Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Oct 2007
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007dps....39.4304l&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #39, #43.04; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.498
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
The nebular theory of solar-system formation dictates that early in the Solar System's history, collisions between bodies occurred frequently and continue today. Collisions between small bodies have reworked the surface compositions and structures of cometary nuclei, though to an unknown degree. Here we present preliminary results from high-velocity impact experiments designed to investigate the role of collisional processing on the properties (e.g., shock-related, spectral, composition) of comets with emphasis on the evolution of primordial dust due to impacts. Analyses of the pre- and post-impacted materials were chosen to best allow interpretation of telescopic data of cometary dust, as well as allow direct comparison with comet dust samples from Stardust and IDPs believed to originate from comets.
Impact experiments were conducted at the NASA Johnson Space Center Experimental Impact Laboratory using the Vertical Impact gun. Target materials were selected to reflect the bulk composition of Deep Impact target, Comet 9P/ Tempel 1 dust (Harker et al. 2005, Science 310; Lisse et al. 2006, Science 313), and Stardust target, Comet Wild 2 (Brownlee et al. 2006, Science 314). Magnesium-rich olivine (forsterite) and pyroxene (enstatite), diopside, pyrrhotite, and amorphous carbon were chosen to represent the comet dust. Targets were impacted by 3-mm ceramic and nylon projectiles at 2 km/s, which reflects typical impact speeds between objects in the Kuiper Belt. Analyses of the pre- and post-impacted materials will be presented, including a) infrared spectra, using a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (1.5 - 25 um), b) the structural/shock-induced effects of the dust, through Transmission Electron Microscope data, and c) compositional information via X-ray Diffraction lab studies.
This study was made possible by a grant from Research Corporation.
Cintala Mark J.
Keller Lindsay P.
Lederer Susan M.
Nakamura-Messenger Keiko
Olney R. D.
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