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"DUST BUSTER" - A Single Photon Ionization TOF MS for Cometary DustsIt is hard to predict the properties and composition of dust that will be returned by STARDUST from WED- 2. The most interesting but challenging case would be grains, pg to fg in weight, each carrying its own isotopic signature characteristic of its source zones in a variety of stars. How do we extract the maximum amount of science from such grains? Clearly, the best that can be accomplished is to measure every atom in each grain.Academia Sinica and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) have entered into a collaboration to develop a SPI TOF MS instrument for analysis of stardust grains. A new instrument will be built at Academia Sinica based on the new TOF mass spectrometer design developed, built and operating at ANL. The instrument is intended for SPI TOF MS analysis of elements from Ca to Cu plus Li after first using SIMS to measure H, C, N, 0, Si, and S. There are still technical challenges facing the technique. We will need to improve submicrometer sample handling, avoid the effects of space charge, and increase the Mamie range of the detector. The most difficult obstacle to overcome may be the fact that the flux density of present high repetition rate, WV lasers is below the level needed to ensure full ionization (saturation) in the source region, which must be several mm in size to achieve the high useful yield needed for analysis of small stardust grains. A potential breakthrough effort is to exploit the novel free electron laser being pioneered at ANL. In principle, this FEL can reach ionization saturation and is tunable up to photon energies of 25 eV, which is higher than the ionization potential of any element.
Document ID
20030073610
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Chen, C.-Y.
(Academia Sinica Taipei, Taiwan, Province of China)
Calaway, W. F.
(Argonne National Lab. IL, United States)
Lee, Typhoon
(Academia Sinica Taipei, Taiwan, Province of China)
Moore, J. F.
(Argonne National Lab. IL, United States)
Pellin, M. J.
(Argonne National Lab. IL, United States)
Veryovkin, I. V.
(Argonne National Lab. IL, United States)
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2003
Publication Information
Publication: Workshop on Cometary Dust in Astrophysics
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NASA Order W-19895
CONTRACT_GRANT: W-31-109-eng-38
CONTRACT_GRANT: NASA Order W-10091
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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