- Names
-
- O. Poch
- A. Pommerol
- B. Jost
- N. Carrasco
- C. Szopa
- N. Thomas
- Title
- Sublimation of water ice mixed with silicates and tholins: Evolution of surface texture and reflectance spectra, with implications for comets
- Abstract
- The surfaces of many objects in the Solar System comprise substantial quantities of water ice sometimes mixed with minerals and/or organic molecules. The sublimation of the ice changes the structural and optical properties of these objects. We present laboratory data on the evolution of the structure and the visible and near-infrared spectral reflectance of icy surface analogues of cometary ices, made of water ice, complex organic matter (tholins) and silicates, as they undergo sublimation under low temperature (<−70 °C) and pressure (10−5 mbar) conditions inside the SCITEAS simulation chamber. As the water ice sublimated, we observed in situ the formation of a porous sublimation lag deposit, or sublimation mantle, at the top of the ice. This mantle is a network of filaments made of the non-volatile particles. Organics or phyllosilicates grains, able to interact via stronger inter-particulate forces than olivine grains, can form a foam-like structure having internal cohesiveness, holding olivine grains together. As this mantle builds-up, the band depths of the sub-surface water ice are attenuated until complete extinction under only few millimeters of mantle. Optically thick sublimation mantles are mainly featureless in the near infrared. The absorption bands of the minerals present in the mantle are weak, or even totally absent if minerals are mixed with organics which largely dominate the VIS–NIR reflectance spectrum. During sublimation, ejections of large fragments of mantle, triggered by the gas flow, expose ice particles to the surface. The contrast of brightness between mantled and ice-exposed areas depends on the wavelength range and the dust/ice ratio considered. We describe how the chemical nature of the non-volatiles, the size of their particles, the way they are mixed with the ice and the dust/ice mass ratio influence the texture, activity and spectro-photometric properties of the sublimation mantles. These data provide useful references for interpreting remote-sensing observations of comets and also icy satellites or trans-neptunian objects.
- Keywords
- Spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging system, visible, near-IR, sublimation, ice, organic matter, tholins, Pluto, TNO, comets, comet nucleus, Solar System
- Content
- spectral data, material-matter, planetary sciences, remote sensing
- Document type
- article
- Publication state
- published
- Comments
- None
- Doi
- 10.1016/j.icarus.2015.12.017
- Identifiers
- Experiment/Spectra
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- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture at 167 K
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 1.18h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 2.3h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 2.99h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 3.67h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 4.35h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 5.03h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 5.72h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 6.41h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 7.09h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 7.78h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 8.47h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 9.17h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 9.86h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 10.54h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 14.85h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 15.54h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 19.63h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 20.31h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 21h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 21.68h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 22.36h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 23.52h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 24.21h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 24.89h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 25.58h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 26.26h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 26.95h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 27.63h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 28.31h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 29h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 29.68h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 30.36h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 31.04h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 31.73h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 32.43h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 33.13h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 33.81h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 35.59h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 36.28h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 36.97h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 37.67h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 38.36h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 39.05h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 39.74h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 40.44h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 41.13h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 41.82h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 42.51h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 43.2h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 43.9h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 47.59h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 47.28h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 48.97h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 49.66h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 50.36h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 51.03h
- Vis-NIR reflectance spectrum of sublimating Water ice particles 67±31 μm containing 1 wt.% Smectite in intra-mixture after 51.74h