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Micro-craters in aluminum foils: Implications for dust particles from comet Wild 2 on NASA's Stardust spacecraft

Kearsley, Anton T., Graham, Giles A., Burchell, Mark J., Cole, Mike J., Wozniakiewicz, Penelope J., Teslich, Nicholas, Bringa, E., Horz, Friedrich, Blum, J., Poppe, T. and others. (2008) Micro-craters in aluminum foils: Implications for dust particles from comet Wild 2 on NASA's Stardust spacecraft. International Journal of Impact Engineering, 35 (12). pp. 1616-1624. ISSN 0734-743X. (doi:10.1016/j.ijimpeng.2008.07.006) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:15737)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijimpeng.2008.07.006

Abstract

Dust impacts on aluminum foils during encounter of comet 81 P/Wild 2 by the Stardust spacecraft in January 2004 have been simulated using spherical projectiles of monodispersive polymer, glass, and metals, and polydispersive mineral powders of diverse grain shapes. The encounter speed of the cometary particles was a constant and modest 6.1 km s(-1), well within the capabilities of light gas guns. permitting high fidelity experiments to infer dust size, density, and mass from quantitative dimensional analysis of both natural and experimental impact features. Specific interest focused on exceptionally small impactors, all <100 mu m and some as small as 1.5 mu m. To simulate the compound shape of many Stardust craters required novel, artificial aggregate projectiles of heterogeneous mass distribution. We demonstrate that the dimensional scaling obtained previously for millimeter sized impactors extends to particles as small as 10 mu m at 6.1 km s(-1), all yielding a constant relationship for spherical soda lime glass projectiles of diameter (Dp) to crater diameter (Dc) in All 100 of Dc = 4.6 Dp; however, this ratio seems to decrease for projectiles << 10 mu m. The overwhelming majority of the Stardust craters are <20 mu m in diameter, and substantial challenges remain in quantifying the exact size-frequency distribution of the Wild 2 comet dust. Nevertheless, the current experiments provide improved insights into some of the particles' physical properties.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1016/j.ijimpeng.2008.07.006
Additional information: Hypervelocity Impact Proceedings of the 2007 Symposium - HVIS 2007
Uncontrolled keywords: Stardust Wild 2 Cometary dust Hypervelocity impact Crater morphology
Subjects: Q Science > QB Astronomy
Q Science > QC Physics
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Physics and Astronomy
Depositing User: Jane Griffiths
Date Deposited: 11 May 2009 10:38 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 09:53 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/15737 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Burchell, Mark J..

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2680-8943
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Cole, Mike J..

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Wozniakiewicz, Penelope J..

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