CURRENT HOT RESEARCH TOPIC...
In January 2010, two independent project studies,
one done at Belton Space Exploration Initiatives in Tucson and one at JPL, converged on
the predicted rotation state of the nucleus of 9P at the Stardust-NExT encounter
in Feb, 2011. In February,
2010, JPL modified the orbit and time of arrival of the Stardust-NExT spacecraft to
arrive 8 hours later than originally planned at UT
2011 Feb 15 04:42. This should allow a good fraction
of the terrain observed by Deep Impact to be re-imaged and examined for
changes that might have occurred at the previous perihelion passage. Also there is now a
good chance that the artificial crater formed by Deep Impact will be observed.
Stardust-NExT: Encounter time-of-arrival determination and adjustment strategy
Project presentation by Michael Belton 01/20/2010
RECENT WORK (2010 - 2003)
Cometary Activity, Active Areas, and a Mechanism for Collimated Outflows on 1P, 9P, 19P, and 81P.
Michael J.S. Belton, 2011. Icarus. Paper submitted 4/25/1010
Energy balance of the Deep Impact experiment
O. Groussin, M.F. A'Hearn, M.J.S. Belton, T. Farnham, L. Feaga, J. Kissel, C. Lisse, J. Melosh, P. Schultz, J. Sunshine, J. Veverka. 2010, Icarus 205, 627-637
Carey Lisse, Akiva Bar-Nun, Diana Laufer, Michael Belton, Walter Harris, Henry Hsieh, David Jewitt. 2010. In The science of solar system ices, Ed. M. Gudipati, Springer Verlag. In press
Spitzer Space Telescope Observations of the nucleus of comet 103P/Hartley 2
C.M. Lisse, Y.R. Fernandez, W.T. Reach, J.M. Bauer, M.F. A'Hearn, T.L. Farnham, O. Groussin, M.J. Belton, and C.D. Snodgrass. Pub. Astron. Soc. Pacific, 121. 968-975.
Michael J.S. Belton and H. Jay Melosh. 2009. Icarus 200, 280-291.
Michael J.S. Belton, Paul D. Feldman, Michael F. A'Hearn, and Brian Carcich. 2008. Icarus 198, 189-207.
The Accelerating Spin of 9P/Tempel 1
Michael J.S. Belton and Michal Drahus. 2007 DPS Meeting Abstract
M.J.S. Belton, P. Thomas, J. Veverka, P. Schultz, M. A'Hearn, L. Feaga,
T. Farnham, O. Groussin, J-L Li, C. Lisse, L. McFadden, J. Sunshine, K.J. Meech,
W. A. Delamere.
Deep Impact Photometry of Comet 9P/Tempel 1.
Jian-Yang
Li, Michael F. A'Hearn, Michael J.S. Belton,
Christopher J
Crockett, Tony L. Farnham, Carey M. Lisse,
Lucy A. McFadden, Karen J.
Meech, Jessica M Sunshine, Peter C. Thomas, and Joe Veverka.
The Shape, Topography and Geology of Tempel 1 from Deep Impact Observations.
P.
Thomas, J. Veverka, M.J.S. Belton, A. Hidy, M. A'Hearn, O.
Groussin, C. Lisse, L. McFadden, J. Sunshine, D. Wellnitz, P. Schultz, K.J.
Meech, W. A. Delamere.
Dust Coma Morphology in the Deep Impact Images of Comet 9P/Tempel 1.
T.L.
Farnham, D.D. Wellnitz, D.L. Hampton, J.-Y. Li, J.M. Sunshine, O. Groussin,
Deep Impact and Sample Return.
Michael
F. A'Hearn, Michael J.S. Belton, Tony L. Farnham,
Carbon Monoxide in Comet 9P/Tempel 1 before and after the Deep Impact Encounter.
P.D.
Feldman, R.E. Lupu, S.R. McCandliss, H.A. Weaver, M.F. A'Hearn,
M.J.S. Belton, and K.J. Meech.
Hubble Space Telescope Observations of Comet 9P/Tempel 1 during the Deep Impact Encounter.
P.D.
Feldman, S.R. McCandliss, M. Route, H.A. Weaver, M.F. A'Hearn,
M.J.S. Belton, and K.J. Meech.
J-Y. Li,
M.F. A'Hearn,
The Spin State of 9P/Tempel 1.
M.J.S. Belton, P.C. Thomas, B. Carcich, C.J. Crockett,
and the Deep Impact
Science Team.
C.M. Lisse,
J. VanCleve, A.C.
Water Ice on the Surface of Comet Tempel 1.
J. M. Sunshine, M. F. A'Hearn, O. Groussin, J.-Y. Li,
M. J. S. Belton, W. A. Delamere, J. Kissel, K. P. Klaasen,
L. A. McFadden, K. J. Meech, H. J. Melosh, P. H. Schultz, P. C. Thomas, J.
Veverka, D. K. Yeomans,
Deep Impact: Observations from a Worldwide Earth-based Campaign.
K.J. Meech and 210 co-authors (including
M.J.S. Belton).
Deep Impact: Excavating Comet Tempel 1.
M. F. A'Hearn, M.J.S. Belton,
W. A. Delamere, J. Kissel, K. P. Klaasen, L. A.
McFadden, K. J. Meech, H. J. Melosh, P. H. Schultz, J. M. Sunshine, P.
Thomas, J. Veverka, D. K. Yeomans, M.W. Baca, I. Busko, C.J. Crockett, S. M.
Collins, M. Desnoyer, C.A. Eberhardy, C.M. Ernst,
T. L. Farnham,
L. Feaga, O. Groussin, D.
Hampton, S.I. Ipatov, J.-Y. Li, D. Lindler, C. M. Lisse,
N. Mastrodemos, W. M. Owen, Jr., J. E.
Richardson,
Lisse, C., A'Hearn, M.F., Groussin, O., Fernandez, Y.R., Belton, M.J.S., Van Cleve, J.E., Charmandaris, V., Meech, K.J., and McGleam, C.: 2005. Astrophys. J. 625, L139-L142.