Planetary Group Seminar: Thermal and mechanical properties in the near-surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from Rosetta (N. Attree)

Measuring cometary material strengths and other mechanical properties can help put constraints on the formation and evolution of these, likely primordial, bodies. I will present results from two pieces of work investigating the near surface of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from Rosetta: an observational study of overhanging cliffs from OSIRIS images, and modelling work on thermo-mechanical fracturing. These studies support a low bulk strength, primordial model of comets but with a significantly thermally modified surface layer, with greater strength, as found by the Philae lander.