., Koschny, D., Kramm, J. R., Kührt, E., Küppers, M., Lara, L.-M., Llebaria, A., Lopez, A., Lopez-Jimenes, A., Lopez-Moreno, J., Meller, R., Michalik, H., Michelena, M. D., Müller, R., Naletto, G., Origne, A., Parzianello, G., Pertile, M., Quintana, C., Ragazzoni, R., Ramous, P., Reiche, K.-U., Reina, M., Rodriguez, J., Rousset, G., Sabau, L., Sanz, A., Sivan, J.-P., Stöckner, K., Tabero, J., Telljohann, U., Thomas, N., Timon, V., Tomasch, G., Wittrock, T., Zaccariotto, U. (2007): OSIRIS - The Scientific Camera System Onboard Rosetta. Space Science Reviews, 128 (1/4), 433-506.

Keller, H.U., Küppers, M., Fornasier, S., Gutierrez, P. J., Hviid, S. F., Jorda, L., Knollenberg, J., Lowry, S. C., Rengel, M., Bertini, I., Cremonese, G., Ip, W.-H., Koschny, D., Kramm, R., Kührt, E., Lara, L.-M., Sierks, H., Thomas, N., Barbieri, C., Lamy, Ph., Rickman, H., Rodrigo, R., A´Hearn, M. F., Angrilli, F., Barucci, M.-A., Bertaux, J.-L., da Deppo, V., Davidsson, B. J. R., de Cecco, M., Debei, St., Fulle, M., Gliem, F., Groussin, O., Lopez Moreno, J. J., Marzari, F., Naletto, G., Sabau, L., Andrés, S. A., Wenzel, K.-P. 2007. Observations of Comet 9P/Tempel 1 around the Deep Impact event by the OSIRIS cameras onboard Rosetta. Icarus, 187, 87-103.

Küppers, M., Mottola, S., Lowry, S., A'Hearn, M., Barbieri, C., Barucci, M. A., Fornasier, S., Groussin, O., Gutiérrez, P., Hviid, S. F., Keller, H.-U., Lamy, P. (2007): Determination Of The Light Curve Of the Rosetta Target Asteroid (2867) Steins by the OSIRIS Cameras onboard Rosetta. Astronomy and Astrophysics 462 (1), L13 - L16.

Marchis, F., Descamps, P., Berthier, J., Hestroffer, D.,Vachier, F., Baek, M., Harris, A. W., Nesvorny, D. 2007. Main belt binary asteroidal systems with eccentric mutual orbits. Icarus, in press.

Motschmann, U., Kührt, E. 2006. Interaction of the solar wind with weak obstacles: Hybrid simulations for weakly active comets and for Mars. Space Science Reviews, 122, Springer, S. 197-207.

Mottola, S., Arnold, G., Grothues, H.-G., Jaumann, R., Michaelis, H., Neukum, G., Bibring, J.-P. 2007. The ROLIS experiment on the Rosetta Lander. Space Science Reviews 128 (1-4), 241-255.

Mueller, M., Harris, A. W., Bus, S. J., Hora, J. L., Kassis, M., Adams, J. D. 2006. The size, and albedo of Rosetta fly-by target 21 Lutetia from new IRTF measurements and thermal modeling. Astron. & Astrophys., 447, 1153-1158.

Mueller, M., Harris, A. W., Fitzsimmons, A. 2007. Size, albedo, and taxonomic type of potential spacecraft target asteroid (10302) 1989ML, Icarus, 187, 611-615.

Mueller, M. 2007. PhD Thesis: Surface properties of asteroids from mid-infrared observations and thermophysical modeling. Freie Universität, Berlin, July 2007.

http://www.diss.fu-berlin.de/2007/471/indexe.html

de Niem, D., Kührt, E., Motschmann, U. 2007. A volume-of-fluid method for simulation of compressible axisymmetric multi-material flow. Computer Physics Communications 176, 170-190.

de Niem, D., Kührt, E., Motschmann, U. 2007. Ejecta range: A simulation study of terrestrial impacts. Planetary and Space Science 55, 900-914.

de Niem, D., Kührt, E., Motschmann, U. 2007. Initial Condensate Composition during Asteroid Impacts. Icarus, accepted.

Pravec, P. and 56 coauthors, including Mottola, S.and Hahn, G. 2006. Photometric survey of binary near Earth asteroids. Icarus, 181, 63-93.

Russell, C.T., Capaccioni, F., Coradini, A., Christensen, U., De Sanctis, M.C., Feldman, W.C., Jaumann, R., Keller, H.U., Konopliv, A., McCord, T.B., McFadden, L.A., McSween, H.Y., Mottola, S., Neukum, G., Pieters, C.M., Prettyman, T.H., Raymond, C.A., Smith, D.E., Sykes, M.V., Williams, B., Zuber, M.T. 2006. Dawn Discovery mission to Vesta and Ceres: Present status. Advances in Space Research 38, 2043 – 2048.

Russell, C.T., Capaccioni, F., Coradini, A., De Sanctis, M.C., Feldman, W.C., Jaumann, R., Keller, H.U., McCord, T.B., McFadden, L.A., Mottola, S., Pieters, C.M., Prettyman, T.H., Raymond, C.A., Smith, D.E., Sykes, M.V., Zuber, M.T. 2007. Dawn Mission to Vesta and Ceres: Symbiosis between Terrestrial Observations and Robotic Exploration. Earth, Moon and Planets 101, 65-91.

Russell, C.T., Barucci, M.A., Binzel, R.P., Capria, M.T., Christensen, U., Coradini, A., De Sanctis, M.C., Feldman, W.C., Jaumann, R., Keller, H.U., Konopliv, A.S., McCord, T.B., McFadden, L.A., McKeegan, K.D.,

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McSween, H.Y., Mottola, S., Nathues, A., Neukum, G., Pieters, C.M., Prettyman, T.H., Raymond, C.A., Sierks, H., Smith, D.E., Spohn, T., Sykes, M.V., Vilas, F., Zuber, M.T. 2007. Exploring the asteroid belt with ion propulsion: Dawn mission history, status and plans. Advances in Space Research 40, 193-201.

Spohn, T., Seiferlin, K., Hagermann, A., Knollenberg, J., Ball, A.J., Banaszkiewicz, M., Benkhoff, J., Gadomski, S., Grygorczuk, W., Grygorczuk, J., Hlond, M., Kargl, G., Kührt, E., Kömle, N., Krasowski, J., Marczewski, W., Zarnecki, J.C. 2007. MUPUS – a Thermal and Mechanical Properties Probe for the Rosetta Lander Philae. Space Science Reviews 128, 339-362.

8.2 Scientific publications in other journals and proceedings (published 2006-2007)

Biele, J., Knollenberg, J., Kührt, E., Möhlmann, D., Richter, L., Ulamec, S. 2006. The "Strength" of Cometary Surface Material: Relevance of Deep Impact Results for Future Comet Missions. Proc. 36th COSPAR Scientific Assembly, Beijing (China).

Delbo’, M., dell’Oro, A., Harris, A. W., Mottola, S., Mueller, M. 2006. Thermal inertia of near-Earth asteroids and magnitude of the Yarkovsky Effect, in: European Planetary Science Congress, Berlin, Germany, 2006., p.177.

Delbo’, M., dell’Oro, A., Harris, A. W., Mottola, S., Mueller, M. 2006. Thermal inertia of near-Earth asteroids and strength of the Yarkovsky Effect, in: Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting 38, 581, Pasadena, USA, 2006.

Harris, A. W., Mueller, M., Lisse, C., Cheng, A., Osip, D. 2007. Spitzer Survey of the Karin Cluster Asteroids, DPS meeting 39, 16.03, Orlando, USA.

Kührt, E. 2007. NEO Research Activities at the DLR-Institute of Planetary Research. UNO, COPUOS, Wien. http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/COPUOS/stsc/2007/presentations.html

Kueppers, M., Keller, H.-U., Hviid, S. F., Mottola, S., Fornasier, S., Barbieri, C., Barucci, M. A., Gutierrez, P., Lamy, P. 2006. Determination Of The Light Curve Of Rosetta Target Asteroid 2867 Steins With The Osiris Narrow Angle Camera Onboard Rosetta. In: Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, American Astronomical Society, 38th DPS-Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, Pasadena, California, 59.20.

Motschmann, U., Kührt, E. 2006. Interaction of the Solar Wind With Weak Obstacles: Hybrid Simulations for Weakly Active Comets and For Mars. DPS meeting 39, 16.03, Orlando, USA.

Mottola, S., Börner, A., Hahn, G., Harris, A.W., Kührt, E., Leipold, M., Erdmann, M. 2007. A space-based system for NEO detection. In: Sandau, Rainer, Röser, Hans-Peter, Valenzuela, Arnoldo [eds.]: Small Satellites for Earth Observations, Wissenschaft & Technik Verlag, S. 267-270, 6th International Symposium of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), Berlin.

Mueller, M., Harris, A. W. 2006. Physical properties of asteroid (10302) 1989 ML, a potential spacecraft target, from Spitzer observations, in: Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting 38, 621, Pasadena, USA.

Mueller, M., and Harris, A. W. 2006, Spitzer observations of the ultrafast-rotator (54509) 2000 PH5, International Astronomical Union, Symposium #236, 78.

Mueller, M., Marchis, F. Emery, J. P. Berthier, J. Hestroffer, D., Harris, A. W., Descamps, P. Vachier, F. Mottola, S. 2007. Spitzer Observations of Mutual Events in the Binary System (617) Patroclus-Menoetius. Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting 39, 16.02, Orlando, USA.

Muinonen, K. and 17 coauthors, including Hahn, G. 2007. Spins, shapes, and orbits for near Earth objects by Nordic NEON. IAU Symp., 236, 309 – 320.

8.3 Minor Planet Circulars/Electronic Circulars

Maury, A., Hahn, G., Albanese, D., Hoffmann, M. 2007. Minor Planet Observations [910 Caussols ODAS], M.P.C., 60458.

Barbieri, C., Hahn, G., Pignata, G., Magrin, S., Bertini, I., Hoffmann, M., Mottola, S. 2007. Minor Planet Observations [209 Asiago Observatory, Cima Ekar ADAS], M.P.C., 60453.

Lagerkvist, C. I., Hahn, G., Karlsson, O., Oja, T., Naranen, J., Mottola, S., Warell, J. 2007. Minor Planet Observations [049 Uppsala Kvistaberg], M.P.C., 60451.

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Lagerkvist, C. I., Hahn, G., Karlsson, O., Oja, T., Mottola, S. 2006. Minor Planet Observations [A49 Uppsala Angstrom], M.P.C., 57124.






Lagerkvist, C. I., Hahn, G., Karlsson, O., Oja, T., Mottola, S., Warell, J. 2006. Minor Planet Observations [049 Uppsala Kvistaberg], M.P.C., 56149.

8.4 Publications in the popular literature and public outreach

A. W. Harris Invited lectures:

• Inst. Raumfahrtsysteme, Univ. Stuttgart, 4.5.06, 16.11.06, 28.06.07, 13.12.07. • Univ. Berne, Switzerland, 10.5.06. • Technical University of Dresden, 22.6.06, 7.12.06, 7.6.07.

Public lecture: • Asteroiden und Kometen: Bausteine der Planeten aber auch eine Gefahr für die Menscheit?

Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften, Berlin-Adlershof, 13.5.06. Lecture to school class:

• Anna-Seghers-Oberschule, Berlin-Adlershof, 12.3.07. TV appearances:

• Deutsche Welle TV, Projekt Zukunft, 20.2.06. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1948530,00.html • RBB, Ozon, 28.3.07.

http://www.rbb-online.de/_/fernsehen/magazine/beitrag_jsp/key=rbb_beitrag_5660148.html • ZDF, Discovery Channel, France 2 Armageddon – der Einschlag (Super Comet – After the Impact), ZDF Teil 1: 25.9.07; ZDF Teil 2: 2.10.07.

http://www.zdf.de/ZDFde/inhalt/7/0,1872,7002599,00.html?dr=1 • ZDF, Abenteuer Wissen, Meteoriten – Gefahr aus dem All, 26.9.07. http://abenteuerwissen.zdf.de/ZDFde/inhalt/25/0,1872,7008345,00.html

Consultant for articles on asteroids and planetary phenomena: • 5 Essential Things to do in Space, Scientific American, Oct. 2007.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=5-essential-things-to-do&page=1 • The book: Armageddon – Der Einschlag, Blasius, R., Podbregar, N., Springer Verlag, 2007.

http://www.springer.com/life+sci/book/978-3-540-37656-9

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• Der Ursprung des Chicxulub-Asteroiden, NZZ, 12.9.07. http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/international/der_ursprung_des_chicxulub asteroiden_1.553932.html

• Xena will in den Planetenclub, Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, 11.02.06. • Jenseits von Pluto, Tagesspiegel, 2.02.06

8.5 Observing Campaigns 2006, 2007

Date Telescope Targets ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 2006-2007 Various Spitzer Space Telescope 17 Karin cluster main-belt asteroids (total of 23.5 hr observing time allocated). 2006 June 2, 3 Spitzer Space Telescope Potential spacecraft target 1989 ML (1.2 hr director’s discretionary time allocated). 2006 June 24-27 Spitzer Space Telescope Binary asteroid (617) Patroclus (3.0 hr observing time allocated). ________________________________________________________________________________________ Harris and Mueller are responsible for the Spitzer observing programmes.

8.6 Space mission responsibilities

A. W. Harris

• Chairman, ESA Near-Earth Object Mission Advisory Panel.

J. Knollenberg

• Co-Investigator ROSETTA-experiments: MUPUS, OSIRIS

• Project Manager ROSETTA-MUPUS

• Co-Investigator BepiColombo-Mertis

E. Kührt

• Co-Investigator ROSETTA-experiments: MUPUS, OSIRIS, RPC, VIRTIS and ROMA

• Team member framing camera DAWN

• Co-Investigator BepiColombo-Mertis

S. Mottola

• PI of the ROSETTA LANDER experiment ROLIS

• Co-I of the ROSETTA experiment VIRTIS

• Team Member of the ROSETTA experiment OSIRIS

• Co-I of the DAWN mission

• Team Member of the DAWN FC experiment

• Team Member ExoMars PanCam experiment

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8.7 Space Mission proposals

• CNES/ASI/DLR proposal “LEONARDO”, a rendezvous/lander mission to a near-Earth asteroid (Harris, Mottola)

• "Marco Polo", asteroid sample return proposal to ESA "Cosmic Vision" programme, selected for Phase A (Harris, Mottola)

• DLR proposal "ASTEX", an in-situ sample analysis mission to two near-Earth asteroids (Hahn, Harris)

• DLR mission proposal "Asteroid Finder", a space telescope to search for inner-Earth asteroids (Hahn, Harris, Kührt, Mottola)

• F3 , comet sample return proposal to ESA "Cosmic Vision" programme (Gortsas, Hahn, Knollenberg, Kührt, Mottola)

8.8 Other events and activities

A. W. Harris

• Invited speaker: Workshop NEO Hazard: Knowledge and Action, Belgirate, Italy, 27.04.06.

• Invited speaker: Asia Oceania Geosciences Society's 3rd Annual Meeting, Singapore, 11.07.06.

• Invited speaker: 36th COSPAR Scientific Assembly, Beijing, China, 20.07.06.

• Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Symposium on Near-Earth Objects, IAU XXVI General Assembly, Prague, 2006.

• Referee for "Encyclopedia of the Solar System" (Elsevier), Icarus (x4), "Kuiper Belt" (Book, Univ. Arizona Press), Proceedings IAU Symposium on NEOs.

• Member (until 2007), Organizing Committee of Commission 15, "Physical Studies of Asteroids and Comets", of the International Astronomical Union.

E. Kührt

• Invited Speaker: Philae workshop, Budapest, 2007.

8.9 Funding sources

• DLR

o project Rosetta

o project Dawn

o project Asteroids and Comets

• Third party funding

o ESA: project HP3

o Industrial funding: for AWFS technology project

o MPG/DLR agency: "ASTEX", an in-situ sample analysis mission to two near-Earth asteroids

Documents

Department: “ASTEROIDS and COMETS” X. Report …...in the Asteroids III book, and is further updated on a regular basis; it can be accessed via a clickable list with entries for