The surface of a comet is dramatically work by the light of the Sun . The ice melts away as they orbit nigher to our star , causing the comets to emit heavy outbursts that can look like plumes of textile . These outbursts were thought to be catch fire geysers , but fresh research claims they are actually created by avalanches .
Jordan Steckloff from the Planetary Science Institute in Arizona claims that comets ca n’t generate the internal pressures necessary for geyser . He argues they do n’t have enough heat , even at the closest point to the Sun , so he pattern an alternative scenario where the outbursts are fix to changes on the surface .
“ Rapid asymmetric brightening effect of comets have been observed for decades and have long been thought to be the result of some sort of clap of materials from deeply within the interior of a comet , ” Steckloff said in astatement .
" However , there is a major problem with this fashion model . There is no internal heat source on comets to power geyser - similar eruptions . Instead , these outburst plumes are the raw result of avalanches . "
When the Sun hits the irregular surface of a comet , the frozen material turns into a accelerator , which lightly leaves the surface of the comet in a unaccented breeze . When this happens at the bases of incline and cliffs , fabric slue down and it is propelled upwardly by the sublimation walkover . This , for Steckloff , is the causal agent of the plume .
The model is logical with data from the ESA mission , Rosetta , whichcrash - land on comet 67P /Churyumov - Gerasimenkolast month . With this approaching it might before long be possible to analyse the plumes further and even estimate the amount of stuff moved and the location on the surface where the plume grow from .
" Ultimately , understand this novel mechanism of outbursting may allow the Earth’s surface processes of distant comet to be studied from Earth through ground - based observations of their outbursts , " Steckloff concluded .
The determination were submit at thejoint meetingof the 48th American Astronomical Society Division for Planetary Sciences and 11th European Planetary Science Congress in Pasadena , California .
