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Impact features on Stardust: implications for comet 81P/Wild 2 dust
Friedrich Hörz1, Ron Bastien, Janet Borg
1Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA. friedrich.p.horz@jsc.nasa.gov
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|December 16, 2006
Summary
Comet 81P/Wild 2 dust particles impacted the Stardust spacecraft, creating diverse features. Analysis revealed particle sizes from nanometers to micrometers, with a unique size distribution compared to other comets.
Area of Science:
- * Planetary Science
- * Cometary Science
- * Astrogeology
Background:
- * The Stardust mission collected samples from comet 81P/Wild 2.
- * Understanding cometary dust provides insights into early solar system conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To characterize the morphologies and sizes of dust particles from comet 81P/Wild 2.
- * To compare the dust size distribution of comet 81P/Wild 2 with other comets.
Main Methods:
- * Analysis of hypervelocity impact features on Stardust collector surfaces.
- * Microscopic and compositional analysis of returned cometary dust particles.
Main Results:
- * Observed diverse impact feature morphologies corresponding to particle variations.
- * Identified particle sizes ranging from nanometers to hundreds of micrometers.
- * Determined a cumulative size distribution shallower than comet Halley but steeper than comet Grigg-Skjellerup.
Conclusions:
- * Cometary dust from 81P/Wild 2 exhibits a wide range of particle sizes and compositions.
- * The unique size distribution offers clues about dust formation and evolution processes in the early solar system.
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