Measurements of the elemental and isotopic composition of interplanetary dust collected on LDEF

A passive interplanetary dust collection experiment, currently in orbit aboard the Long Duration Exposure Facility, is described. The collectors, germanium target plates covered by metallized Mylar foils, are designed for secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements of the elemental and isotopic compositions of residues resulting from micrometeoroid (greater than 10 to the -10th grams) impacts. Impact simulation experiments have demonstrated the validity of the collection concept. Quantitative elemental analyses are complicated by the nonuniform distribution of projectile-derived elements.