Collecting cometary dust particles on metal blacks with the COSIMA instrument onboard ROSETTA

• Published in: Planetary and space science Vol. 103; no. 103; pp. 309 - 317
• Main Authors: Hornung, Klaus, Kissel, Jochen, Fischer, Henning, Mellado, Eva Maria, Kulikov, Oleg, Hilchenbach, Martin, Krüger, Harald, Engrand, Cecile, Langevin, Yves, Rossi, Massimiliano, Krueger, Franz R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 15.11.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Astrophysics; Collection efficiency; Cometary dust; Deceleration; Dust; Dust control; Earth and Planetary Astrophysics; Energy dissipation; Internal friction; Metal blacks; Nanostructure; Onboard; Physics; Rosetta mission; Cometary dust; Rosetta mission; Metal blacks; Collection efficiency; EVOLUTION; MICROMETEORITES; ANTARCTIC SNOW
• ISSN: 0032-0633; 1873-5088
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pss.2014.08.011

After a brief review of the instrument development and materials selection for collecting cometary dust in the vicinity of comet 67/P Churyumov–Gerasimenko we focus on laboratory verification for the capability of metal black targets to decelerate and capture dust particles (velocities in the order of 100m/s; sizes of some 10μm). The results indicate that particles between 10 and 100μm size can be collected with high probability. Two basic mechanisms of energy dissipation upon impact could be identified: By internal friction within a highly structured dust and within the black’s nanostructure. In addition to the actual ROSETTA mission the data presented here might have a more general relevance for future, similar in-situ investigations. [Display omitted] •For the ROSETTA mission we characterize dust collection on metal blacks.•Impact energy dissipation occurs within the dust and within the black layer.•ION-TOF chemical analysis is possible even for a single dust particle.•Except ROSETTA, the results may be important for similar in-situ dust experiments.•Deposit onto metal blacks may help SIMS analysis of fine powders in general.