A Potential Aid in the Target Selection for the Comet Interceptor Mission

E. Vigren; A. I. Eriksson; N. J. T. Edberg; C. Snodgrass

doi:10.1016/j.pss.2023.105765

A Potential Aid in the Target Selection for the Comet Interceptor Mission

E. Vigren^*, A. I. Eriksson, N. J. T. Edberg, C. Snodgrass

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The upcoming Comet Interceptor mission involves a parking phase around the Sun-Earth L2 point before transferring to intercept the orbit of a long period comet, interstellar object or a back-up target in the form of a short-period comet. The target is not certain to be known before the launch in 2029. During the parking phase there may thus arise a scenario wherein a decision needs to be taken of whether to go for a particular comet or whether to discard that option in the hope that a better target will appear within a reasonable time frame later on. We present an expectation value-based formalism that could aid in the associated decision making provided that outlined requirements for its implementation exist.

Original language	English
Article number	105765
Pages (from-to)	1-5
Number of pages	5
Journal	Planetary and space science
Volume	237
Early online date	30 Aug 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2023.105765
Publication status	Published - 1 Nov 2023

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Comets
Solar System
Probability Theory

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10.1016/j.pss.2023.105765Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC-BY)

2308.13098v1Accepted author manuscript, 569 KBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC-BY)

Comet Interceptor
Snodgrass, C. (Principal Investigator)
1/04/22 → 31/03/25
Project: Research

Cite this

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title = "A Potential Aid in the Target Selection for the Comet Interceptor Mission",

abstract = " The upcoming Comet Interceptor mission involves a parking phase around the Sun-Earth L2 point before transferring to intercept the orbit of a long period comet, interstellar object or a back-up target in the form of a short-period comet. The target is not certain to be known before the launch in 2029. During the parking phase there may thus arise a scenario wherein a decision needs to be taken of whether to go for a particular comet or whether to discard that option in the hope that a better target will appear within a reasonable time frame later on. We present an expectation value-based formalism that could aid in the associated decision making provided that outlined requirements for its implementation exist. ",

keywords = "Comets, Solar System, Probability Theory",

author = "E. Vigren and Eriksson, {A. I.} and Edberg, {N. J. T.} and C. Snodgrass",

note = "Funding Information: The work of NJTE is supported by the Swedish National Space Agency , grant 2021–00047 . We are thankful to Andreas Dieckmann for helping out in verifying the correctness of the presented exact condition for value to settle for in the case of a uniform probability density function. We are also thankful to reviewers of the original manuscript who raised important remarks, thereby contributing to improving our work. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Authors",

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doi = "10.1016/j.pss.2023.105765",

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AU - Vigren, E.

AU - Eriksson, A. I.

AU - Edberg, N. J. T.

AU - Snodgrass, C.

N1 - Funding Information: The work of NJTE is supported by the Swedish National Space Agency , grant 2021–00047 . We are thankful to Andreas Dieckmann for helping out in verifying the correctness of the presented exact condition for value to settle for in the case of a uniform probability density function. We are also thankful to reviewers of the original manuscript who raised important remarks, thereby contributing to improving our work. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors

PY - 2023/11/1

Y1 - 2023/11/1

N2 - The upcoming Comet Interceptor mission involves a parking phase around the Sun-Earth L2 point before transferring to intercept the orbit of a long period comet, interstellar object or a back-up target in the form of a short-period comet. The target is not certain to be known before the launch in 2029. During the parking phase there may thus arise a scenario wherein a decision needs to be taken of whether to go for a particular comet or whether to discard that option in the hope that a better target will appear within a reasonable time frame later on. We present an expectation value-based formalism that could aid in the associated decision making provided that outlined requirements for its implementation exist.

AB - The upcoming Comet Interceptor mission involves a parking phase around the Sun-Earth L2 point before transferring to intercept the orbit of a long period comet, interstellar object or a back-up target in the form of a short-period comet. The target is not certain to be known before the launch in 2029. During the parking phase there may thus arise a scenario wherein a decision needs to be taken of whether to go for a particular comet or whether to discard that option in the hope that a better target will appear within a reasonable time frame later on. We present an expectation value-based formalism that could aid in the associated decision making provided that outlined requirements for its implementation exist.

KW - Comets

KW - Solar System

KW - Probability Theory

U2 - 10.1016/j.pss.2023.105765

DO - 10.1016/j.pss.2023.105765

M3 - Article

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JF - Planetary and space science

M1 - 105765

ER -

A Potential Aid in the Target Selection for the Comet Interceptor Mission

Abstract

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

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Projects

Comet Interceptor

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