Comets as Tracers of Solar System Formation and Evolution

This volume is a compilation of an International Workshop on Comets as Tracers of Solar System Formation and Evolution that was held in Toulouse, France, from April 1-3, 2014, meant to prepare the community for the task of placing Rosetta observations within the greater context of using comets as tracers of solar system formation and evolution. More than 100 scientists from 18 different countries participated in this three-day science program, which was comprised of themed sessions and featured a mixture of invited reviews, invited and contributed talks and posters. These invited speakers included many of the community leaders in cometary science, measurements and technology development. The workshop covered topics ranging from the dynamical and chemical evolution of the solar nebula during formation, to the techniques for measuring the composition of comets. Of particular focus was the role that measurements made by Rosetta could be expected to play in understanding the origin of solar system bodies. The purpose of this volume is to build upon the results of this workshop, providing a formal record of the state of knowledge leading into the Rosetta mission.

Originally published in Space Science Reviews, Volume 197, Issues 1-4, 2015