The Main Belt Comets and Ice in the Solar System
Abstract
We review the evidence for buried ice in the asteroid belt; specifically the questions around the so-called Main Belt Comets (MBCs). We summarise the evidence for water throughout the Solar System, and describe the various methods for detecting it, including remote sensing from ultraviolet to radio wavelengths. We review progress in the first decade of study of MBCs, including observations, modelling of ice survival, and discussion on their origins. We then look at which methods will likely be most effective for further progress, including the key challenge of direct detection of (escaping) water in these bodies.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1709.05549,
title = {The Main Belt Comets and Ice in the Solar System},
author = {Colin Snodgrass and Jessica Agarwal and Michael Combi and Alan Fitzsimmons and Aurelie Guilbert-Lepoutre and Henry H. Hsieh and Man-To Hui and Emmanuel Jehin and Michael S. P. Kelley and Matthew M. Knight and Cyrielle Opitom and Roberto Orosei and Miguel de Val-Borro and Bin Yang},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1709.05549},
year = {2017}
}
Comments
Invited review for Astron. Astrophys. Rev. 43 pages + references. Product of ISSI team http://www.issibern.ch/teams/mainbeltcomets/