Correction of instrument temperature dependence of detector responsivity for measurements of comet 67P acquired by Rosetta's Visible and InfraRed Thermal Imaging Spectrometer, Mapping channel (VIRTIS-M).

The Mapping channel of the Visible and InfraRed Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS-M) aboard Rosetta acquired many hyperspectral images of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (hereafter 67P). The VIS channel detector responsivity was dependent on the VIS detector temperature (TVIS). This affects the absolute values of the measured spectra (for a TVIS increase of 1 K between 0.06% increase at 0.55 μm and 1.2% increase at 1 μm) and the spectral slopes. Here, we derive a simple parameterization of this CCD-typical effect based on a statistical analysis of the TVIS-related bias of the measurements. At this, we include all measured VIS spectra excluding acquisitions with little nucleus surface information or at opposition geometry, thereby achieving a high statistical significance and representativity. The corresponding VIS detector responsivity correction, slightly different for measurements acquired when the IR cryocooler was off or on, makes the spectra measured at different instrument temperatures consistent over the entire Rosetta mission phase at 67P. This will improve future quantitative analyses of the data.