NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Interplanetary dust particles collected from the stratosphere: Physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties and implications for their sourcesThe suggestion that significant quantities of interplanetary dust are produced by both main-belt asteroids and comets is based on the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) detection of dust trails or bands associated with these objects. Gravitational focusing strongly biases all near-Earth collections of interplanetary dust in favor of particles with the lowest geocentric velocities, that is the dust from main-belt asteroids spiraling into the Sun under the influence of Poynting-Robertson radiation drag. The major dust bands in the main-belt appear to be associated with the catastrophic disruptions which produced the Eos, Themis and Koronis families of asteroids. If dust particles are produced in the catastrophic collision process, then Poynting-Robertson radiation drag is such an efficient transport mechanism from the main-belt to 1 AU that near-Earth collections of interplanetary dust should include, and perhaps be dominated by, this material. Interplanetary dust particles from 5 to 100 micrometers in diameter have been recovered from the stratosphere of the Earth by NASA sampling aircraft since the mid-1970s. The densities of a large fraction of these interplanetary dust particles are significantly lower than the densities of their constituent silicate mineral phases, indicating significant porosites. The majority of the particles are chemically and mineralogically similar to, but not identical to, the carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. Most stony interplanetary dust particles have carbon contents exceeding those of Allende, a carbonaceous chondrite meteorite having a low albedo. Higher albedo particles corresponding to S-type asteroids are underrepresented or absent from the stratospheric collections, and primitive carbonaceous particles seem to be overrepresented in the stratospheric collections compared to the fraction of main-belt asteroids classified as primitive. This suggests that much of the interplanetary dust may be generated by a stochastic process, probably preferentially sampling a few most recent collisional events.
Document ID
19950054439
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Flynn, George J.
(SUNY-Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, NY United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
December 1, 1994
Publication Information
Publication: Planetary and Space Science
Volume: 42
Issue: 12
ISSN: 0032-0633
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
95A86038
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG9-459
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available