Global-scale brittle plastic rheology at the cometesimals merging of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

ABSTRACT: Observations of comet nuclei indicate that the main constituent is a mix of ice and refractory materials characterized by high porosity (70-75%) and low bulk strength (10^-4-10^-6 MPa); however, the nature and physical properties of these materials remain largely unknown. By combining surface inspection of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and three-dimensional (3D) modeling of the independent concentric sets of layers that make up the structure of its two lobes, we provide clues about the large-scale rheological behavior of the nucleus and the kinematics of the impact that originated it. Large folds in the layered structure indicate that the merging of the two cometesimals involved reciprocal motion with dextral strike-slip kinematics that bent the layers in the contact

SUBMITTER: Franceschi M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7229685 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature