Showing papers by "Mark C. Price published in 2011"
United States Naval Research Laboratory1, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory2, University of Leicester3, University of Washington4, University of Kent5, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility6, University of California, Berkeley7, University of Chicago8, Washington University in St. Louis9, State University of New York System10, Max Planck Society11, Field Museum of Natural History12, Open University13, Ames Research Center14, California Institute of Technology15
TL;DR: The Stardust Interstellar Dust Collection tray as discussed by the authors provides the first opportunity for the direct laboratory-based measurement of contemporary interstellar dust, and has already revealed 16 tracks from particle impacts with an orientation consistent with an interstellar origin, and to date four of the particles associated with these tracks have a composition consistent with the extraterrestrial origin.
Abstract: The Stardust Interstellar Dust Collection tray provides the first opportunity for the direct laboratory-based measurement of contemporary interstellar dust. The total exposed surface of the tray was approximately 0.1 square meters, including 153 square centimeters of Al foil in addition to the silica aerogel tiles that are the primary collection medium. Preliminary examination of aerogel tiles has already revealed 16 tracks from particle impacts with an orientation consistent with an interstellar origin, and to date four of the particles associated with these tracks have a composition consistent with an extraterrestrial origin. Tentative identification of impact craters on three foil samples was also reported previously. Here we present the definitive identification of 20 impact craters on five foils.
4 citations
07 Mar 2011
TL;DR: In addition to samples from comet 81P/Wild 2, NASA's Stardust mission may have returned the first samples of contemporary interstellar dust as discussed by the authors, which was collected for 229 days during two exposures prior to the spacecraft encounter with Wild 2 and tracked the interstellar dust stream for all but 34 days.
Abstract: In addition to samples from comet 81P/Wild 2, NASA's Stardust mission may have returned the first samples of contemporary interstellar dust. The interstellar tray collected particles for 229 days during two exposures prior to the spacecraft encounter with Wild 2 and tracked the interstellar dust stream for all but 34 days of that time. In addition to aerogel capture cells, the tray contains Al foils that make up approx.15% of the total exposed collection surface . Interstellar dust fluxes are poorly constrained, but suggest that on the order of 12-15 particles may have impacted the total exposed foil area of 15,300 sq mm; 2/3 of these are estimated to be less than approx.1 micrometer in size . Examination of the interstellar foils to locate the small rare craters expected from these impacts is proceeding under the auspices of the Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination (ISPE) plan. Below we outline the automated high-resolution imaging protocol we have established for this work and report results obtained from two interstellar foils.
4 citations
01 Sep 2011
TL;DR: Antonaki et al. as mentioned in this paper discuss how much survive, and how to safely access it for an analysis, in a paper entitled "FOIL CRATERS: How Much SURVIVES, and How to SAFELY EXTRACT IT for ANALYSIS".
Abstract: FOIL CRATERS: HOW MUCH SURVIVES, AND HOW TO SAFELY EXTRACT IT FOR ANALYSIS. A. T. Kearsley, M. J. Burchell, M. C Price, M. J. Cole, P. J. Wozniakiewicz, H. A. Ishii, N. Teslich, J. P. Bradley and T. Salge IARC, Dept. of Mineralogy, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK. E-mail: antk@nhm.ac.uk. School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NH, UK.IGPP, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550, USA. Bruker Nano GmbH, Schwarzschildstrasse 12, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
3 citations
01 Jan 2011
TL;DR: In 2006, the Stardust sample return capsule returned to Earth bearing the first solid samples from a primitive solar system body, Comet 81P/Wild2, and a collector dedicated to the capture and return of contemporary interstellar dust.
Abstract: In January 2006, the Stardust sample return capsule returned to Earth bearing the first solid samples from a primitive solar system body, Comet 81P/Wild2, and a collector dedicated to the capture and return of contemporary interstellar dust Both collectors were approx 01 sq m in area and were composed of aerogel tiles (85% of the collecting area) and aluminum foils The Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector (SIDC) was exposed to the interstellar dust stream for a total exposure factor of 20 sq m/day The Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination (ISPE) is a consortium-based project to characterize the collection using nondestructive techniques The goals and restrictions of the ISPE are described A summary of analytical techniques is described
2 citations
01 Jan 2011
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a summary of FTIR analyses of over 20 aerogel keystones, many of which contained candidates for interstellar dust, and assess the potential sources of organic contaminants in the Stardust collector.
Abstract: The Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector (SIDC) was intended to capture and return contemporary interstellar dust. The approx.0.1 sq m collector was composed of aerogel tiles (85% of the collecting area) and aluminum foils and was exposed to the interstellar dust stream for a total exposure factor of 20 sq m day. The Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination (ISPE) is a consortium-based project to characterize the collection using nondestructive techniques. Sandford et al. recently assessed numerous potential sources of organic contaminants in the Stardust cometary collector. These contaminants could greatly complicate the analysis and interperetation of any organics associated with interstellar dust, particularly because signals from these particles are expected to be exceedingly small. Here, we present a summary of FTIR analyses of over 20 aerogel keystones, many of which contained candidates for interstellar dust.
1 citations
01 Mar 2011
1 citations
07 Mar 2011
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used active particle selection in the Heidelberg Van de r Graaf (VdG) dust accelerator to obtain high-fidelity, low-backgro und calibrations of track sizes in aerogel as a function of particle size and velocity.
Abstract: Recent advances in active particle selection in the Heidelberg Van de r Graaf (VdG) dust accelerator have led to high-fidelity, low-backgro und calibrations of track sizes in aerogel as a function of particle size and velocity in the difficult regime above 10 km sec..1 and sub micron sizes. To the extent that the VdG shots are analogs for inters tellar dust (ISD) impacts, these new measurements enable us to place preliminary constraints on the ISD flux based on Stardust@home data.
1 citations