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

Cometary Ices

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.

Fluidization and multiphase transport of particulate cometary material as an explanation of the smooth terrains and repetitive outbursts on 9P/Tempel 1.

Michael J.S. Belton and H. Jay Melosh. 2009. Icarus 200, 280-291.

Cometary cryo-volcanism: Source regions and a model for the UT 2005 June 14 and other mini-outbursts on comet 9P/Tempel 1.

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

The Internal Structure of Jupiter Family Cometary Nuclei from Deep Impact Observations: The Talps or Layered Pile Model.

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.  2007. Icarus 187, 332-344

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. 2007. Icarus 187, 41-55.

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. 2007. Icarus 187, 4-15.

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, L.A. McFadden, C.J. Crockett, M.F. A'Hearn, M.J.S. Belton, P. Schultz, C.M. Lisse. 2007. Icarus 187, 26-40.

Deep Impact and Sample Return.

Michael F. A'Hearn, Michael J.S. Belton, Tony L. Farnham, Lori M. Feaga, Olivier Groussin, Carey M. Lisse, Karen J. Meech, Peter H. Schultz and Jessica Sunshine.  2006. Earth Planets Space, 58, 1-5.

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.  2006. Astrophys. J. 647, L61-L64.

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.  2007. Icarus 187, 113-122.

Photometric Analysis and Disk-resolved Thermal Modeling of Comet 19P/Borrelly from Deep Space 1 Data.

J-Y. Li, M.F. A'Hearn, L.A. McFadden and M.J.S. Belton.  2007.  Icarus 187, 41-55

    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. 2006. 37th LPSC Abstract  #1487.

 

Spitzer Spectral Observations of the Deep Impact Ejecta.

C.M. Lisse, J. VanCleve, A.C. Adams, M.F. A'Hearn, Y.R. Fernandez,  T.L. Farnham, L. Armus, C.J. Grillmair, J. Ingallis, M.J.S. Belton, O. Groussin, L.A. McFadden, K.J. Meech, P.H. Schultz, B.C. Clark, L.M. Feaga, and J.M. Sunshine. 2006. Science 313, 635-640.

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, I. Busko, M. Desnoyer, T. L. Farnham, L. M. Feaga, D. Hampton, D. Lindler, D. D. Wellnitz.  2006. Science 311, 1453-1455.

Rotation of Cometary Nuclei.  

N.H. Samarasinha, Beatrice E.A. Mueller, Michael J.S. Belton, and Laurent Jorda. Published in COMETS II (Eds. M.C Festou, H.U. Keller and H.A. Weaver) 2005, pp 281-299.

Deep Impact: Observations from a Worldwide Earth-based Campaign.

K.J. Meech and 210 co-authors (including M.J.S. Belton).  2005, Science 310, 265-269.

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, D. D. Wellnitz, R. L. White.  2005, Science 310, 258-264.

Rotationally Resolved 8-35 micron Spitzer Space Telescope Observations of the Nucleus of 9P/Tempel 1.

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.

Cometary Geology with Deep Impact Remote Sensing 
P.C. Thomas, J. Veverka, M.F. A'Hearn, L. McFadden, M.J.S. Belton, and J.M. Sunshine. 2005. Space Science Reviews, 117, 193-205.  
 
Deep Impact: A Large-Scale Active Experiment on a Cometary Nucleus 
M.F. A'Hearn, M.J.S. Belton, A. Delamere, and W.H. Blume. 2005. Space Science Reviews 117,1-21.  
 
Deep Impact: Working Properties for the Target Nucleus - Comet 9P/Tempel 1 
M.J.S. Belton, K.J. Meech, M.F. A'Hearn, O. Groussin, L. McFadden, C. Lisse, Y.R. Fernandez, J. Pittachova, H. Hsieh, J. Kissel, K. Klaasen, P. Lamy, D. Prialnik, J. Sunshine. P. Thomas, and I. Toth. 2005, Space Science Reviews, 117, 137-160. 
   
New Near-Aphelion Light Curves of Comet 2P/Encke.  
Y. R. Fernandez, S. C. Lowry, P. R. Weissman, B. E. A. Mueller, N. H. Samarasinha, M. J. S. Belton, and K. J. Meech.2005 Icarus, 175, 194-214. 
 
The Excited Spin State of Comet 2P/Encke.  
Michael J.S. Belton, Nalin H. Samarasinha, Yan R. Fernández, and Karen J. Meech. 2005 Icarus,175, 181-193. 
 
Mitigation of Hazardous Comets and Asteroids. (M.J.S. Belton, T.H. Morgan, N.H. Samarasinha and D.K. Yeomans, Eds)  
A book published by the Cambridge University Press in December, 2004, that includes a collection of invited papers given at the NASA Workshop on Scientific Requirements for Mitigation of Hazardous Comets and Asteroids.(see below)   
 
Exploration of the Solar System in the Coming Decade. 
Statement of Michael J.S. Belton before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. July 30, 2003.
 
Towards a National Program to Remove the Threat of Hazardous NEOs.  
A chapter for a new book Mitigation of Hazardous Comets and Asteroids (M.J.S. Belton, T.H. Morgan, N.H. Samarasinha and D.K. Yeomans, Eds). Published by Cambridge University Press in December, 2004 (see above).
 
An Open Letter to Gary L. Martin, NASA Space Architect.  
An April 2003 letter, signed by 30 space scientists, on important future goals for robotic and human spaceflight at NASA  following the Columbia tragedy. The letter emphasizes moving human activities out of LEO into near-Earth space and sets a goal to deflect a near-Earth asteroid. 
 
New Frontiers in the Solar System.  An Integrated Exploration Strategy. 
Report of the Solar System Exploration Survey (Chair, Michael J.S. Belton), Space Studies Board, National Research Council. July 9, 2002. Published by the National Academies Press (www.nap.edu) in 2003. 
The Nucleus of Deep Impact Target Comet 9P/Tempel 1.  
Y.R. Fernandez, K.J. Meech, C.M. Lisse, M.F. A'Hearn, J. Pittichova, and M.J.S. Belton. Icarus, 165, 481-491 (2003). 
 

Interior of Small Bodies: Foundations and Perspectives.  
Richard P. Binzel, Michael AHearn, Erik Asphaug, M. Antonella Barucci, Michael Belton, Willy Benz, Alberto Cellino, Michel C. Festou, Marcello Fulchignoni, Alan W. Harris, Alessandro Rossi, Maria T. Zuber. Published in Planetary and Space Science, 51, 443-454 (2003).