Comets are among the primitive building blocks of the planets, but as they enter into the inner Solar System, they become dynamical bodies, almost transient in nature. Some comets have broken up completely (Shoemaker-Levy 9 for example), while others have given up a little of themselves. The recent and up-close study of 67/P Churyumov –Gerasimenko during its 2015 perihelion passage has revealed in close detail the types of changes comets undergo as they are heated by the sun.This session will cover the dynamical nature of the nucleus and coma of 67P/ as seen from Rosetta and ground-based observations. The session will also include intercomparisons between the results from Rosetta and other missions on how comets evolve through time. Broader topics such as the chemistry of comets and what that reveals about their origin and diversity are also welcome.

Primary Convener:
Bonnie J Buratti, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States

Conveners:
Mathieu Choukroun, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, United States and Matt Taylor, European Space Agency, Villanueva De La Can, Spain