The MIDAS instrument in the vicinity of comet Wirtanen - the laboratory approach

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The MIDAS instrument is part of the orbiter payload on the international Rosetta mission. This gadget is based on the principle of atomic force microscopy. In order to accompany the technical development of the instrument as well as the initialization of a scientific database a research program has been set up. The database will serve as a reference for data that will be once returned from the mission. Atomic force microscopy is well established as a tool in many fields of research. However, a careful review of relevant literature reveals a considerable lack of information about native mineral samples and especially extraterrestrial samples. Three different types of materials have been selected as prime candidates for the analyses. These are (1) interplanetary dust particles, (2) cosmic spherules/micrometeorites and (3) cometary analogue material. For a correct data interpretation all investigations are supported by other high-resolution microscopic techniques like field emission electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. For the investigation by atomic force microscopy the samples do not need any further treatment (e.g. conductive coating). This technique gives a true three-dimensional image of a given surface with a nm-scale resolution. The main goal is to verify if the MIDAS instrument would be capable to address findings that have been made on other space missions related to comets (GIOTTO, ISO), by Earth based telescopic observations and by laboratory investigations on materials, which might represent cometary material (interplanetary dust particles). It can be concluded that MIDAS would identify the crystalline silicates indicated by the infrared spectra taken by ISO and ground based observations. It would detect the very small dust grains inferred from GIOTTO data. It is able to image distinct textural units from interplanetary dust particles, which have been used to suggest the cometary origin. Furthermore, the tremendous imaging capabilities open the door to the unknown.

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