Mark C. Price

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss the inherent difficulties that arise during "ground truth" characterization of the Stardust interstellar dust collector, and provide a detailed description of the sample preparation techniques developed to address the unique goals and restrictions of the Interstellar Preliminary Exam.

TL;DR: The R(1) rotational line of HD at 5623 mu m has been detected for the first time on Saturn using the Long Wavelength Spectrometer (LWS) on board the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) as mentioned in this paper.

TL;DR: Using synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction measurements, the authors identified crystalline material in two particles of extraterrestrial origin extracted from the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector.

TL;DR: The spectrum of Saturn from 43 to 197μm was measured with the ISO Long Wavelength Spectrometer (LWS) during the performance verification phase of the mission as discussed by the authors, and the spectrum was compared with an atmospheric radiative-transfer model and four results were obtained: first, the slope of the measured continuum within each detector passband is in good agreement with the model; second, absorption features due to ammonia and phosphine were unambiguously detected, and all detected features were attributed to these two molecules; third, the ammonia absorption features agree reasonably well with the nominal model

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe the advances in light-gas gun technology, specifically focusing on the University of Kent's light gas-gun, over the past 30 years which have led to significant advancements in Planetary Science and the general field of shock physics.