Techniques for galactic dust measurements in the heliosphere

Citation
E. Grun et al., Techniques for galactic dust measurements in the heliosphere, J GEO R-S P, 105(A5), 2000, pp. 10403-10410
Citations number
26
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Space Sciences
Journal title
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SPACE PHYSICS
ISSN journal
2169-9380 → ACNP
Volume
105
Issue
A5
Year of publication
2000
Pages
10403 - 10410
Database
ISI
SICI code
0148-0227(20000501)105:A5<10403:TFGDMI>2.0.ZU;2-R
Abstract
Galactic interstellar dust (ISD) is the major ingredient in planetary forma tion. However, information on this important material has been extremely li mited. Recently, the Ulysses dust detector has identified and measured inte rstellar dust outside 1.8 AU from the Sun at ecliptic latitudes above 50 de grees, Inside this distance it could not reliably distinguish interstellar from interplanetary dust. Modeling the Ulysses data suggests that up to 30% of dust flux with masses above 10(-16) kg at 1 AU is of interstellar origi n. From the Hiten satellite in high eccentric orbit about the Earth, there are indications that ISD indeed reaches the Earth's orbit. Two new missions carrying dust detectors, Cassini and Stardust, will greatly increase our o bservational knowledge. In this paper we briefly review instruments used on these missions and compare their capabilities. The Stardust mission [Brown lee et al,, 1996] will analyze the local interstellar dust population by an in situ chemical analyzer and collect ISD between 2 and 3 AU from the Sun. The dust analyzer on the Cassini mission will determine the interstellar d ust flux outside Venus' orbit and will provide also some compositional info rmation. Techniques to identify the ISD flux levels at 1 AU are, described that can quantify the interstellar dust flux in high Earth orbit (outside t he debris belts) and provide chemical composition information of galactic d ust.