Lab Simulation Of Interstellar And Cometary Dust: A New Approach For Hypervelocity Impact Studies

Details Lab Simulation Of Interstellar And Cometary Dust: A New Approach For Hypervelocity Impact Studies Lab Simulation Of Interstellar And Cometary Dust: A New Approach For Hypervelocity Impact Studies

Oct 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010dps....42.4814s&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #42, #48.14

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

The goal of our work is the laboratory simulation of high speed [1 - 50km/s] cometary, interplanetary or interstellar dust impacts onto collector material with the Van de Graaff accelerator operated at the MPI für Kernphysik (Heidelberg). This enables an investigation of the morphology of impact tracks as well as structural and chemical modification of projectile and collector material.
Currently we run an impact calibration campaign for the Stardust sample return mission. The preparation for shots on Aerogel and foil collectors requires complete control of particle size and speed over a wide dynamic range. Using an improved new version of the Particle Selection Unit, individual shots with defined speed and particle size can be performed. The experiments are carried out using a variety of cosmochemically relevant materials (silicates, sulfides, oxides, carbides, organics) and can provide a clear advantage over shots with a light gas gun.
A major campaign started in spring 2010 with the goal to characterize impacts of interstellar grains. Different materials have been shot within several narrow speed and size windows (e.g. 14 - 16 km/s, 0.37 - 0.43µm). For each set of parameters about 50 particles were collected. Subsequently the aerogel tiles are investigated with appropriate analytical methods (e.g. Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy) to obtain information on track morphology and chemical alteration of grains and collector material. At a later stage the experiments will be repeated with Stardust and Genesis collector foils.
Furthermore, impact signals and impact ionisation TOF mass spectra were evaluated using the LAMA lab model. These spectra provide a mass resolution of about 200 and allow determination of mineral compounds and isotopes in individual grains. This type of in-situ space instrument is complementary to the collector technique and has already proven its value with the TOF - mass spectrometer onboard CASSINI.

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