Insight into the origin of cometary ices from Rosetta/ROSINA mass spectrometer data

Abstract

Here we review some of the major findings of the mass spectrometer suite ROSINA on board of ESA's Rosetta spacecraft to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. For more than 2 years, ROSINA continuously measured the composition of the gases sublimating from the comet's nucleus. ROSINA measurements provided insight into the origin of the ices in 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The obtained molecular, elemental, and isotope abundances revealed a composition more complex than previously known. Furthermore, a subset of these measurements indicate that a substantial fraction of the molecules incorporated into the comet predate the formation of the solar system.