Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Dec 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006agufmsm43a1479g&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2006, abstract #SM43A-1479
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
2129 Interplanetary Dust, 5421 Interactions With Particles And Fields, 6213 Dust
Scientific paper
The lunar surface provides an ideal platform for a large-scale Dust Observatory to investigate the interplanetary and interstellar dust environment. Dust particles, like photons, carry information from remote sites in space and time. From knowledge of the dust particles' birthplace and their bulk properties, we can learn about the remote environment out of which the particles were formed. This approach is called "Dust Astronomy" which is carried out by means of a dust telescope on a Dust Observatory in space. Targets for a dust telescope are the local interstellar medium and nearby star forming regions, as well as comets and asteroids. Dust from interstellar and interplanetary sources is distinguished by accurately sensing their trajectories. Trajectory sensors use the electric charge signals that are induced when charged grains fly through the detector. Modern in-situ dust impact detectors are capable of providing mass, speed, physical and chemical information of dust grains in space. A Dust Observatory is feasible with state-of-the-art technology. It will (1) provide the distinction between interstellar dust and interplanetary dust of cometary and asteroidal origin, (2) determine the elemental composition of impacting dust particles, and (3) monitor the fluxes of various dust components as a function of direction and particle masses. Beside the study of these external sources of dust similar techniques can be applied to the study of the local lunar dust environment. By use of pick-up detectors in combination with electrostatic deflectors the migration of low-velocity charged grains can be analyzed on the surface of the moon.
Auer Stefan
Gruen Eberhard
Horanyi Mihaly
Srama Ralf
Sternovsky Zoltan
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