Silica Aerogel Captures Cosmic Dust Intact

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsou, P.

1994-01-01

The mesostructure of silica aerogel resembles stings of grapes, ranging in size from 10 to 100 angstrom. This fine mesostructure transmits nearly 90 percent of incident light in the visible, while providing sufficiently gentle dissipation of the kinetric energy of hypervelocity cosmic dust particles to permit their intact capture. We introduced silica aerogel in 1987 as capture medium to take advantage of its low density, fine mesostruicture and most importantly, its transparency, allowing optical location of captured micron sized particles.

Cosmic Dust and the Earth's Atmosphere (Vilhelm Bjerknes Medal Lecture)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plane, John M. C.

2017-04-01

Cosmic dust particles are produced in the solar system from the sublimation of comets as they orbit close to the sun, and also from collisions between asteroids in the belt between Mars and Jupiter. Dust particles enter the atmosphere at hyperthermal velocities (11 - 72 km s-1), and ablate at heights between 80 and 120 km in the mesosphere/lower thermosphere (MLT). The resulting metallic vapours (Fe, Mg, Si and Na etc.) then oxidize and recondense to form nm-size particles, termed "meteoric smoke particles (MSPs)". MSPs are too small to sediment downwards and so are transported by the general circulation of the atmosphere, taking roughly 4 years to reach the surface. Smoke particles play a potentially important role as condensation nuclei of noctilucent ice clouds in the mesosphere, and polar stratospheric clouds in the lower stratosphere, where they also facilitate freezing of the clouds. There are also potential implications for climate, as the input of bio-available cosmic Fe in the Southern Ocean can increase biological productivity and stimulate CO2 drawdown from the atmosphere. However, current estimates of the magnitude of the cosmic dust mass input rate into the Earth's atmosphere range from 2 to over 200 tonnes per day, depending on whether the measurements are made in space, in the middle atmosphere, or in polar ice cores. This nearly 2 order-of-magnitude discrepancy indicates that there must be serious flaws in the interpretation of observations that have been used to make the estimates. Furthermore, given this degree of uncertainty, the significance of these potential atmospheric impacts remains speculative. In this lecture I will describe the results of a large study designed to determine the size of the cosmic dust input rate using a self-consistent treatment of cosmic dust from the outer solar system to the Earth's surface. An astronomical model which tracks the evolution of dust from various sources into the inner solar system was combined with a

Calibration of impact ionization cosmic dust detectors: first tests to investigate how the dust density influences the signal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jasmin Sterken, Veerle; Moragas-Klostermeyer, Georg; Hillier, Jon; Fielding, Lee; Lovett, Joseph; Armes, Steven; Fechler, Nina; Srama, Ralf; Bugiel, Sebastian; Hornung, Klaus

2016-10-01

Impact ionization experiments have been performed since more than 40 years for calibrating cosmic dust detectors. A linear Van de Graaff dust accelerator was used to accelerate the cosmic dust analogues of submicron to micron-size to speeds up to 80 km s^-1. Different materials have been used for calibration: iron, carbon, metal-coated minerals and most recently, minerals coated with conductive polymers. While different materials with different densities have been used for instrument calibration, a comparative analysis of dust impacts of equal material but different density is necessary: porous or aggregate-like particles are increasingly found to be present in the solar system: e.g. dust from comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko [Fulle et al 2015], aggregate particles from the plumes of Enceladus [Gao et al 2016], and low-density interstellar dust [Westphal 2014 et al, Sterken et al 2015]. These recalibrations are relevant for measuring the size distributions of interplanetary and interstellar dust and thus mass budgets like the gas-to-dust mass ratio in the local interstellar cloud.We report about the calibrations that have been performed at the Heidelberg dust accelerator facility for investigating the influence of particle density on the impact ionization charge. We used the Cassini Cosmic Dust Analyzer for the target, and compared hollow versus compact silica particles in our study as a first attempt to investigate experimentally the influence of dust density on the signals obtained. Also, preliminary tests with carbon aerogel were performed, and (unsuccessful) attempts to accelerate silica aerogel. In this talk we explain the motivation of the study, the experiment set-up, the preparation of — and the materials used, the results and plans and recommendations for future tests.Fulle, M. et al 2015, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Volume 802, Issue 1, article id. L12, 5 pp. (2015)Gao, P. et al 2016, Icarus, Volume 264, p. 227-238Westphal, A. et al 2014, Science

Placers of cosmic dust in the blue ice lakes of Greenland

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maurette, M.; Hammer, C.; Reeh, N.; Brownlee, D. E.; Thomsen, H. H.

1986-01-01

A concentration process occurring in the melt zone of the Greenland ice cap has produced the richest known deposit of cosmic dust on the surface of the earth. Extraterrestrial particles collected from this region are well preserved and are collectable in large quantities. The collected particles are generally identical to cosmic spheres found on the ocean floor, but a pure glass type was discovered that has not been seen in deep-sea samples. Iron-rich spheres are conspicuously rare in the collected material.

Cosmic Dust Collection Facility: Scientific objectives and programmatic relations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoerz, Fred (Editor); Brownlee, D. E.; Bunch, T. E.; Grounds, D.; Grun, E.; Rummel, Y.; Quaide, W. L.; Walker, R. M.

1990-01-01

The science objectives are summarized for the Cosmic Dust Collection Facility (CDCF) on Space Station Freedom and these objectives are related to ongoing science programs and mission planning within NASA. The purpose is to illustrate the potential of the CDCF project within the broad context of early solar system sciences that emphasize the study of primitive objects in state-of-the-art analytical and experimental laboratories on Earth. Current knowledge about the sources of cosmic dust and their associated orbital dynamics is examined, and the results are reviewed of modern microanalytical investigations of extraterrestrial dust particles collected on Earth. Major areas of scientific inquiry and uncertainty are identified and it is shown how CDCF will contribute to their solution. General facility and instrument concepts that need to be pursued are introduced, and the major development tasks that are needed to attain the scientific objectives of the CDCF project are identified.

Cosmic dust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brownlee, Donald E.; Sandford, Scott A.

1992-01-01

Dust is a ubiquitous component of our galaxy and the solar system. The collection and analysis of extraterrestrial dust particles is important to exobiology because it provides information about the sources of biogenically significant elements and compounds that accumulated in distant regions of the solar nebula and that were later accreted on the planets. The topics discussed include the following: general properties of interplanetary dust; the carbonaceous component of interplanetary dust particles; and the presence of an interstellar component.

In situ dust measurements by the Cassini Cosmic Dust Analyzer in 2014 and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srama, R.

2015-10-01

Today, the German-lead Cosmic Dust Analyser (CDA) is operated continuously for 11 years in orbit around Saturn. Many discoveries like the Saturn nanodust streams or the large extended Ering were achieved. CDA provided unique results regarding Enceladus, his plume and the liquid water below the icy crust. In 2014 and 2015 CDA focuses on extended inclination and equatorial scans of the ring particle densities. Furthermore, scans are performed of the Pallene and Helene regions. Special attention is also given to the search of the dust cloud around Dione and to the Titan region. Long integration times are needed in order to characterize the flux and composition of exogenous dust (including interstellar dust) or possible retrograde dust particles. Finally, dedicated observation campaigns focus on the coupling of nanodust streams to Saturn's magnetosphere and the search of possible periodicities in the stream data. Saturn's rotation frequency was identified in the impact rate of nanodust particles at a Saturn distance of 40 Saturn radii. A special geometry in 2014-065 lead to an occultation of the dust stream by the moon Titan and its atmosphere when Titan crossed the line-of-sight between Saturn and Cassini. Here, CDA pointed towards Saturn for the measurement of stream particles. Around closest approach when Cassini was behind Titan, the flux of stream particles went down to zero (Fig. 1). This "dust occultation" is a new method to analyse the properties of the stream particles (speed, composition, mass) or the properties of Titans atmosphere (density). Furthermore, the particle trajectories can be constrained for a better analysis of their origin. In the final three years CDA performs exogenous and interstellar dust campaigns, studies of the composition and origin of Saturn's main rings by unique ring ejecta measurements, long-duration nano-dust stream observations, high-resolution maps of small moon orbit crossings, studies of the dust cloud around Dione and studies

Comet Dust: The Diversity of "Primitive" Particles and Implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wooden, Diane H.; Ishii, Hope A.; Bradley, John P.; Zolensky, Michael E.

2016-01-01

Comet dust is primitive and shows significant diversity. Our knowledge of the properties of primitive particles has expanded significantly through microscale investigations of cosmic dust samples ( IDP's(Interplanetary Dust Particles) and AMM's (Antarctic Micrometeorites)) and of comet dust samples (Stardust and Rosetta's COSIMA), as well as through remote sensing (spectroscopy and imaging) via Spitzer and via spacecraft encounters with 103P/Hartley 2 and 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Microscale investigations show that comet dust and cosmic dust are particles of unequilibrated materials, including aggregates of materials unequilibrated at submicron scales. We call unequilibrated materials "primitive" and we deduce they were incorporated into ice-rich (H2O-, CO2-, and CO-ice) parent bodies that remained cold, i.e., into comets, because of the lack of aqueous or thermal alteration since particle aggregation; yet some Stardust olivines suggest mild thermal metamorphism. Primitive particles exhibit a diverse range of: structure and typology; size and size distribution of constituents; concentration and form of carbonaceous and organic matter; D-, N-, and O- isotopic enhancements over solar; Mg-, Fe-contents of the silicate minerals; the compositions and concentrations of sulfides, and of less abundant mineral species such as chondrules, CAIs and carbonates. The uniformity within a group of samples points to: aerodynamic sorting of particles and/or particle constituents; the inclusion of a limited range of oxygen fugacities; the inclusion or exclusion of chondrules; a selection of organics. The properties of primitive particles imply there were disk processes that resulted in different comets having particular selections of primitive materials. The diversity of primitive particles has implications for the diversity of materials in the protoplanetary disk present at the time and in the region where the comets formed.

Laboratory Studies of the Optical Properties and Condensation Processes of Cosmic Dust Grains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbas, M. M.; Craven, P. D.; Spann, J. F.; Tankosic, D.; LeClair, A.; West, E.; Sheldon, R.; Witherow, W. K.; Gallagher, D. L.; Adrian, M. L.

2002-01-01

A laboratory facility for conducting a variety of experiments on single isolated dust particles of astrophysical interest levitated in an electrodynamics balance has been developed at NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center. The objective of the research is to employ this experimental technique for studies of the physical and optical properties of individual cosmic dust grains of 0.1-100 micron size in controlled pressure/temperatures environments simulating astrophysical conditions. The physical and optical properties of the analogs of interstellar and interplanetary dust grains of known composition and size distribution will be investigated by this facility. In particular, we will carry out three classes of experiments to study the micro-physics of cosmic dust grains. (1) Charge characteristics of micron size single dust grains to determine the photoelectric efficiencies, yields, and equilibrium potentials when exposed to UV radiation. (2) Infrared optical properties of dust particles (extinction coefficients and scattering phase functions) in the 1-30 micron region using infrared diode lasers and measuring the scattered radiation. (3) Condensation experiments to investigate the condensation of volatile gases on colder nucleated particles in dense interstellar clouds and lower planetary atmospheres. The condensation experiments will involve levitated nucleus dust grains of known composition and initial mass (or m/q ratio), cooled to a temperature and pressure (or scaled pressure) simulating the astrophysical conditions, and injection of a volatile gas at a higher temperature from a controlled port. The increase in the mass due to condensation on the particle will be monitored as a function of the dust particle temperature and the partial pressure of the injected volatile gas. The measured data will permit determination of the sticking coefficients of volatile gases and growth rates of dust particles of astrophysical interest. Some preliminary results based on

Toward a complete inventory of stratospheric dust particles with implications and their classification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, M. E.; Mackinnon, I. D. R.; Mckay, D. S.

1984-01-01

As the Earth travels about the Sun it continuously sweeps up material laying in its path. The material includes dust-sized fragments of the meteors, comets and asteroids that have passed by as well as much older particles from out between the stars. These grains first become caught in the mesosphere and then slowly pass down through the stratosphere and the troposphere, finally raining down upon the Earth's surface. In the stratosphere the cosmic dust particles encounter increasing amounts of contaminants from the Earth. At the highest reaches of Earth's atmosphere these contaminants consists mainly of dust from the most explosive volcanoes, rocket exhaust, and other manmade space debris. In the troposphere windborne particles and pollen become an increasingly larger fraction of the atmospheric dust load. An increased knowledge of the nature of cosmic particles is suggested.

Comet Dust: The Diversity of Primitive Particles and Implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

John Bradley; Zolensky, Michael E.

2016-01-01

Comet dust is primitive and shows significant diversity. Our knowledge of the properties of primitive particles has expanded significantly through microscale investigations of cosmic dust samples (IDPs and AMMs) and of comet dust samples (Stardust and Rosetta's COSIMA), as well as through remote sensing (spectroscopy and imaging) via Spitzer and via spacecraft encounters with 103P/Hartley 2 and 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Microscale investigations show that comet dust and cosmic dust are particles of unequilibrated materials, including aggregates of materials unequilibrated at submicron scales. We call unequilibrated materials "primitive" and we deduce they were incorporated into ice-­-rich (H2O-, CO2-, and CO-ice) parent bodies that remained cold, i.e., into comets, because of the lack of aqueous or thermal alteration since particle aggregation; yet some Stardust olivines suggest mild thermal metamorphism. Primitive particles exhibit a diverse range of: structure and typology; size and size distribution of constituents; concentration and form of carbonaceous and organic matter; D-, N-, and O- isotopic enhancements over solar; Mg-, Fe-contentsof thesilicate minerals; the compositions and concentrations of sulfides, and of less abundant mineral species such as chondrules, CAIs and carbonates. The unifomity within a group of samples points to: aerodynamic sorting of particles and/or particle constituents; the inclusion of a limited range of oxygen fugacities; the inclusion or exclusion of chondrules; a selection of organics. The properites of primitive particles imply there were disk processes that resulted in different comets having particular selections of primitive materials. The diversity of primitive particles has implications for the diversity of materials in the protoplanetary disk present at the time and in the region where the comets formed.

COSMIC DUST AGGREGATION WITH STOCHASTIC CHARGING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matthews, Lorin S.; Hyde, Truell W.; Shotorban, Babak, E-mail: Lorin_Matthews@baylor.edu

2013-10-20

The coagulation of cosmic dust grains is a fundamental process which takes place in astrophysical environments, such as presolar nebulae and circumstellar and protoplanetary disks. Cosmic dust grains can become charged through interaction with their plasma environment or other processes, and the resultant electrostatic force between dust grains can strongly affect their coagulation rate. Since ions and electrons are collected on the surface of the dust grain at random time intervals, the electrical charge of a dust grain experiences stochastic fluctuations. In this study, a set of stochastic differential equations is developed to model these fluctuations over the surface ofmore » an irregularly shaped aggregate. Then, employing the data produced, the influence of the charge fluctuations on the coagulation process and the physical characteristics of the aggregates formed is examined. It is shown that dust with small charges (due to the small size of the dust grains or a tenuous plasma environment) is affected most strongly.« less

Organic Matter in Cosmic Dust

PubMed Central

Sandford, Scott A.; Engrand, Cecile; Rotundi, Alessandra

2018-01-01

Organics are observed to be a significant component of cosmic dust in nearly all environments were dust is observed. In many cases only remote telescope observations of these materials are obtainable and our knowledge of the nature of these materials is very basic. However, it is possible to obtain actual samples of extraterrestrial dust in the Earth’s stratosphere, in Antarctic ice and snow, in near-Earth orbit, and via spacecraft missions to asteroids and comets. It is clear that cosmic dust contains a diverse population of organic materials that owe their origins to a variety of chemical processes occurring in many different environments. The presence of isotopic enrichments of D and 15N suggests that many of these organic materials have an interstellar/protosolar heritage. The study of these samples is of considerable importance since they are the best preserved materials of the early Solar System available. PMID:29422977

The Cassini Cosmic Dust Analyser CDA - A 10 year exploration of Saturn's dust environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srama, Ralf

2014-05-01

The interplanetary space probe Cassini/Huygens reached Saturn in July 2004 after seven years of cruise phase. Since then, the German-lead Cosmic Dust Analyser (CDA) was operated continuously for 10 years in orbit around Saturn. The first discovery of CDA related to Saturn was the measurement of nanometer sized dust particles ejected by its magnetosphere to interplanetary space with speeds higher than 100 km/s. Their origin and composition was analysed and an their dynamical studies showed a strong link to the conditions of the solar wind plasma flow. A recent surprising result was, that stream particles stem from the interior of Enceladus. Since 2004 CDA measured millions of dust impacts characterizing the dust environment of Saturn. The instrument showed strong evidence for ice geysers located at the south pole of Saturn's moon Enceladus in 2005. Later, a detailed compositional analysis of the salt-rich water ice grains in Saturn's E ring system lead to the discovery of liquid water below the crust connected to an ocean at depth feeding the icy jets. CDA was even capable to derive a spatially resolved compositional profile of the plume during close Enceladus flybys. A determination of the dust-magnetosphere interaction and the discovery of the extended E ring (at least twice as large as previously known) allowed the definition of a dynamical dust model of Saturns E ring describing the observed properties. Cassini performed shadow crossings in the ring plane and dust grain charges were measured in shadow regions delivering important data for dust-plasma interaction studies. In the last years, dedicated measurement campaigns were executed by CDA to monitor the flux of interplanetary and interstellar dust particles reaching Saturn.

Swift heavy ion irradiation of interstellar dust analogues. Small carbonaceous species released by cosmic rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dartois, E.; Chabot, M.; Pino, T.; Béroff, K.; Godard, M.; Severin, D.; Bender, M.; Trautmann, C.

2017-03-01

Context. Interstellar dust grain particles are immersed in vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and cosmic ray radiation environments influencing their physicochemical composition. Owing to the energetic ionizing interactions, carbonaceous dust particles release fragments that have direct impact on the gas phase chemistry. Aims: The exposure of carbonaceous dust analogues to cosmic rays is simulated in the laboratory by irradiating films of hydrogenated amorphous carbon interstellar analogues with energetic ions. New species formed and released into the gas phase are explored. Methods: Thin carbonaceous interstellar dust analogues were irradiated with gold (950 MeV), xenon (630 MeV), and carbon (43 MeV) ions at the GSI UNILAC accelerator. The evolution of the dust analogues is monitored in situ as a function of fluence at 40, 100, and 300 K. Effects on the solid phase are studied by means of infrared spectroscopy complemented by simultaneously recording mass spectrometry of species released into the gas phase. Results: Specific species produced and released under the ion beam are analyzed. Cross sections derived from ion-solid interaction processes are implemented in an astrophysical context.

Experimental Determination of Infrared Extinction Coefficients of Interplanetary Dust Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spann, J. F., Jr.; Abbas, M. M.

1998-01-01

This technique is based on irradiating a single isolated charged dust particle suspended in balance by an electric field, and measuring the scattered radiation as a function of angle. The observed scattered intensity profile at a specific wavelength obtained for a dust particle of known composition is compared with Mie theory calculations, and the variable parameters relating to the particle size and complex refractive index are adjusted for a best fit between the two profiles. This leads to a simultaneous determination of the particle radius, the complex refractive index, and the scattering and extinction coefficients. The results of these experiments can be utilized to examine the IRAS and DIRBE (Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment) infrared data sets in order to determine the dust particle physical characteristics and distributions by using infrared models and inversion techniques. This technique may also be employed for investigation of the rotational bursting phenomena whereby large size cosmic and interplanetary particles are believed to fragment into smaller dust particles.

DustPedia: A Definitive Study of Cosmic Dust in the Local Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, J. I.; Baes, M.; Bianchi, S.; Jones, A.; Madden, S.; Xilouris, M.; Bocchio, M.; Casasola, V.; Cassara, L.; Clark, C.; De Looze, I.; Evans, R.; Fritz, J.; Galametz, M.; Galliano, F.; Lianou, S.; Mosenkov, A. V.; Smith, M.; Verstocken, S.; Viaene, S.; Vika, M.; Wagle, G.; Ysard, N.

2017-04-01

The European Space Agency has invested heavily in two cornerstones missions: Herschel and Planck. The legacy data from these missions provides an unprecedented opportunity to study cosmic dust in galaxies so that we can, for example, answer fundamental questions about the origin of the chemical elements, physical processes in the interstellar medium (ISM), its effect on stellar radiation, its relation to star formation and how this relates to the cosmic far-infrared background. In this paper we describe the DustPedia project, which enables us to develop tools and computer models that will help us relate observed cosmic dust emission to its physical properties (chemical composition, size distribution, and temperature), its origins (evolved stars, supernovae, and growth in the ISM), and the processes that destroy it (high-energy collisions and shock heated gas). To carry out this research, we combine the Herschel/Planck data with that from other sources of data, and provide observations at numerous wavelengths (≤slant 41) across the spectral energy distribution, thus creating the DustPedia database. To maximize our spatial resolution and sensitivity to cosmic dust, we limit our analysis to 4231 local galaxies (v< 3000 km s-1) selected via their near-infrared luminosity (stellar mass). To help us interpret this data, we developed a new physical model for dust (THEMIS), a new Bayesian method of fitting and interpreting spectral energy distributions (HerBIE) and a state-of-the-art Monte Carlo photon-tracing radiative transfer model (SKIRT). In this, the first of the DustPedia papers, we describe the project objectives, data sets used, and provide an insight into the new scientific methods we plan to implement.

A Cosmic Dust Sensor Based on an Array of Grid Electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Y. W.; Bugiel, S.; Strack, H.; Srama, R.

2014-04-01

We described a low mass and high sensitivity cosmic dust trajectory sensor using a array of grid segments[1]. the sensor determines the particle velocity vector and the particle mass. An impact target is used for the detection of the impact plasma of high speed particles like interplanetary dust grains or high speed ejecta. Slower particles are measured by three planes of grid electrodes using charge induction. In contrast to conventional Dust Trajectory Sensor based on wire electrodes, grid electrodes a robust and sensitive design with a trajectory resolution of a few degree. Coulomb simulation and laboratory tests were performed in order to verify the instrument design. The signal shapes are used to derive the particle plane intersection points and to derive the exact particle trajectory. The accuracy of the instrument for the incident angle depends on the particle charge, the position of the intersection point and the signal-to-noise of the charge sensitive amplifier (CSA). There are some advantages of this grid-electrodes based design with respect to conventional trajectory sensor using individual wire electrodes: the grid segment electrodes show higher amplitudes (close to 100%induced charge) and the overall number of measurement channels can be reduced. This allows a compact instrument with low power and mass requirements.

The radiation-induced rotation of cosmic dust particles: A feasibility study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Misconi, N. Y.; Ratcliff, K. F.

1981-01-01

A crossed beam, horizontal optical trap, used to achieve laser levitation of particles in an effort to determine how solar radiation produces high spin rate in interplanetary dust particles, is described. It is suggested that random variations in albedo and geometry give rise to a nonzero effective torque when the influence of a unidrectional source of radiaton (due to the Sun) over the surface of a interplanetary dust particle is averaged. This resultant nonzero torque is characterized by an asymmetry factor which is the ratio of the effective moment arm to the maximum linear dimension of the body and is estimated to be 5 X 10 to the minus four power. It is hoped that this symmetry factor, which stabilizes the nonstatistical response of the particle, can be measured in a future Spacelab experiment.

Properties of dust particles near Saturn inferred from voltage pulses induced by dust impacts on Cassini spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, S.-Y.; Gurnett, D. A.; Kurth, W. S.; Averkamp, T. F.; Kempf, S.; Hsu, H.-W.; Srama, R.; Grün, E.

2014-08-01

The Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) instrument can detect dust particles when voltage pulses induced by the dust impacts are observed in the wideband receiver. The size of the voltage pulse is proportional to the mass of the impacting dust particle. For the first time, the dust impacts signals measured by dipole and monopole electric antennas are compared, from which the effective impact area of the spacecraft is estimated to be 4 m2. In the monopole mode, the polarity of the dust impact signal is determined by the spacecraft potential and the location of the impact (on the spacecraft body or the antenna), which can be used to statistically infer the charge state of the spacecraft. It is shown that the differential number density of the dust particles near Saturn can be characterized as a power law dn/dr ∝ rμ, where μ ~ - 4 and r is the particle size. No peak is observed in the size distribution, contrary to the narrow size distribution found by previous studies. The RPWS cumulative dust density is compared with the Cosmic Dust Analyzer High Rate Detector measurement. The differences between the two instruments are within the range of uncertainty estimated for RPWS measurement. The RPWS onboard dust recorder and counter data are used to map the dust density and spacecraft charging state within Saturn's magnetosphere.

Sources of cosmic dust in the Earth's atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrillo-Sánchez, J. D.; Nesvorný, D.; Pokorný, P.; Janches, D.; Plane, J. M. C.

2016-12-01

There are four known sources of dust in the inner solar system: Jupiter Family comets, asteroids, Halley Type comets, and Oort Cloud comets. Here we combine the mass, velocity, and radiant distributions of these cosmic dust populations from an astronomical model with a chemical ablation model to estimate the injection rates of Na and Fe into the Earth's upper atmosphere, as well as the flux of cosmic spherules to the surface. Comparing these parameters to lidar observations of the vertical Na and Fe fluxes above 87.5 km, and the measured cosmic spherule accretion rate at South Pole, shows that Jupiter Family Comets contribute (80 ± 17)% of the total input mass (43 ± 14 t d-1), in good accord with Cosmic Background Explorer and Planck observations of the zodiacal cloud.

Collecting Comet Samples by ER-2 Aircraft: Cosmic Dust Collection During the Draconid Meteor Shower in October 2012

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bastien, Ron; Burkett, P. J.; Rodriquez, M.; Frank, D.; Gonzalez, C.; Robinson, G.-A.; Zolensky, M.; Brown, P.; Campbell-Brown, M.; Broce, S.;

Cassini RPWS Measurement of Dust Particles in Saturn's Magnetosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, S.; Gurnett, D. A.; Kurth, W. S.; Averkamp, T. F.; Kempf, S.; Hsu, S.; Sakai, S.; Morooka, M.; Wahlund, J.

2013-12-01

The Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) instrument can detect dust impacts when voltage pulses induced by the impact charges are observed in the wideband receiver. The size of the voltage pulse is proportional to the mass of the impacting dust particle. Based on the data collected during the E-ring crossings and Enceladus flybys, we show that the size distribution of the dust particles can be characterized as dn/dr ∝ rμ, where μ~-4. We compare the density of dust particles above a certain size threshold calculated from the impact rate with the Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) High Rate Detector (HRD) data. When the monopole antenna is connected to the wideband receiver, the polarity of the dust impact signal is determined by the spacecraft potential and the location of the impact (on the spacecraft body or the antenna). Because the effective area of the antenna is relatively easy to estimate, we use the polarity ratio of the dust impacts to infer the effective area of the spacecraft body. RPWS onboard dust detection data is analyzed, from which we infer the sign of the spacecraft potential and the dust density within Saturn's magnetosphere. A new phenomenon called dust ringing has been found to reveal the electron density inside the Enceladus plume. The ringing frequencies, interpreted as the local plasma frequencies, are consistent with the values measured by other methods, i.e., Langmuir probe and upper hybrid resonance.

Sources of cosmic dust in the Earth's atmosphere.

PubMed

Carrillo-Sánchez, J D; Nesvorný, D; Pokorný, P; Janches, D; Plane, J M C

2016-12-16

There are four known sources of dust in the inner solar system: Jupiter Family comets, asteroids, Halley Type comets, and Oort Cloud comets. Here we combine the mass, velocity, and radiant distributions of these cosmic dust populations from an astronomical model with a chemical ablation model to estimate the injection rates of Na and Fe into the Earth's upper atmosphere, as well as the flux of cosmic spherules to the surface. Comparing these parameters to lidar observations of the vertical Na and Fe fluxes above 87.5 km, and the measured cosmic spherule accretion rate at South Pole, shows that Jupiter Family Comets contribute (80 ± 17)% of the total input mass (43 ± 14 t d -1 ), in good accord with Cosmic Background Explorer and Planck observations of the zodiacal cloud.

Sources of cosmic dust in the Earth's atmosphere

PubMed Central

Carrillo‐Sánchez, J. D.; Nesvorný, D.; Pokorný, P.; Janches, D.

2016-01-01

Abstract There are four known sources of dust in the inner solar system: Jupiter Family comets, asteroids, Halley Type comets, and Oort Cloud comets. Here we combine the mass, velocity, and radiant distributions of these cosmic dust populations from an astronomical model with a chemical ablation model to estimate the injection rates of Na and Fe into the Earth's upper atmosphere, as well as the flux of cosmic spherules to the surface. Comparing these parameters to lidar observations of the vertical Na and Fe fluxes above 87.5 km, and the measured cosmic spherule accretion rate at South Pole, shows that Jupiter Family Comets contribute (80 ± 17)% of the total input mass (43 ± 14 t d−1), in good accord with Cosmic Background Explorer and Planck observations of the zodiacal cloud. PMID:28275286

Dust Analyzer Instrument (DANTE) for the detection and elemental analysis of dust particles originating from the inner heliosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sternovsky, Z.; O'brien, L.; Gruen, E.; Horanyi, M.; Malaspina, D.; Moebius, E.; Rocha, J. R. R.

2016-12-01

Nano- to sub-micron-size dust particles generated by the collisional breakup of interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) in the inner solar system can be accelerated away from the Sun and are available for detection and analysis near 1 AU. Beta-meteoroids are sub-micron sized particles for which the radiation pressure dominates over gravity and have already been detected by dedicated dust instrument. Charged nano-sized dust particles are picked up by the expanding solar wind and arrive to 1 AU with high velocity. The recent observations by the WAVE instrument on the two STEREO spacecraft indicated that these particles may exist in large numbers. The Dust Analyzer Instrument (DANTE) is specifically developed to detect and analyze these two populations of dust particles arriving from a direction close to the Sun. DANTE is a linear time-of-flight (ToF) mass spectrometer analyzing the ions generated by the dust impact on a target surface. DANTE is derived from the Cosmic Dust Analyzer instrument operating on Cassini. DANTE has a 300 cm2 target area and a mass resolution of approximately m/dm = 50. The instrument performance has been verified using the dust accelerator facility operating at the University of Colorado. A light trap system, consisting of optical baffles, is designed and optimized in terms of geometry and surface optical properties. A solar wind ion repeller system is included to prevent solar wind from entering the sensor. Both measures facilitate the detection with the instrument pointing close to the Sun's direction. The DANTE measurements will help to understand the sources, sinks and distribution of dust between the Sun and 1 AU, and, when combined with solar wind ion analyzer instrument, they will provide insight on the suspected link between dust particles and pickup ions, and how the massive particles affect the dynamics and energetics of the solar wind.

Some aspects of dust-plasma interactions in the cosmic environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mendis, D. A.; Rosenberg, Marlene

1992-01-01

In this paper we present a brief, critical review of dust-plasma interactions in the cosmic environment, with emphasis on certain recent results. Both single-particle (e.g. gravitoelectrodynamics) and collective effects (e.g. appearance of new wave modes) are discussed and some areas in which further research is needed are pointed out. Finally the pressing need for laboratory studies, both to provide the necessary data for the theoretical studies and to test the predictions of these theories, is emphasized.

Cosmic dust synthesis by accretion and coagulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Praburam, G.; Goree, J.

1995-01-01

The morphology of grains grown by accretion and coagulation is revaled by a new laboratory method of synthesizing cosmic dust analogs. Submicron carbon particles, grown by accretion of carbon atoms from a gas, have a spherical shape with a cauliflower-like surface and an internal micro-structure of radial columns. This shape is probably common for grains grown by accretion at a temperature well below the melting point. Coagulated grains, consisting of spheres that collided to form irregular strings, were also synthesized. Another shape we produced had a bumpy non- spherical morphology, like an interplanetary particle collected in the terrestrial stratosphere. Besides these isolated grains, large spongy aggregates of nanometer-size particles were also found for various experimental conditions. Grains were synthesized using ions to sputter a solid target, producing an atomic vapor at a low temperature. The ions were provided by a plasma, which also provided electrostatic levitation of the grains during their growth. The temporal development of grain growth was studied by extinguishing the plasma after various intervals.

Formation of Cosmic Carbon Dust Analogues in Plasma Reactors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salama, Farid

2016-01-01

Cosmic carbon dust analogs are produced, processed and analyzed in the laboratory using NASA's COSmIC (COSmIC Simulation Chamber) Facility. These experiments can be used to derive information on the most efficient molecular precursors in the chemical pathways that eventually lead to the formation of carbonaceous grains in the stellar envelopes of carbon stars.

A New Laboratory For Terahertz Characterization Of Cosmic Analog Dusts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perera, Thushara; Liu, Lunjun; Breyer, Fiona; Schonert, Ryan; O'Shea, Kyle; Roesner, Rebecca

2016-06-01

Most studies conducted with observatories such as ALMA, SOFIA, PLANCK, and Herschel will benefit from knowledge of (1) the predominant cosmic dust species in various environments and (2) the mm/sub-mm optical properties of cosmic dusts, including the temperature dependent-emissivity and spectral index. We have undertaken two efforts to enable the laboratory study of cosmic analogs dusts in the frequency range 60-2000 GHz. They are: (1) the construction of a novel compact Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) design coupled to a dry 4-K cryostat which houses a cooled sample exchanger (filter wheel) and a bolometer. (2) The production of Mg- and Fe-rich silicate dusts using sol-gel methods; various tests to determine their physical and chemical properties; embedding of samples in LDPE pellets for insertion into the novel FTS. This presentation will focus on the current status of the apparatus and data from its first few months of use.

Ion implantation effects in 'cosmic' dust grains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bibring, J. P.; Langevin, Y.; Maurette, M.; Meunier, R.; Jouffrey, B.; Jouret, C.

1974-01-01

Cosmic dust grains, whatever their origin may be, have probably suffered a complex sequence of events including exposure to high doses of low-energy nuclear particles and cycles of turbulent motions. High-voltage electron microscope observations of micron-sized grains either naturally exposed to space environmental parameters on the lunar surface or artificially subjected to space simulated conditions strongly suggest that such events could drastically modify the mineralogical composition of the grains and considerably ease their aggregation during collisions at low speeds. Furthermore, combined mass spectrometer and ionic analyzer studies show that small carbon compounds can be both synthesized during the implantation of a mixture of low-energy D, C, N ions in various solids and released in space by ion sputtering.

Ablation and Chemical Alteration of Cosmic Dust Particles during Entry into the Earth’s Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudraswami, N. G.; Shyam Prasad, M.; Dey, S.; Plane, J. M. C.; Feng, W.; Carrillo-Sánchez, J. D.; Fernandes, D.

2016-12-01

Most dust-sized cosmic particles undergo ablation and chemical alteration during atmospheric entry, which alters their original properties. A comprehensive understanding of this process is essential in order to decipher their pre-entry characteristics. The purpose of the study is to illustrate the process of vaporization of different elements for various entry parameters. The numerical results for particles of various sizes and various zenith angles are treated in order to understand the changes in chemical composition that the particles undergo as they enter the atmosphere. Particles with large sizes (> few hundred μm) and high entry velocities (>16 km s‑1) experience less time at peak temperatures compared to those that have lower velocities. Model calculations suggest that particles can survive with an entry velocity of 11 km s‑1 and zenith angles (ZA) of 30°–90°, which accounts for ∼66% of the region where particles retain their identities. Our results suggest that the changes in chemical composition of MgO, SiO2, and FeO are not significant for an entry velocity of 11 km s‑1 and sizes <300 μm, but the changes in these compositions become significant beyond this size, where FeO is lost to a major extent. However, at 16 km s‑1 the changes in MgO, SiO2, and FeO are very intense, which is also reflected in Mg/Si, Fe/Si, Ca/Si, and Al/Si ratios, even for particles with a size of 100 μm. Beyond 400 μm particle sizes at 16 km s‑1, most of the major elements are vaporized, leaving the refractory elements, Al and Ca, suspended in the troposphere.

Alteration of Organic Compounds in Small Bodies and Cosmic Dusts by Cosmic Rays and Solar Radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Kensei; Kaneko, Takeo; Mita, Hajime; Obayashi, Yumiko; Takahashi, Jun-ichi; Sarker, Palash K.; Kawamoto, Yukinori; Okabe, Takuto; Eto, Midori; Kanda, Kazuhiro

2012-07-01

A wide variety of complex organic compounds have been detected in extraterrestrial bodies like carbonaceous chondrites and comets, and their roles in the generation of terrestrial life are discussed. It was suggested that organics in small bodies were originally formed in ice mantles of interstellar dusts in dense cloud. Irradiation of frozen mixture of possible interstellar molecules including CO (or CH _{3}OH), NH _{3} and H _{2}O with high-energy particles gave complex amino acid precursors with high molecular weights [1]. Such complex organic molecules were taken in planetesimals or comets in the early solar system. In prior to the generation of the terrestrial life, extraterrestrial organics were delivered to the primitive Earth by such small bodies as meteorites, comets and space dusts. These organics would have been altered by cosmic rays and solar radiation (UV, X-rays) before the delivery to the Earth. We examined possible alteration of amino acids, their precursors and nucleic acid bases in interplanetary space by irradiation with high energy photons and heavy ions. A mixture of CO, NH _{3} and H _{2}O was irradiated with high-energy protons from a van de Graaff accelerator (TIT, Japan). The resulting products (hereafter referred to as CAW) are complex precursors of amino acids. CAW, amino acids (dl-Isovaline, glycine), hydantoins (amino acid precursors) and nucleic acid bases were irradiated with continuous emission (soft X-rays to IR; hereafter referred to as soft X-rays irradiation) from BL-6 of NewSUBARU synchrotron radiation facility (Univ. Hyogo). They were also irradiated with heavy ions (eg., 290 MeV/u C ^{6+}) from HIMAC accelerator (NIRS, Japan). After soft X-rays irradiation, water insoluble materials were formed. After irradiation with soft X-rays or heavy ions, amino acid precursors (CAW and hydantoins) gave higher ratio of amino acids were recovered after hydrolysis than free amino acids. Nucleic acid bases showed higher stability than free

Trace Element Abundance Measurements on Cosmic Dust Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flynn, George

1996-01-01

The X-Ray Microprobe on beamline X-26A at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) at Brookhaven National Laboratory was used to determine the abundances of elements from Cr through Sr in individual interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) collected from the Earth's stratosphere and the Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscope (STXM) on beamline X-1A at the NSLS was used to determine the carbon abundances and spatial distributions in IDPs. In addition, modeling was performed in an attempt to associate particular types of IDPs with specific types of parent bodies, and thus to infer the chemistry, mineralogy, and structural properties of those parent bodies.

Microanalytical study of some cosmic dust discovered in sea-floor sediments in China

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shijie, Z.; Hanchang, P.; Zhong, Y.

1984-01-01

The study of cosmic dust can provide useful data in the investigation of the origin of the Earth and the evolution of celestial bodies. Three types of cosmic dust (ferriginous, siliceous, and glassy) were discovered in the seafloor sediments near China. Their chemical composition and microstructure were examined by X-ray diffraction, fractography, and electron microscopy. The major mineral in an iron-containing cosmic dust is magnetite. The silicate spheres contain sundry metals and metal oxides. Glassy microtektites are similar in composition to tektites, and are found in all the major meteorite areas worldwide.

Cosmic dust collection with a sub-satellite tethered to a space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corso, G. J.

1986-01-01

The number concentration and density of 1 micron and submicron sized grains in interplanetary space, as well as their relation to the larger zodical dust particles, and the importance of the Beta meteoroid phenomenon are currently being questioned. The best approach to collecting large numbers of intact micron and submicron sized cosmic dust particles in real time while avoiding terrestrial and man made contamination would be to employ a tethered subsatellite from a space station down into the Earth's atmosphere. Such a subsatellite tied to the space shuttle by a 100 km long tether is being developed. It is also possible that a permanent space station would allow the use of a tether even longer that 100 km. It should be noted that the same tethered collectors could also be employed to study the composition and flux of man made Earth orbiting debris in any direction within 100 km or so of the space station.

Cosmic dust collection with a sub satellite tethered to a Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corso, George J.

1987-01-01

The number concentration and density of 1 micron and submicron sized grains in interplanetary space, as well as their relation to the larger zodical dust particles, and the importance of the beta meteoroid phenomenon are currently being questioned. The best approach to collecting large numbers of intact micron and submicron sized cosmic dust particles in real time while avoiding terrestrial and man made contamination would be to employ a tethered subsatellite from a space station down into the earth's atmosphere. Such a subsatellite tied to the space shuttle by a 100 km long tether is being developed. It is also possible that a permanent space station would allow the use of a tether even longer than 100 km. It should be noted that the same tethered collectors could also be employed to study the composition and flux of man made earth orbiting debris in any direction within 100 km or so of the space station.

Photoelectric Emission Measurements on the Analogs of Individual Cosmic Dust Grains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbas, M. M.; Tankosic, D.; Craven, P. D.; Spann, J. F.; LeClair, A.; West, E. A.; Weingartner, J. C.; Tielens, A. G. G. M.; Nuth, J. a.; Camata, R. P.

2006-01-01

The photoelectric emission process is considered to be the dominant mechanism for charging of cosmic dust grains in many astrophysical environments. The grain charge and equilibrium potentials play an important role in the dynamical and physical processes that include heating of the neutral gas in the interstellar medium, coagulation processes in the dust clouds, and levitation and dynamical processes in the interplanetary medium and planetary surfaces and rings. An accurate evaluation of photoelectric emission processes requires knowledge of the photoelectric yields of individual dust grains of astrophysical composition as opposed to the values obtained from measurements on flat surfaces of bulk materials, as it is generally assumed on theoretical considerations that the yields for the small grains are much different from the bulk values. We present laboratory measurements of the photoelectric yields of individual dust grains of silica, olivine, and graphite of approx. 0.09-5 micrometer radii levitated in an electrodynamic balance and illuminated with ultraviolet radiation at 120-160 nm wavelengths. The measured yields are found to be substantially higher than the bulk values given in the literature and indicate a size dependence with larger particles having order-of-magnitude higher values than for submicron-size grains.

An overview of the cosmic dust analogue material production in reduced gravity: the STARDUST experience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferguson, F.; Lilleleht, L. U.; Nuth, J.; Stephens, J. R.; Bussoletti, E.; Colangeli, L.; Mennella, V.; Dell'Aversana, P.; Mirra, C.

1993-01-01

The formation, properties and chemical dynamics of microparticles are important in a wide variety of technical and scientific fields including synthesis of semiconductor crystals from the vapour, heterogeneous chemistry in the stratosphere and the formation of cosmic dust surrounding the stars. Gravitational effects on particle formation from vapors include gas convection and buoyancy and particle sedimentation. These processes can be significantly reduced by studying condensation and agglomeration of particles in microgravity. In addition, to accurately simulate particle formation near stars, which takes place under low gravity conditions, studies in microgravity are desired. We report here the STARDUST experience, a recent collaborative effort that brings together a successful American program of microgravity experiments on particle formation aboard NASA KC-135 Reduced Gravity Research Aircraft and several Italian research groups with expertise in microgravity research and astrophysical dust formation. The program goal is to study the formation and properties of high temperature particles and gases that are of interest in astrophysics and planetary science. To do so we are developing techniques that are generally applicable to study particle formation and properties, taking advantage of the microgravity environment to allow accurate control of system parameters.

An overview of the cosmic dust analogue material production in reduced gravity: the STARDUST experience.

PubMed

Ferguson, F; Lilleleht, L U; Nuth, J; Stephens, J R; Bussoletti, E; Colangeli, L; Mennella, V; Dell'Aversana, P; Mirra, C

1993-01-01

The formation, properties and chemical dynamics of microparticles are important in a wide variety of technical and scientific fields including synthesis of semiconductor crystals from the vapour, heterogeneous chemistry in the stratosphere and the formation of cosmic dust surrounding the stars. Gravitational effects on particle formation from vapors include gas convection and buoyancy and particle sedimentation. These processes can be significantly reduced by studying condensation and agglomeration of particles in microgravity. In addition, to accurately simulate particle formation near stars, which takes place under low gravity conditions, studies in microgravity are desired. We report here the STARDUST experience, a recent collaborative effort that brings together a successful American program of microgravity experiments on particle formation aboard NASA KC-135 Reduced Gravity Research Aircraft and several Italian research groups with expertise in microgravity research and astrophysical dust formation. The program goal is to study the formation and properties of high temperature particles and gases that are of interest in astrophysics and planetary science. To do so we are developing techniques that are generally applicable to study particle formation and properties, taking advantage of the microgravity environment to allow accurate control of system parameters.

Dustbuster: a New Generation Impact-ionization Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometer for in situ Analysis of Cosmic Dust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Austin, D. E.; Ahrens, T. J.; Beauchamp, J. L.

2000-10-01

We have developed and tested a small impact-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer for analysis of cosmic dust, suitable for use on deep space missions. This mass spectrometer, named Dustbuster, incorporates a large target area and a reflectron, simultaneously optimizing mass resolution, sensitivity, and collection efficiency. Dust particles hitting the 65-cm2 target plate are partially ionized. The resulting ions are accelerated through a modified reflectron that focuses the ions in space and time to produce high-resolution spectra. The instrument, shown below, measures 10 x 10 x 20 cm, has a mass of 500 g, and consumes little power. Laser desorption ionization of metal and mineral samples (embedded in the impact plate) simulates particle impacts for instrument performance tests. Mass resolution in these experiments is near 200, permitting resolution of isotopes. The mass spectrometer can be combined with other instrument components to determine dust particle trajectories and sizes. This project was funded by NASA's Planetary Instrument Definition and Development Program.

Highlights and discoveries of the Cosmic Dust Analyser (CDA) during its 15 years of exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srama, R.; Moragas-Klostermeyer, G.; Kempf, S.; Postberg, F.; Albin, T.; Auer, S.; Altobelli, N.; Beckmann, U.; Bugiel, S.; Burton, M.; Economou, T.; Fliege, K.; Grande, M.; Gruen, E.; Guglielmino, M.; Hillier, J. K.; Schilling, A.; Schmidt, J.; Seiss, M.; Spahn, F.; Sterken, V.; Trieloff, M.

2014-04-01

The interplanetary space probe Cassini/Huygens reached Saturn in July 2004 after seven years of cruise phase. Today, the German-lead Cosmic Dust Analyser (CDA) is operated continuously for 10 years in orbit around Saturn. During the cruise phase CDA measured the interstellar dust flux at one AU distance from the Sun, the charge and composition of interplanetary dust grains and the composition of the Jovian nanodust streams. The first discovery of CDA related to Saturn was the measurement of nanometer sized dust particles ejected by its magnetosphere to interplanetary space with speeds higher than 100 km/s. Their origin and composition was analysed and an their dynamical studies showed a strong link to the conditions of the solar wind plasma flow. A recent surprising result was, that stream particles stem from the interior of Enceladus. Since 2004 CDA measured millions of dust impacts characterizing the dust environment of Saturn. The instrument showed strong evidence for ice geysers located at the south pole of Saturn's moon Enceladus in 2005. Later, a detailed compositional analysis of the salt-rich water ice grains in Saturn's E ring system lead to the discovery of liquid water below the icy crust connected to an ocean at depth feeding the icy jets. CDA was even capable to derive a spatially resolved compositional profile of the plume during close Enceladus flybys. A determination of the dust-magnetosphere interaction and the discovery of the extended E ring allowed the definition of a dynamical dust model of Saturn's E ring describing the observed properties. The measured dust density profiles in the dense E ring revealed geometric asymmetries. Cassini performed shadow crossings in the ring plane and dust grain charges were measured in shadow regions delivering important data for dust-plasma interaction studies. In the last years, dedicated measurement campaigns were executed by CDA to monitor the flux of interplanetary and interstellar dust particles reaching

Cosmic dust analog simulation in a microgravity environment: The STARDUST program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferguson, F.; Lilleleht, L. U.; Nuth, J.; Stephens, J. R.; Bussoletti, E.; Carotenuto, L.; Colangeli, L.; Dell'aversana, P.; Mele, F.; Mennella, V.

1995-01-01

We have undertaken a project called STARDUST which is a collaboration with Italian and American investigators. The goals of this program are to study the condensation and coagulation of refractory materials from the vapor and to study the properties of the resulting grains as analogs to cosmic dust particles. To reduce thermal convective currents and to develop valuable experience in designing an experiment for the Gas-Grain Simulation Facility aboard Space Station, Freedom we have built and flown a new chamber to study these processes under periods of microgravity available on NASA's KC-135 Research Aircraft. Preliminary results from flights with magnesium and zinc are discussed.

Measuring the Dust Flux and Dust Particle Mass Distribution in the Saturn Rings with HRD Dust Instrument on the Cassini Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuzzolino, A. J.; Economou, T. E.

In July 2004, the Cassini spacecraft will go into the Saturn orbit and start a 4 year intensive investigation of the planet itself, its multiple satellites and its rings with a multinational instrument payload. The High Rate Detectors (HRD) instrument provided by the Laboratory of Astrophysics and Space Research of the University of is part of the German Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) and its main scientific objective is to provide quantitative measurements and mass distributions of dust particles in the rings of Saturn in the 10-11 to 10-4 grams mass range. The HRD instrument consists of two dust detectors -- a 20 and a 200 cm2 polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) sensors -- and an electronic box that contains all the analog and digital electronics and in addition provides interface between the HRD and CDA instrument. The CDA stores all the HRD data in its memory and transmits the data to Earth. The HRD weighs 1.7 kg and consumes 1.8 W of power [1]. The HRD instrument was fully calibrated through the entire mass range using two dust particle accelerators at Heidelberg and Munich in Germany. The HRD electronics is very fast and it will provide spatial and time distributions of up to 0.1 second. It can handle rates up to 104 counts/sec expected to be encountered during the Saturn ring crossings without any dead time. The HRD instrument operated successfully during all of the time that it was under power and detected many interplanetary dust particles. Almost all of these particles were close to the lowest mass threshold. References 1 A.J. TUZZOLINO, T.E. ECONOMOU, R.B. MCKIBBEN, J.A. SIMPSON, J.A.M. MCDONNELL, M.J. BURCHELL, B.A.M. VAUGHAN, P. TSOU, M.S. HANNER, B.C. CLARK AND D.E. BROWNLEE. THE DUST FLUX MONITOR INSTRUMENT FOR THE STARDUST MISSION TO COMET WILD-2, J. GEOPHYS. RES., 108, DOI:10.1029/2003JE002091, 2003.

Cosmic Dust in ~50 KG Blocks of Blue Ice from Cap-Prudhomme and Queen Alexandra Range, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maurette, M.; Cragin, J.; Taylor, S.

1992-07-01

Favorable Antarctic blue ice fields have produced a large number of meteorite finds because of the ice ablation concentration process (Cassidy et al., 1982). Such ice fields should also concentrate cosmic dust grains including both spherules and unmelted micrometeorites. Here we present preliminary results of concentrations of cosmic dust grains in ice from two very different Antarctic blue ice fields. The first sample (~60 kg) was collected in January 1987 from the surface of the blue ice field at Cap-Prudhomme (CP), near the French station of Dumont d'Urville, by a team from the "Laboratoire de Glaciologie du CNRS" (A. Barnola). The second sample (~50 kg), was retrieved from a meteorite stranding surface near the Queen Alexandra range (QUE) by a team (M. Burger, W. Cassidy, and R.Walker) of the ANSMET 1990 field expedition in Antarctica. Both samples were transported frozen to the laboratory where they were subdivided and processed. The CP sample was cut with a stainless steel saw into 4 pieces while the QUE sample, which had the top surface identified, was cut into three equal (~15 cm) horizontal layers to provide constituent variability with depth. All subsequent work on both samples was performed in a class 100 clean room using procedures developed by M. de Angelis and M. Maurette aimed at minimizing the loss of extraterrestrial particles. Pieces of both samples were cleaned by rinsing thoroughly with ultrapure water (Milli-O) and then melted in polyethylene containers in a microwave oven. Aliquots were decanted for chemical analysis and the remaining meltwater was filtered through stainless steel sieves for collection of large (>30 micrometers) particles. Using a 30X binocular microscope particles were hand picked for subsequent SEM/EDX analyses. Our initial objective was to compare the cosmic dust concentration in ice from the two locations. But this comparison was only partial because in the CP-ice, only magnetic spherules of >50 micrometers were studied

Mass spectrometer calibration of Cosmic Dust Analyzer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahrens, Thomas J.; Gupta, Satish C.; Jyoti, G.; Beauchamp, J. L.

2003-02-01

The time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer (MS) of the Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) instrument aboard the Cassini spacecraft is expected to be placed in orbit about Saturn to sample submicrometer-diameter ring particles and impact ejecta from Saturn's satellites. The CDA measures a mass spectrum of each particle that impacts the chemical analyzer sector of the instrument. Particles impact a Rh target plate at velocities of 1-100 km/s and produce some 10-8 to 10-5 times the particle mass of positive valence, single-charged ions. These are analyzed via a TOF MS. Initial tests employed a pulsed N2 laser acting on samples of kamacite, pyrrhotite, serpentine, olivine, and Murchison meteorite induced bursts of ions which were detected with a microchannel plate and a charge sensitive amplifier (CSA). Pulses from the N2 laser (1011 W/cm2) are assumed to simulate particle impact. Using aluminum alloy as a test sample, each pulse produces a charge of ~4.6 pC (mostly Al+1), whereas irradiation of a stainless steel target produces a ~2.8 pC (Fe+1) charge. Thus the present system yields ~10-5% of the laser energy in resulting ions. A CSA signal indicates that at the position of the microchannel plate, the ion detector geometry is such that some 5% of the laser-induced ions are collected in the CDA geometry. Employing a multichannel plate detector in this MS yields for Al-Mg-Cu alloy and kamacite targets well-defined peaks at 24 (Mg+1), 27(Al+1), and 64 (Cu+1) and 56 (Fe+1), 58 (Ni+1), and 60 (Ni+1) dalton, respectively.

Nano-Dust Analyzer for the detection and chemical composition measurement particles originating from near the Sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

OBrien, L. E.; Gemer, A.; Gruen, E.; Collette, A.; Horanyi, M.; Moebius, E.; Auer, S.; Juhasz, A.; Srama, R.; Sternovsky, Z.

2012-12-01

We report the development of the Nano-Dust Analyzer (NDA) instrument and the results from the first laboratory testing and calibration. The two STEREO spacecrafts have indicated that nano-sized dust particles, potentially with very high flux, are delivered to 1 AU from the inner solar system [Meyer-Vernet, N. et al., Solar Physics, 256, 463, 2009]. These particles are generated by collisional grinding or evaporation near the Sun and subsequently accelerated outward by the solar wind. The temporal variability and directionality are governed by conditions in the inner heliosphere and the mass analysis of the particles reveals the chemical differentiation of solid matter near the Sun. NDA is a highly sensitive dust analyzer that is developed under NASA's Heliophysics program. NDA is a linear time-of-flight mass analyzer that modeled after Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) on Cassini and the more recent Lunar Dust EXperiment (LDEX) for the upcoming LADEE mission to the Moon. The ion optics of the instrument is optimized through numerical modeling. By applying technologies implemented in solar wind instruments and coronagraphs, the highly sensitive dust analyzer will be able to be pointed towards the solar direction. A laboratory prototype is built and tested and calibrated at the dust accelerator facility at the University of Colorado, Boulder, using particles with from 1 to over 50 km/s velocity.

Diagenetically altered fossil micrometeorites suggest cosmic dust is common in the geological record

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suttle, Martin D.; Genge, Matthew J.

2017-10-01

We report the discovery of fossil micrometeorites from Late Cretaceous chalk. Seventy-six cosmic spherules were recovered from Coniacian (87 ± 1 Ma) sediments of the White Chalk Supergroup. Particles vary from pristine silicate and iron-type spherules to pseudomorphic spherules consisting of either single-phase recrystallized magnetite or Fe-silicide. Pristine spherules are readily identified as micrometeorites on the basis of their characteristic mineralogies, textures and compositions. Both magnetite and silicide spherules contain dendritic crystals and spherical morphologies, testifying to rapid crystallisation of high temperature iron-rich metallic and oxide liquids. These particles also contain spherical cavities, representing weathering and removal of metal beads and irregular cavities, representing vesicles formed by trapped gas during crystallization; both features commonly found among modern Antarctic Iron-type (I-type) cosmic spherules. On the basis of textural analysis, the magnetite and Fe-silicide spherules are shown to be I-type cosmic spherules that have experienced complete secondary replacement during diagenesis (fossilization). Our results demonstrate that micrometeorites, preserved in sedimentary rocks, are affected by a suite of complex diagenetic processes, which can result in disparate replacement minerals, even within the same sequence of sedimentary beds. As a result, the identification of fossil micrometeorites requires careful observation of particle textures and comparisons with modern Antarctic collections. Replaced micrometeorites imply that geochemical signatures the extraterrestrial dust are subject to diagenetic remobilisation that limits their stratigraphic resolution. However, this study demonstrates that fossil, pseudomorphic micrometeorites can be recognised and are likely common within the geological record.

Electrostatic effects on dust particles in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leung, Philip; Wuerker, Ralph

1992-02-01

The star scanner of the Magellan spacecraft experienced operational anomalies continuously during Magellan's journey to Venus. These anomalies were attributed to the presence of dust particles in the vicinity of the spacecraft. The dust particles, which were originated from the surface of thermal blankets, were liberated when the electrostatic force acting on them was of sufficient magnitude. In order to verify this hypothesis, an experimental program was initiated to study the mechanisms responsible for the release of dust particles from a spacecraft surface. In the experiments, dust particles were immersed in a plasma and/or subjected to ultra-violet irradiation. Results showed that the charging state of a dust particle was strongly dependent on the environment, and the charge on a dust particle was approximately 10(exp 3) elementary charges. Consequently, in the space environment, electrostatic force could be the most dominant force acting on a dust particle.

The cosmic transparency measured with Type Ia supernovae: implications for intergalactic dust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goobar, Ariel; Dhawan, Suhail; Scolnic, Daniel

2018-06-01

Observations of high-redshift Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are used to study the cosmic transparency at optical wavelengths. Assuming a flat Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmological model based on baryon acoustic oscillations and cosmic microwave background measurements, redshift dependent deviations of SN Ia distances are used to constrain mechanisms that would dim light. The analysis is based on the most recent Pantheon SN compilation, for which there is a 0.03 ± 0.01 {({stat})} mag discrepancy in the distant supernova distance moduli relative to the ΛCDM model anchored by supernovae at z < 0.05. While there are known systematic uncertainties that combined could explain the observed offset, here we entertain the possibility that the discrepancy may instead be explained by scattering of supernova light in the intergalactic medium (IGM). We focus on two effects: Compton scattering by free electrons and extinction by dust in the IGM. We find that if the discrepancy is entirely due to dimming by dust, the measurements can be modelled with a cosmic dust density Ω _IGM^dust = 8 × 10^{-5} (1+z)^{-1}, corresponding to an average attenuation of 2 × 10-5 mag Mpc-1 in V band. Forthcoming SN Ia studies may provide a definitive measurement of the IGM dust properties, while still providing an unbiased estimate of cosmological parameters by introducing additional parameters in the global fits to the observations.

Model of Image Artifacts from Dust Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willson, Reg

2008-01-01

A mathematical model of image artifacts produced by dust particles on lenses has been derived. Machine-vision systems often have to work with camera lenses that become dusty during use. Dust particles on the front surface of a lens produce image artifacts that can potentially affect the performance of a machine-vision algorithm. The present model satisfies a need for a means of synthesizing dust image artifacts for testing machine-vision algorithms for robustness (or the lack thereof) in the presence of dust on lenses. A dust particle can absorb light or scatter light out of some pixels, thereby giving rise to a dark dust artifact. It can also scatter light into other pixels, thereby giving rise to a bright dust artifact. For the sake of simplicity, this model deals only with dark dust artifacts. The model effectively represents dark dust artifacts as an attenuation image consisting of an array of diffuse darkened spots centered at image locations corresponding to the locations of dust particles. The dust artifacts are computationally incorporated into a given test image by simply multiplying the brightness value of each pixel by a transmission factor that incorporates the factor of attenuation, by dust particles, of the light incident on that pixel. With respect to computation of the attenuation and transmission factors, the model is based on a first-order geometric (ray)-optics treatment of the shadows cast by dust particles on the image detector. In this model, the light collected by a pixel is deemed to be confined to a pair of cones defined by the location of the pixel s image in object space, the entrance pupil of the lens, and the location of the pixel in the image plane (see Figure 1). For simplicity, it is assumed that the size of a dust particle is somewhat less than the diameter, at the front surface of the lens, of any collection cone containing all or part of that dust particle. Under this assumption, the shape of any individual dust particle artifact

The Umov effect in application to an optically thin two-component cloud of cosmic dust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zubko, Evgenij; Videen, Gorden; Zubko, Nataliya; Shkuratov, Yuriy

2018-04-01

The Umov effect is an inverse correlation between linear polarization of the sunlight scattered by an object and its geometric albedo. The Umov effect has been observed in particulate surfaces, such as planetary regoliths, and recently it also was found in single-scattering small dust particles. Using numerical modeling, we study the Umov effect in a two-component mixture of small irregularly shaped particles. Such a complex chemical composition is suggested in cometary comae and other types of optically thin clouds of cosmic dust. We find that the two-component mixtures of small particles also reveal the Umov effect regardless of the chemical composition of their end-member components. The interrelation between log(Pmax) and log(A) in a two-component mixture of small irregularly shaped particles appears either in a straight linear form or in a slightly curved form. This curvature tends to decrease while the index n in a power-law size distribution r-n grows; at n > 2.5, the log(Pmax)-log(A) diagrams are almost straight linear in appearance. The curvature also noticeably decreases with the packing density of constituent material in irregularly shaped particles forming the mixture. That such a relation exists suggest the Umov effect may also be observed in more complex mixtures.

The Umov effect in application to an optically thin two-component cloud of cosmic dust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zubko, Evgenij; Videen, Gorden; Zubko, Nataliya; Shkuratov, Yuriy

2018-07-01

The Umov effect is an inverse correlation between linear polarization of the sunlight scattered by an object and its geometric albedo. The Umov effect has been observed in particulate surfaces, such as planetary regoliths, and recently it also was found in single-scattering small dust particles. Using numerical modelling, we study the Umov effect in a two-component mixture of small irregularly shaped particles. Such a complex chemical composition is suggested in cometary comae and other types of optically thin clouds of cosmic dust. We find that the two-component mixtures of small particles also reveal the Umov effect regardless of the chemical composition of their end-member components. The interrelation between log(Pmax) and log(A) in a two-component mixture of small irregularly shaped particles appears either in a straight linear form or in a slightly curved form. This curvature tends to decrease while the index n in a power-law size distribution r-n grows; at n > 2.5, the log(Pmax)-log(A) diagrams are almost straight linear in appearance. The curvature also noticeably decreases with the packing density of constituent material in irregularly shaped particles forming the mixture. That such a relation exists suggests the Umov effect may also be observed in more complex mixtures.

Discovery of Brownleeite: a New Manganese Silicide Mineral in an Interplanetary Dust Particle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keller, Lindsay P.; Nakamura-Messenger, Keiko; Clemett, Simon J.; Messenger, Scott; Jones, John H.; Palma, Russell L.; Pepin, Robert O.; Klock, Wolfgang; Zolensky, Michael E.; Tatsuoka, Hirokazu

2011-01-01

The Earth accretes approximately 40,000 tons of cosmic dust annually, originating mainly from the disintegration of comets and collisions among asteroids. This cosmic dust, also known as interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), is a subject of intense interest since it is made of the original building blocks of our Solar System. Although the specific parent bodies of IDPs are unknown, the anhydrous chondritic-porous IDPs (CP-IDPs) subset has been potentially linked to a cometary source. The CP-IDPs are extremely primitive materials based on their unequilibrated mineralogy, C-rich chemistry, and anomalous isotopic signatures. In particular, some CP-IDPs escaped the thermal, aqueous and impact shock processing that has modified or destroyed the original mineralogy of meteorites. Thus, the CP-IDPs represent some of the most primitive solar system materials available for laboratory study. Most CP-IDPs are comprised of minerals that are common on Earth. However, in the course of an examination of one of the CP-IDPs, we encountered three sub-micrometer sized grains of manganese silicide (MnSi), a phase that has heretofore not been found in nature. In the seminar, we would like to focus on IDP studies and this manganese silicide phase that has been approved as the first new mineral identified from a comet by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) in 2008. The mineral is named in honour of Donald E. Brownlee, an American astronomer and a founder of the field of cosmic dust research who is the principal investigator of the NASA Stardust Mission that collected dust samples from Comet 81P/Wild-2 and returned them to Earth. Much of our current view and understanding of the early solar system would not exist without the pioneering work of professor Don Brownlee in the study of IDPs.

Particle Lifting Processes in Dust Devils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neakrase, L. D. V.; Balme, M. R.; Esposito, F.; Kelling, T.; Klose, M.; Kok, J. F.; Marticorena, B.; Merrison, J.; Patel, M.; Wurm, G.

2016-11-01

Particle lifting in dust devils on both Earth and Mars has been studied from many different perspectives, including how dust devils could influence the dust cycles of both planets. Here we review our current understanding of particle entrainment by dust devils by examining results from field observations on Earth and Mars, laboratory experiments (at terrestrial ambient and Mars-analog conditions), and analytical modeling. By combining insights obtained from these three methodologies, we provide a detailed overview on interactions between particle lifting processes due to mechanical, thermal, electrodynamical and pressure effects, and how these processes apply to dust devils on Earth and Mars. Experiments and observations have shown dust devils to be effective lifters of dust given the proper conditions on Earth and Mars. However, dust devil studies have yet to determine the individual roles of each of the component processes acting at any given time in dust devils.

Cosmic reionization on computers. Ultraviolet continuum slopes and dust opacities in high redshift galaxies

DOE PAGES

Khakhaleva-Li, Zimu; Gnedin, Nickolay Y.

2016-03-30

In this study, we compare the properties of stellar populations of model galaxies from the Cosmic Reionization On Computers (CROC) project with the exiting UV and IR data. Since CROC simulations do not follow cosmic dust directly, we adopt two variants of the dust-follows-metals ansatz to populate model galaxies with dust. Using the dust radiative transfer code Hyperion, we compute synthetic stellar spectra, UV continuum slopes, and IR fluxes for simulated galaxies. We find that the simulation results generally match observational measurements, but, perhaps, not in full detail. The differences seem to indicate that our adopted dust-follows-metals ansatzes are notmore » fully sufficient. While the discrepancies with the exiting data are marginal, the future JWST data will be of much higher precision, rendering highly significant any tentative difference between theory and observations. It is, therefore, likely, that in order to fully utilize the precision of JWST observations, fully dynamical modeling of dust formation, evolution, and destruction may be required.« less

Cosmic reionization on computers. Ultraviolet continuum slopes and dust opacities in high redshift galaxies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Khakhaleva-Li, Zimu; Gnedin, Nickolay Y.

In this study, we compare the properties of stellar populations of model galaxies from the Cosmic Reionization On Computers (CROC) project with the exiting UV and IR data. Since CROC simulations do not follow cosmic dust directly, we adopt two variants of the dust-follows-metals ansatz to populate model galaxies with dust. Using the dust radiative transfer code Hyperion, we compute synthetic stellar spectra, UV continuum slopes, and IR fluxes for simulated galaxies. We find that the simulation results generally match observational measurements, but, perhaps, not in full detail. The differences seem to indicate that our adopted dust-follows-metals ansatzes are notmore » fully sufficient. While the discrepancies with the exiting data are marginal, the future JWST data will be of much higher precision, rendering highly significant any tentative difference between theory and observations. It is, therefore, likely, that in order to fully utilize the precision of JWST observations, fully dynamical modeling of dust formation, evolution, and destruction may be required.« less

Sources of zodiacal dust particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ipatov, S. I.; Mather, J. C.

2007-08-01

The orbital evolution of dust particles produced by asteroids, comets, and trans- Neptunian objects was integrated [1-3]. Analysis of results of these integrations testify in favor of a considerable fraction of particles produced by comets among overall zodiacal dust particles, but it does not contradict to >30% of asteroidal dust needed for explanation of formation of dust bands. Fractions of asteroidal particles, particles originating beyond Jupiter's orbit (including trans-Neptunian particles), and cometary particles originating inside of Jupiter's orbit are estimated to be about 1/3 each, with a possible deviation from 1/3 up to 0.1-0.2. Comparison of the plots of the number density vs. the distance R from the Sun obtained for particles produced by different small bodies with the plots based on observations shows that asteroidal and trans- Neptunian particles alone can not explain the observed almost constant number density at R ∼3-18 AU and a lot of particles must be produced by comets at R ∼5-10 AU [2-3]. Comparison of the WHAM (Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper spectrometer) observations of spectra of zodiacal light with our models showed [4-5] that a significant fraction of particles produced by short-period comets is required to fit the observations of the width and velocity of the Mg I line. Comparison of the observations of the number density inside Jupiter's orbit with the number density of particles produced by different small bodies leads to the same conclusion about a considerable fraction of cometary particles. This comparison does not make limitations on cometary particles produced beyond Jupiter's orbit, but it shows that the fraction of particles produced by Encke-type comets (with eccentricities ∼0.8-0.9) does not exceed 0.15 of the overall population. The estimated fraction of particles produced by long-period and Halley-type comets among zodiacal dust also does not exceed 0.1-0.15. Though trans-Neptunian particles fit different observations of

Plasma-Based Detector of Outer-Space Dust Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsurutani, Bruce; Brinza, David E.; Henry, Michael D.; Clay, Douglas R.

2006-01-01

A report presents a concept for an instrument to be flown in outer space, where it would detect dust particles - especially those associated with comets. The instrument would include a flat plate that would intercept the dust particles. The anticipated spacecraft/dust-particle relative speeds are so high that the impingement of a dust particle on the plate would generate a plasma cloud. Simple electric dipole sensors located equidistantly along the circumference of the plate would detect the dust particle indirectly by detecting the plasma cloud. The location of the dust hit could be estimated from the timing of the detection pulses of the different dipoles. The mass and composition of the dust particle could be estimated from the shapes and durations of the pulses from the dipoles. In comparison with other instruments for detecting hypervelocity dust particles, the proposed instrument offers advantages of robustness, large collection area, and simplicity.

An LDEF 2 dust instrument for discrimination between orbital debris and natural particles in near-Earth space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tuzzolino, A. J.; Simpson, J. A.; Mckibben, R. B.; Voss, H. D.; Gursky, H.

1993-01-01

The characteristics of a space dust instrument which would be ideally suited to carry out near-Earth dust measurements on a possible Long Duraction Exposure Facility reflight mission (LDEF 2) is discussed. As a model for the trajectory portion of the instrument proposed for LDEF 2, the characteristics of a SPAce DUSt instrument (SPADUS) currently under development for flight on the USA ARGOS mission to measure the flux, mass, velocity, and trajectory of near-Earth dust is summarized. Since natural (cosmic) dust and man-made dust particles (orbital debris) have different velocity and trajectory distributions, they are distinguished by means of the SPADUS velocity/trajectory information. The SPADUS measurements will cover the dust mass range approximately 5 x 10(exp -12) g (2 microns diameter) to approximately 1 x 10(exp -5) g (200 microns diameter), with an expected mean error in particle trajectory of approximately 7 deg (isotropic flux). Arrays of capture cell devices positioned behind the trajectory instrumentation would provide for Earth-based chemical and isotopic analysis of captured dust. The SPADUS measurement principles, characteristics, its role in the ARGOS mission, and its application to an LDEF 2 mission are summarized.

Supercritical fluid extraction as a means of reducing the carbon contamination inherent in samples of silica aerogel destined for the capture of CHON cosmic dust particles in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, H.-P.; Wright, I. P.; Gilmour, I.; Pillinger, C. T.

1994-11-01

Silica aerogel represents an ideal material for use as a cosmic dust capture medium. Its low density enables impacting particles to decelerate and stop within a small quality of the material, but without any severe heating. Hence the particles, which remain unmelted, can subsequently be removed and studied. Since a large proportion of the prospective cosmic dust is likely to be enriched in elements such as carbon and hydrogen (typically 5 wt% C, 20 wt% H2O), it is imperative that the aerogel used in the capture cell contains minimal quantities of these elements. Unfortunately the lowest density aerogels contain carbon at levels of 5 wt%; water is present in even greater amounts. Thus, techniques need to be identified to remove these contaminants. Herein, an attempt is made to use supercritical fluid extraction to remove carbon (and water). The investigation was tried to identify the most suitable parameters (i.e. CO2 density, solvating power using single or multiple extractions, use of modifier, etc.) necessary for removal of contaminants. A set of conditions was derived which was able to remove 90% of carbon contaminants from an aerogel of 0.12 g/cu cm density. This involved the use of multiple extractions with gradient temperatures (i.e. variable CO2 density), but without the use of a methanol modifier. Unfortunately, the same technique was less efficacious at removing carbon from aerogels with densities less than 0.12 g/cu cm. At present the extraction procedure has only been tried on a laboratory scale, but clearly this could be scaled-up in the future.

7 CFR 51.1443 - Particles and dust.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Particles and dust. 51.1443 Section 51.1443 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards... § 51.1443 Particles and dust. Particles and dust means, for all size designations except “midget pieces...

7 CFR 51.2126 - Particles and dust.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Particles and dust. 51.2126 Section 51.2126 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards... § 51.2126 Particles and dust. Particles and dust means fragments of almond kernels or other material...

7 CFR 51.2126 - Particles and dust.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Particles and dust. 51.2126 Section 51.2126 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards... § 51.2126 Particles and dust. Particles and dust means fragments of almond kernels or other material...

7 CFR 51.1443 - Particles and dust.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Particles and dust. 51.1443 Section 51.1443 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards... § 51.1443 Particles and dust. Particles and dust means, for all size designations except “midget pieces...

COSMIC REIONIZATION ON COMPUTERS. ULTRAVIOLET CONTINUUM SLOPES AND DUST OPACITIES IN HIGH REDSHIFT GALAXIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Khakhaleva-Li, Zimu; Gnedin, Nickolay Y., E-mail: zimu@uchicago.edu, E-mail: gnedin@fnal.gov

We compare the properties of stellar populations of model galaxies from the Cosmic Reionization On Computers (CROC) project with the exiting ultraviolet (UV) and IR data. Since CROC simulations do not follow cosmic dust directly, we adopt two variants of the dust-follows-metals ansatz to populate model galaxies with dust. Using the dust radiative transfer code Hyperion, we compute synthetic stellar spectra, UV continuum slopes, and IR fluxes for simulated galaxies. We find that the simulation results generally match observational measurements, but, perhaps, not in full detail. The differences seem to indicate that our adopted dust-follows-metals ansatzes are not fully sufficient.more » While the discrepancies with the exiting data are marginal, the future James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) data will be of much higher precision, rendering highly significant any tentative difference between theory and observations. It is, therefore, likely, that in order to fully utilize the precision of JWST observations, fully dynamical modeling of dust formation, evolution, and destruction may be required.« less

7 CFR 51.2126 - Particles and dust.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Particles and dust. 51.2126 Section 51.2126... STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Shelled Almonds Definitions § 51.2126 Particles and dust. Particles and dust means fragments of almond kernels or other material which will pass through a round...

7 CFR 51.2126 - Particles and dust.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Particles and dust. 51.2126 Section 51.2126... STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Shelled Almonds Definitions § 51.2126 Particles and dust. Particles and dust means fragments of almond kernels or other material which will pass through a round...

7 CFR 51.2126 - Particles and dust.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Particles and dust. 51.2126 Section 51.2126... STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Shelled Almonds Definitions § 51.2126 Particles and dust. Particles and dust means fragments of almond kernels or other material which will pass through a round...

7 CFR 51.1443 - Particles and dust.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Particles and dust. 51.1443 Section 51.1443... STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Shelled Pecans Definitions § 51.1443 Particles and dust. Particles and dust means, for all size designations except “midget pieces” and “granules,” fragments of...

7 CFR 51.1443 - Particles and dust.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Particles and dust. 51.1443 Section 51.1443... STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Shelled Pecans Definitions § 51.1443 Particles and dust. Particles and dust means, for all size designations except “midget pieces” and “granules,” fragments of...

7 CFR 51.1443 - Particles and dust.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Particles and dust. 51.1443 Section 51.1443... STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Shelled Pecans Definitions § 51.1443 Particles and dust. Particles and dust means, for all size designations except “midget pieces” and “granules,” fragments of...

The cosmic evolution of dust-corrected metallicity in the neutral gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Cia, Annalisa; Ledoux, Cédric; Petitjean, Patrick; Savaglio, Sandra

2018-04-01

Interpreting abundances of damped Ly-α absorbers (DLAs) from absorption-line spectroscopy has typically been a challenge because of the presence of dust. Nevertheless, because DLAs trace distant gas-rich galaxies regardless of their luminosity, they provide an attractive way of measuring the evolution of the metallicity of the neutral gas with cosmic time. This has been done extensively so far, but typically not taking proper dust corrections into account. The aims of this paper are to: (i) provide a simplified way of calculating dust corrections, based on a single observed [X/Fe], (ii) assess the importance of dust corrections for DLA metallicities and their evolution, and (iii) investigate the cosmic evolution of iron for a large DLA sample. We have derived dust corrections based on the observed [Zn/Fe], [Si/Fe], or [S/Fe], and confirmed their robustness. We present dust-corrected metallicities in a scale of [Fe/H]tot for 236 DLAs over a broad range of z, and assess the extent of dust corrections for different metals at different metallicities. Dust corrections in DLAs are important even for Zn (typically of 0.1-0.2, and up to 0.5 dex), which is often neglected. Finally, we study the evolution of the dust-corrected metallicity with z. The DLA metallicities decrease with redshift, by a factor of 50-100 from today to 12.6 billion years ago (z = 5). When including dust corrections, the average DLA metallicities are 0.4-0.5 dex higher than without corrections. The upper envelope of the relation between metallicity and z reaches solar metallicity at z ≲ 0.5, although some systems can have solar metallicity already out to z 3. Based on observations carried out at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere under ESO programmes 065.P-0038, 065.O-0063, 066.A-0624, 067.A-0078, and 068.A-0600.

Cosmic dust flux on Earth inferred from the Concordia micrometeorite collection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engrand, Cécile; Duprat, Jean; Dartois, Emmanuel; Godard, Marie; Delauche, Lucie

2017-04-01

The present extraterrestrial flux incoming to Earth is dominated by cosmic dust, i.e. micrometeorites in the 20-500 microns size range. Prior to atmospheric entry, the flux is estimated to ˜30 000 tons.yr-1 [1]. The proportion of this flux reaching the earth surface as dust particles is debated [e.g. 2]. Since 2000, we recover micrometeorites from ultraclean snow in the vicinity of the Dome C Concordia station in Antarctica. This region has a well-characterized and small precipitation rate (˜ 3.5 g of water per year) that allows collecting micrometeorites from large equivalent surfaces (> 100 m2.yrs) by sampling reasonable volumes of snow. The high efficiency and cleanliness of the collecting process at Dome C has enabled the recovery of several thousands of particles larger than ˜ 20 μm, constituting the Concordia micrometeorite collection [3]. The Concordia micrometeorites have a young terrestrial age of about 50 years. We characterized more than three thousand micrometeorites (both melted and unmelted particles) by secondary electron microscopy and classified them in the textural types defined in [4]. A preliminary flux value of 6,000 tons.yr-1 was given in [5] from the early Concordia collection examination. We now have better statistics to update this value. References: [1] Love S.G. and Brownlee D.E. (1993) Science 262, 550-553. [2] Peucker-Ehrenbrink B., et al. (2016) Elements 12, 191-196. [3] Duprat J., et al. (2007) Adv. Space Res. 39, 605-611. [4] Genge M.J., et al. (2008) Meteorit. Planet. Sci. 43, 497-515. [5] Duprat J., et al. (2006) Meteorit. Planet. Sci. 41 Suppl., A48 (#5239).

Progress toward a cosmic dust collection facility on space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mackinnon, Ian D. R. (Editor); Carey, William C. (Editor)

1987-01-01

Scientific and programmatic progress toward the development of a cosmic dust collection facility (CDCF) for the proposed space station is documented. Topics addressed include: trajectory sensor concepts; trajectory accuracy and orbital evolution; CDCF pointing direction; development of capture devices; analytical techniques; programmatic progress; flight opportunities; and facility development.

Purity and cleanness of aerogel as a cosmic dust capture medium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsou, P.; Fleming, R. H.; Lindley, P. M.; Craig, A. Y.; Blake, D.

1994-01-01

The capability for capturing micrometeoroids intact through laboratory simulations and in space in passive underdense silica aerogel offers a valuable tool for cosmic dust research. The integrity of the sample handling medium can substantially modify the integrity of the sample. Intact capture is a violent hypervelocity event: the integrity of the capturing medium can cause even greater modification of the sample. Doubts of the suitability of silica aerogel as a capture medium were raised at the 20th LPSC, and questions were raised again at the recent workshop on Particle Capture, Recovery, and Velocity Trajectory Measurement Technologies. Assessment of aerogel's volatile components and carbon contents have been made. We report the results of laboratory measurements of the purity and cleanliness of silica aerogel used for several Sample Return Experiments flown on the Get Away Special program.

The cosmic transparency measured with Type Ia supernovae: implications for intergalactic dust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goobar, Ariel; Dhawan, Suhail; Scolnic, Daniel

2018-04-01

Observations of high-redshift Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are used to study the cosmic transparency at optical wavelengths. Assuming a flat ΛCDM cosmological model based on BAO and CMB results, redshift dependent deviations of SN Ia distances are used to constrain mechanisms that would dim light. The analysis is based on the most recent Pantheon SN compilation, for which there is a 0.03± 0.01 {(stat)} mag discrepancy in the distant supernova distance moduli relative to the ΛCDM model anchored by supernovae at z < 0.05. While there are known systematic uncertainties that combined could explain the observed offset, here we entertain the possibility that the discrepancy may instead be explained by scattering of supernova light in the intergalactic medium (IGM). We focus on two effects: Compton scattering by free electrons and extinction by dust in the IGM. We find that if the discrepancy is due entirely to dimming by dust, the measurements can be modeled with a cosmic dust density Ω _IGM^dust = 8 \\cdot 10^{-5} (1+z)^{-1}, corresponding to an average attenuation of 2 . 10-5 mag Mpc-1 in V-band. Forthcoming SN Ia studies may provide a definitive measurement of the IGM dust properties, while still providing an unbiased estimate of cosmological parameters by introducing additional parameters in the global fits to the observations.

Investigating the size, shape and surface roughness dependence of polarization lidars with light-scattering computations on real mineral dust particles: Application to dust particles' external mixtures and dust mass concentration retrievals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehri, Tahar; Kemppinen, Osku; David, Grégory; Lindqvist, Hannakaisa; Tyynelä, Jani; Nousiainen, Timo; Rairoux, Patrick; Miffre, Alain

2018-05-01

Our understanding of the contribution of mineral dust to the Earth's radiative budget is limited by the complexity of these particles, which present a wide range of sizes, are highly-irregularly shaped, and are present in the atmosphere in the form of particle mixtures. To address the spatial distribution of mineral dust and atmospheric dust mass concentrations, polarization lidars are nowadays frequently used, with partitioning algorithms allowing to discern the contribution of mineral dust in two or three-component particle external mixtures. In this paper, we investigate the dependence of the retrieved dust backscattering (βd) vertical profiles with the dust particle size and shape. For that, new light-scattering numerical simulations are performed on real atmospheric mineral dust particles, having determined mineralogy (CAL, DOL, AGG, SIL), derived from stereogrammetry (stereo-particles), with potential surface roughness, which are compared to the widely-used spheroidal mathematical shape model. For each dust shape model (smooth stereo-particles, rough stereo-particles, spheroids), the dust depolarization, backscattering Ångström exponent, lidar ratio are computed for two size distributions representative of mineral dust after long-range transport. As an output, two Saharan dust outbreaks involving mineral dust in two, then three-component particle mixtures are studied with Lyon (France) UV-VIS polarization lidar. If the dust size matters most, under certain circumstances, βd can vary by approximately 67% when real dust stereo-particles are used instead of spheroids, corresponding to variations in the dust backscattering coefficient as large as 2 Mm- 1·sr- 1. Moreover, the influence of surface roughness in polarization lidar retrievals is for the first time discussed. Finally, dust mass-extinction conversion factors (ηd) are evaluated for each assigned shape model and dust mass concentrations are retrieved from polarization lidar measurements. From

Toxicity of Mineral Dusts and a Proposed Mechanism for the Pathogenesis of Particle-Induced Lung Diseases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lam, C.-W.; Zeidler-Erdely, P.; Scully, R.R.; Meyers, V.; Wallace, W.; Hunter, R.; Renne, R.; McCluskey, R.; Castranova, V.; Barger, M.;

Hypervelocity Microparticle Impact Studies: Simulating Cosmic Dust Impacts on the Dustbuster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Austin, D. E.; Manning, H. L. K.; Bailey, C. L.; Farnsworth, J. T.; Ahrens, T. J.; Beauchamp, J. L.

2002-01-01

Iron and copper microparticles accelerated to 2-20 km/s in a 2 MV Van de Graaff accelerator were used to test a recently-developed cosmic dust mass spectrometer, known as the Dustbuster. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Comparison of comet 81P/Wild 2 dust with interplanetary dust from comets.

PubMed

Ishii, Hope A; Bradley, John P; Dai, Zu Rong; Chi, Miaofang; Kearsley, Anton T; Burchell, Mark J; Browning, Nigel D; Molster, Frank

2008-01-25

The Stardust mission returned the first sample of a known outer solar system body, comet 81P/Wild 2, to Earth. The sample was expected to resemble chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles because many, and possibly all, such particles are derived from comets. Here, we report that the most abundant and most recognizable silicate materials in chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles appear to be absent from the returned sample, indicating that indigenous outer nebula material is probably rare in 81P/Wild 2. Instead, the sample resembles chondritic meteorites from the asteroid belt, composed mostly of inner solar nebula materials. This surprising finding emphasizes the petrogenetic continuum between comets and asteroids and elevates the astrophysical importance of stratospheric chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles as a precious source of the most cosmically primitive astromaterials.

A Simplified Model for the Acceleration of Cosmic Ray Particles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gron, Oyvind

2010-01-01

Two important questions concerning cosmic rays are: Why are electrons in the cosmic rays less efficiently accelerated than nuclei? How are particles accelerated to great energies in ultra-high energy cosmic rays? In order to answer these questions we construct a simple model of the acceleration of a charged particle in the cosmic ray. It is not…

Reduction and analysis of data from cosmic dust experiments on Mariner 4, OGO 3, and Lunar Explorer 35

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

The analysis of data from the cosmic dust experiment on three NASA missions is discussed. These missions were Mariner IV, OGO III, and Lunar Explorer 35. The analysis effort has included some work in the laboratory of the physics of microparticle hypervelocity impact. This laboratory effort was initially aimed at the calibration and measurements of the different sensors being used in the experiment. The latter effort was conducted in order to better understand the velocity and mass distributions of the picogram sized ejecta particles.

Nano-Dust Analyzer For the Detection and Chemical Composition Measurement of Particles Originating in the Inner Heliosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, Leela; Gruen, E.; Sternovsky, Z.; Horanyi, M.; Juhasz, A.; Eberhard, M.; Srama, R.

2013-10-01

The development of the Nano-Dust Analyzer (NDA) instrument and the results from the first laboratory testing and calibration are reported. The two STEREO spacecrafts have indicated that nanometer-sized dust particles, potentially with very high flux, are delivered to 1 AU from the inner solar system [Meyer-Vernet, N. et al., Solar Physics, 256, 463, 2009]. These particles are generated by collisional grinding or evaporation near the Sun and accelerated outward by the solar wind. The temporal variability reveals the complex interaction with the solar wind magnetic field within 1 AU and provides the means to learn about solar wind conditions and can supply additional parameters or verification for heliospheric magnetic field models. The composition analysis will report on the processes that generated the nanometer-sized particle. NDA is a highly sensitive dust analyzer that is developed under NASA's Heliophysics program. The instrument is a linear time-of-flight mass analyzer that utilizes dust impact ionization and is modeled after the Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) on Cassini. By applying technologies implemented in solar wind instruments and coronagraphs, the highly sensitive dust analyzer will be able to be pointed toward the solar direction. A laboratory prototype has been built, tested, and calibrated at the dust accelerator facility at the University of Colorado, Boulder, using particles with 1 to over 50 km/s velocity. NDA is unique in its requirement to operate with the Sun in its field-of-view. A light trap system has been designed and optimized in terms of geometry and surface optical properties to mitigate Solar UV contribution to detector noise. In addition, results from laboratory tests performed with a 1 keV ion beam at the University of New Hampshire’s Space Sciences Facility confirm the effectiveness of the instrument’s solar wind particle rejection system.

Nitrogen Isotopic Anomalies in a Hydrous Interplanetary Dust Particle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, J. B.; Dai, Z. R.; Weber, P. K.; Graham, G. A.; Hutcheon, I. D.; Bajt, S.; Ishii, H.; Bradley, J. P.

2005-01-01

Interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) collected in the stratosphere are the fine-grained end member (5 - 50 microns in size) of the meteoritic material available for investigation in the laboratory. IDPs are derived from either cometary or asteroidal sources. Some IDPs contain cosmically primitive materials with isotopic signatures reflecting presolar origins. Recent detailed studies using the NanoSIMS have shown there is a wide variation of isotopic signatures within individual IDPs; grains with a presolar signature have been observed surrounded by material with a solar isotopic composition. The majority of IDPs studied have been anhydrous. We report here results from integrated NanoSIMS/FIB/TEM/Synchrotron IR studies of a hydrous IDP, focused on understanding the correlations between the isotopic, mineralogical and chemical compositions of IDPs.

Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence analyses of stratospheric cosmic dust - New results for chondritic and low-nickel particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flynn, G. J.; Sutton, S. R.

1990-01-01

Trace element abundance determinations were performed using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence on nine particles collected from the stratosphere and classified as cosmic. Improvements to the Synchrotron Light Source allowed the detection of all elements between Cr and Mo, with the exceptions of Co and As, in our largest particle. The minor and trace element abundance patterns of three Ni-depleted particles were remarkably similar to those of extraterrestrial igneous rocks. Fe/Ni and Fe/Mn ratios suggest that one of these may be of lunar origin. All nine particles exhibited an enrichment in Br, ranging from 1.3 to 38 times the C1 concentration. Br concentrations were uncorrelated with particle size, as would be expected for a surface correlated component acquires from the stratosphere.

Efficiency of Tungsten Dust Collection of Different Types of Dust Particles by Electrostatic Probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Begrambekov, L. B.; Voityuk, A. N.; Zakharov, A. M.; Bidlevich, O. A.; Vechshev, E. A.; Shigin, P. A.; Vayakis, J.; Walsh, M.

2017-12-01

Formation of dust particles and clusters is observed in almost every modern thermonuclear facility. Accumulation of dust in the next generation thermonuclear installations can dramatically affect the plasma parameters and lead to the accumulation of unacceptably large amounts of tritium. Experiments on collection of dust particles by a model of electrostatic probe developed for collection of metallic dust at ITER are described in the article. Experiments on the generation of tungsten dust consisting of flakes formed during the destruction of tungsten layers formed on the walls of the plasma chamber sputtered from the surface of the tungsten target by plasma ions were conducted. The nature of dust degassing at elevated temperatures and the behavior of dust in an electric field were studied. The results obtained are compared with the results of the experiments with dust consisting of crystal particles of simple geometric shapes. The effectiveness of collection of both types of dust using the model of an electrostatic probe is determined.

Dust particles investigation for future Russian lunar missions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolnikov, Gennady; Horanyi, Mihaly; Esposito, Francesca; Zakharov, Alexander; Popel, Sergey; Afonin, Valeri; Borisov, Nikolay; Seran, Elena; Godefroy, Michel; Shashkova, Inna; Kuznetsov, Ilya; Lyash, Andrey; Vorobyova, Elena; Petrov, Oleg; Lisin, Evgeny

One of the complicating factors of the future robotic and human lunar landing missions is the influence of the dust. Meteorites bombardment has accompanied by shock-explosive phenomena, disintegration and mix of the lunar soil in depth and on area simultaneously. As a consequence, the lunar soil has undergone melting, physical and chemical transformations. Recently we have the some reemergence for interest of Moon investigation. The prospects in current century declare USA, China, India, and European Union. In Russia also prepare two missions: Luna-Glob and Luna-Resource. Not last part of investigation of Moon surface is reviewing the dust condition near the ground of landers. Studying the properties of lunar dust is important both for scientific purposes to investigation the lunar exosphere component and for the technical safety of lunar robotic and manned missions. The absence of an atmosphere on the Moon's surface is leading to greater compaction and sintering. Properties of regolith and dust particles (density, temperature, composition, etc.) as well as near-surface lunar exosphere depend on solar activity, lunar local time and position of the Moon relative to the Earth's magneto tail. Upper layers of regolith are an insulator, which is charging as a result of solar UV radiation and the constant bombardment of charged particles, creates a charge distribution on the surface of the moon: positive on the illuminated side and negative on the night side. Charge distribution depends on the local lunar time, latitude and the electrical properties of the regolith (the presence of water in the regolith can influence the local distribution of charge). On light side of Moon near surface layer there exists possibility formation dusty plasma system. Altitude of levitation is depending from size of dust particle and Moon latitude. The distribution dust particle by size and altitude has estimated with taking into account photoelectrons, electrons and ions of solar wind, solar

a New Laboratory for Terahertz Characterization of Cosmic Analog Dusts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perera, Thushara

2016-06-01

Two efforts have been underway to enable the laboratory study of cosmic analogs dusts in the frequency range 60--2000 GHz. They are: (1) the construction of a novel compact Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) design coupled to a dry 4-K cryostat which houses a cooled sample exchanger (filter wheel) and a bolometer. (2) The production of Mg- and Fe-rich silicate dusts using sol-gel methods; various tests to determine their physical and chemical properties; embedding of samples in LDPE pellets for insertion into the novel FTS. This presentation will focus on the current status of the apparatus and data from its first few months of use.

Dust-Particle Transport in Tokamak Edge Plasmas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pigarov, A Y; Krasheninnikov, S I; Soboleva, T K

2005-09-12

Dust particulates in the size range of 10nm-100{micro}m are found in all fusion devices. Such dust can be generated during tokamak operation due to strong plasma/material-surface interactions. Some recent experiments and theoretical estimates indicate that dust particles can provide an important source of impurities in the tokamak plasma. Moreover, dust can be a serious threat to the safety of next-step fusion devices. In this paper, recent experimental observations on dust in fusion devices are reviewed. A physical model for dust transport simulation, and a newly developed code DUSTT, are discussed. The DUSTT code incorporates both dust dynamics due to comprehensivemore » dust-plasma interactions as well as the effects of dust heating, charging, and evaporation. The code tracks test dust particles in realistic plasma backgrounds as provided by edge-plasma transport codes. Results are presented for dust transport in current and next-step tokamaks. The effect of dust on divertor plasma profiles and core plasma contamination is examined.« less

Latest AMS Results on elementary particles in cosmic rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kounine, Andrei; AMS Collaboration

2017-01-01

AMS-02 is a particle physics detector collecting data on the International Space Station since May 2011. Precision measurements of all elementary charged cosmic ray particles have been performed by AMS using a data sample of 85 billion cosmic ray events collected during the first five years of operations on the Station. The latest AMS results on the fluxes and flux ratios of the elementary cosmic ray particles are presented. They show unique features that require accurate theoretical interpretation as to their origin, be it from dark matter collisions or new astrophysical sources. On behalf of the AMS Collaboration.

Characterization of Moving Dust Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bos, Brent J.; Antonille, Scott R.; Memarsadeghi, Nargess

2010-01-01

A large depth-of-field Particle Image Velocimeter (PIV) has been developed at NASA GSFC to characterize dynamic dust environments on planetary surfaces. This instrument detects and senses lofted dust particles. We have been developing an autonomous image analysis algorithm architecture for the PIV instrument to greatly reduce the amount of data that it has to store and downlink. The algorithm analyzes PIV images and reduces the image information down to only the particle measurement data we are interested in receiving on the ground - typically reducing the amount of data to be handled by more than two orders of magnitude. We give a general description of PIV algorithms and describe only the algorithm for estimating the velocity of the traveling particles.

Impact ionisation mass spectrometry of platinum-coated olivine and magnesite-dominated cosmic dust analogues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hillier, Jon K.; Sternovsky, Z.; Kempf, S.; Trieloff, M.; Guglielmino, M.; Postberg, F.; Price, M. C.

2018-07-01

Impact ionisation mass spectrometry enables the composition of cosmic dust grains to be determined in situ by spacecraft-based instrumentation. The proportion of molecular ions in the impact plasma is a function of the impact velocity, making laboratory calibration vital for the interpretation of the mass spectra, particularly at the low velocities typical of lunar or asteroid encounters. Here we present an analysis of laboratory impact ionisation mass spectra from primarily low (<15 km s-1) velocity impacts of both olivine and magnesite-dominated particles onto the SUrface Dust Mass Analyzer (SUDA) laboratory mass spectrometer. The cation mass spectra show characteristic peaks due to their constituent elements, with Mg, Al, Si, C, Ca, O and Fe frequently present. Contaminant species from the conductive coating process (B, Na, K, C, Pt) also occur, at varying frequencies. Possible saponite or talc inclusions in the magnesite particles are revealed by the presence of Si, Fe, Ca and Al in the magnesite mass spectra. Magnesium is clearly present at the lowest impact velocities (3 km s-1), at which alkali metals were presumed to dominate. Peaks attributed to very minor amounts of water or hydroxyl present in the grains are also seen at low velocities in both cation and anion mass spectra, demonstrating the feasibility of impact ionisation mass spectrometry in identifying hydrated or hydrous minerals, during very low velocity encounters or with very low abundances of water or hydroxy groups, in the impinging grains. Velocity thresholds for the reliable identification of the major elements within the magnesite and olivine cation spectra are presented. Additionally, relative sensitivity factors for Mg (5.1), Fe (1.5) and O (0.6) with respect to Si, in the olivine particles, at impact speeds >19 km s-1, were found to be very similar to those previously determined for orthopyroxene-dominated particles, despite different target and projectile materials. This confirms that

The concept of a facility for cosmic dust research on the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blum, Juergen; Cabane, Michel; Fonda, Mark; Giovane, Frank; Gustafson, Bo A. S.; Keller, Horst U.; Markiewicz, Wojciech J.; Levasseur-Regourd, Any-Chantal; Worms, Jean-Claude; Nuth, Joseph A.;

Does the presence of cosmic dust influence the displacement of the Earth's Magnetopause?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mann, I.; Hamrin, M.

2012-04-01

In a recent paper Treumann and Baumjohann propose that dust particles in interplanetary space occasionally cause large compressions of the magnetopause that, in the absence of coronal mass ejections, are difficult to explain by other mechanisms (R.A. Treumann and W. Baumjohann, Ann. Geophys. 30, 119-130, 2012). They suggest that enhanced dust number density raises the contribution of the dust component to the solar wind dynamical pressure and hence to the pressure balance that determines the extension of the magnetopause. They quantify the influence of the dust component in terms of a variation of the magnetopause stagnation point distance. As a possible event to trigger the compressions they propose the encounters with meteoroid dust streams along Earth's orbit. We investigate the conditions under which these compressions may occur. The estimate by Treumann and Baumjohann of the magnetopause variation presupposes that the dust particles have reached solar wind speed. Acceleration by electromagnetic forces is efficient in the solar wind for dust particles that have a sufficiently large ratio of surface charge to mass (Mann et al. Plasma Phys. Contr. Fusion, Vol. 52, 124012, 2010). This applies to small dust particles that contribute little to the total dust mass in meteoroid streams. The major fraction of dust particles that reach high speed in the solar wind are nanometer-sized dust particles that form and are accelerated in the inner solar system (Czechowski and Mann, ApJ, Vol. 714, 89, 2010). Observations suggest that the flux of these nanodust particles near 1 AU is highly time-variable (Meyer-Vernet, et al. Solar Physics, Vol. 256, 463, 2009). We estimate a possible variation of the magnetopause stagnation point distance caused by these nanodust fluxes and by the dust associated to meteoroid streams. We conclude that the Earth's encounters with meteoroid dust streams are not likely to strongly influence the magnetopause according to the proposed effect. We

Lagrangian Trajectory Modeling of Lunar Dust Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lane, John E.; Metzger, Philip T.; Immer, Christopher D.

2008-01-01

Apollo landing videos shot from inside the right LEM window, provide a quantitative measure of the characteristics and dynamics of the ejecta spray of lunar regolith particles beneath the Lander during the final 10 [m] or so of descent. Photogrammetry analysis gives an estimate of the thickness of the dust layer and angle of trajectory. In addition, Apollo landing video analysis divulges valuable information on the regolith ejecta interactions with lunar surface topography. For example, dense dust streaks are seen to originate at the outer rims of craters within a critical radius of the Lander during descent. The primary intent of this work was to develop a mathematical model and software implementation for the trajectory simulation of lunar dust particles acted on by gas jets originating from the nozzle of a lunar Lander, where the particle sizes typically range from 10 micron to 500 micron. The high temperature, supersonic jet of gas that is exhausted from a rocket engine can propel dust, soil, gravel, as well as small rocks to high velocities. The lunar vacuum allows ejected particles to travel great distances unimpeded, and in the case of smaller particles, escape velocities may be reached. The particle size distributions and kinetic energies of ejected particles can lead to damage to the landing spacecraft or to other hardware that has previously been deployed in the vicinity. Thus the primary motivation behind this work is to seek a better understanding for the purpose of modeling and predicting the behavior of regolith dust particle trajectories during powered rocket descent and ascent.

A new hybrid particle/fluid model for cometary dust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shou, Y.; Combi, M. R.; Tenishev, V.; Toth, G.; Hansen, K. C.; Huang, Z.; Gombosi, T. I.; Fougere, N.; Rubin, M.

2017-12-01

Cometary dust grains, which originate from comets, are believed to contain clues to the formation and the evolution of comets. They also play an important role in shaping the cometary environment, as they are able to decelerate and heat the gas through collisions, carry charges and interact with the plasma environment, and possibly sublimate gases. Therefore, the loss rate and behavior of dust grains are of interest to scientists. Currently, mainly two types of numerical dust models exist: particle models and fluid models have been developed. Particle models, which keep track of the positions and velocities of all gas and dust particles, allow crossing dust trajectories and a more accurate description of returning dust grains than the fluid model. However, in order to compute the gas drag force, the particle model needs to follow more gas particles than dust particles. A fluid model is usually more computationally efficient and is often used to provide simulations on larger spatial and temporal scales. In this work, a new hybrid model is developed to combine the advantages of both particle and fluid models. In the new approach a fluid model based on the University of Michigan BATSRUS code computes the gas properties, and feeds the gas drag force to the particle model, which is based on the Adaptive Mesh Particle Simulator (AMPS) code, to calculate the motion of dust grains. The coupling is done via the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF). In addition to the capability of simulating the long-term dust phenomena, the model can also designate small active regions on the nucleus for comparison with the temporary fine dust features in observations. With the assistance of the newly developed model, the effect of viewing angles on observed dust jet shapes and the transportation of heavy dust grains from the southern to the northern hemisphere of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko will be studied and compared with Rosetta mission images. Preliminary results will be

AN APPARENT REDSHIFT DEPENDENCE OF QUASAR CONTINUUM: IMPLICATION FOR COSMIC DUST EXTINCTION?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xie, Xiaoyi; Shen, Shiyin; Shao, Zhengyi

We investigate the luminosity and redshift dependence of the quasar continuum by means of the composite spectrum using a large non-BAL radio-quiet quasar sample drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Quasar continuum slopes in the UV-Opt band are measured at two different wavelength ranges, i.e., α{sub ν12} (1000 ∼ 2000 Å) and α{sub ν24} (2000 ∼ 4000 Å) derived from a power-law fitting. Generally, the UV spectra slope becomes harder (higher α{sub ν}) toward higher bolometric luminosity. On the other hand, when quasars are further grouped into luminosity bins, we find that both α{sub ν12} and α{sub ν24} show significant anti-correlationsmore » with redshift (i.e., the quasar continuum becomes redder toward higher redshift). We suggest that the cosmic dust extinction is very likely the cause of this observed α{sub ν} − z relation. We build a simple cosmic dust extinction model to quantify the observed reddening tendency and find an effective dust density nσ{sub v} ∼ 10{sup −5}h Mpc{sup −1} at z < 1.5. The other possibilities that could produce such a reddening effect have also been discussed.« less

Dust particles interaction with plasma jet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ticos, C. M.; Jepu, I.; Lungu, C. P.

2009-11-10

The flow of plasma and particularly the flow of ions play an important role in dusty plasmas. Here we present some instances in laboratory experiments where the ion flow is essential in establishing dust dynamics in strongly or weakly coupled dust particles. The formation of ion wake potential and its effect on the dynamics of dust crystals, or the ion drag force exerted on micron size dust grains are some of the phenomena observed in the presented experiments.

Mineralogy of Interplanetary Dust Particles from the Comet Giacobini-Zinner Dust Stream Collections

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nakamura-Messenger, K.; Messenger, S.; Westphal, A. J.; Palma, R. L.

2015-01-01

The Draconoid meteor shower, originating from comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, is a low-velocity Earth-crossing dust stream that had a peak anticipated flux on Oct. 8, 2012. In response to this prediction, NASA performed dedicated stratospheric dust collections to target interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) from this comet stream on Oct 15-17, 2012 [3]. Twelve dust particles from this targeted collection were allocated to our coordinated analysis team for studies of noble gas (Univ. Minnesota, Minnesota State Univ.), SXRF and Fe-XANES (SSL Berkeley) and mineralogy/isotopes (JSC). Here we report a mineralogical study of 3 IDPs from the Draconoid collection..

Inhomogeneity-induced cosmic acceleration in a dust universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuang, Chia-Hsun; Gu, Je-An; Hwang, W.-Y. P.

2008-09-01

It is the common consensus that the expansion of a universe always slows down if the gravity provided by the energy sources therein is attractive and accordingly one needs to invoke dark energy as a source of anti-gravity for understanding the cosmic acceleration. To examine this point we find counterexamples for a spherically symmetric dust fluid described by the Lemaître Tolman Bondi solution without singularity. Thus, the validity of this naive consensus is indeed doubtful and the effects of inhomogeneities should be restudied. These counter-intuitive examples open a new perspective on the understanding of the evolution of our universe.

Interplanetary dust. [survey of last four years' research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brownlee, D. E.

1979-01-01

Progress in the study of interplanetary dust during the past four years is reviewed. Attention is given to determinations of the relative contributions of interstellar dust grains, collisional debris from the asteroid belt and short-period comets to the interplanetary dust cloud. Effects of radiation pressure and collisions on particle dynamics are discussed, noting the discovery of the variation of the orbital parameters of dust particles at 1 AU with size and in situ measurements of dust density between 0.3 and 5 AU by the Helios and Pioneer spacecraft. The interpretation of the zodiacal light as produced by porous absorbing particles 10 to 100 microns in size is noted, and measurements of the Doppler shift, light-producing-particle density, UV spectrum, photometric axis and angular scattering function of the zodiacal light are reported. Results of analyses of lunar rock microcraters as to micrometeoroid density, flux rate, size distribution and composition are indicated and interplanetary dust particles collected from the stratosphere are discussed. Findings concerning the composition of fragile meteoroid types found as cosmic spherules in deep sea sediments are also presented.

Dust in Cometary Comae: Present Understanding of the Structure and Composition of Dust Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levasseur-Regourd, A. C.; Zolensky, M.; Lasue, J.

2007-01-01

In situ probing of a very few cometary comae has shown that dust particles present a low albedo and a low density, and that they consist of both rocky material and refractory organics. Remote observations of solar light scattered by cometary dust provide information on the properties of dust particles in the coma of a larger set of comets. The observations of the linear polarization in the coma indicate that the dust particles are irregular, with a size greater (on the average) than about one micron. Besides, they suggest, through numerical and experimental simulations, that both compact grains and fluffy aggregates (with a power law of the size distribution in the -2.6 to -3 range), and both rather transparent silicates and absorbing organics are present in the coma. Recent analysis of the cometary dust samples collected by the Stardust mission provide a unique ground truth and confirm, for comet 81P/Wild 2, the results from remote sensing observations. Future space missions to comets should, in the next decade, lead to a more precise characterization of the structure and composition of cometary dust particles.

Principal components - Petrology and chemistry of polyphase units in chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rietmeijer, Frans J. M.

1997-03-01

Chondritic porous (CP) interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) can be described as 'cosmic sediments'. It should be possible to recognize in these IDPs the 4500 Myrs old solar nebula dusts. The studies of unaltered chondritic IDPs show that their matrices are a mixture of three different principal components (PCs) that also describe variable C/Si ratios of chondritic IDPs. Among others, PCs include polyphase units (PUs) that are amorphous to holocrystalline, both ultrafine- and coarse-grained, ferromagnesiosilica(te) materials with minor Al and Ca. The properties of PCs and their alteration products define the physical and chemical processes that produced and altered these components. PCs are also cornerstones of IDP classification. For example, the bulk composition of ultrafine-grained PCs can be reconstructed using the 'butterfly method' and also allows an evaluation of the metamorphic signatures, (e.g., dynamic pyrometamorphism), in chondritic IDPs.

Influence of Dust Loading on Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norman, Ryan B.; Gronoff, Guillaume; Mertens, Christopher J.

2014-01-01

Measuring the radiation environment at the surface of Mars is the primary goal of the Radiation Assessment Detector on the NASA Mars Science Laboratory's Curiosity rover. One of the conditions that Curiosity will likely encounter is a dust storm. The objective of this paper is to compute the cosmic ray ionization in different conditions, including dust storms, as these various conditions are likely to be encountered by Curiosity at some point. In the present work, the Nowcast of Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation for Aviation Safety model, recently modified for Mars, was used along with the Badhwar & O'Neill 2010 galactic cosmic ray model. In addition to galactic cosmic rays, five different solar energetic particle event spectra were considered. For all input radiation environments, radiation dose throughout the atmosphere and at the surface was investigated as a function of atmospheric dust loading. It is demonstrated that for galactic cosmic rays, the ionization depends strongly on the atmosphere profile. Moreover, it is shown that solar energetic particle events strongly increase the ionization throughout the atmosphere, including ground level, and can account for the radio blackout conditions observed by the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding instrument on the Mars Express spacecraft. These results demonstrate that the cosmic rays' influence on the Martian surface chemistry is strongly dependent on solar and atmospheric conditions that should be taken into account for future studies.

Scientists Detect Radio Emission from Rapidly Rotating Cosmic Dust Grains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2001-11-01

Astronomers have made the first tentative observations of a long-speculated, but never before detected, source of natural radio waves in interstellar space. Data from the National Science Foundation's 140 Foot Radio Telescope at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, W.Va., show the faint, tell-tale signals of what appear to be dust grains spinning billions of times each second. This discovery eventually could yield a powerful new tool for understanding the interstellar medium - the immense clouds of gas and dust that populate interstellar space. The NRAO 140 Foot Radio Telescope The NRAO 140-Foot Radio Telescope "What we believe we have found," said Douglas P. Finkbeiner of Princeton University's Department of Astrophysics, "is the first hard evidence for electric dipole emission from rapidly rotating dust grains. If our studies are confirmed, it will be the first new source of continuum emission to be conclusively identified in the interstellar medium in nearly the past 20 years." Finkbeiner believes that these emissions have the potential in the future of revealing new and exciting information about the interstellar medium; they also may help to refine future studies of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation. The results from this study, which took place in spring 1999, were accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal. Other contributors to this paper include David J. Schlegel, department of astrophysics, Princeton University; Curtis Frank, department of astronomy, University of Maryland; and Carl Heiles, department of astronomy, University of California at Berkeley. "The idea of dust grains emitting radiation by rotating is not new," comments Finkbeiner, "but to date it has been somewhat speculative." Scientists first proposed in 1957 that dust grains could emit radio signals, if they were caused to rotate rapidly enough. It was believed, however, that these radio emissions would be negligibly small - too weak to be of any impact to

Dust particle radial confinement in a dc glow discharge.

PubMed

Sukhinin, G I; Fedoseev, A V; Antipov, S N; Petrov, O F; Fortov, V E

2013-01-01

A self-consistent nonlocal model of the positive column of a dc glow discharge with dust particles is presented. Radial distributions of plasma parameters and the dust component in an axially homogeneous glow discharge are considered. The model is based on the solution of a nonlocal Boltzmann equation for the electron energy distribution function, drift-diffusion equations for ions, and the Poisson equation for a self-consistent electric field. The radial distribution of dust particle density in a dust cloud was fixed as a given steplike function or was chosen according to an equilibrium Boltzmann distribution. The balance of electron and ion production in argon ionization by an electron impact and their losses on the dust particle surface and on the discharge tube walls is taken into account. The interrelation of discharge plasma and the dust cloud is studied in a self-consistent way, and the radial distributions of the discharge plasma and dust particle parameters are obtained. It is shown that the influence of the dust cloud on the discharge plasma has a nonlocal behavior, e.g., density and charge distributions in the dust cloud substantially depend on the plasma parameters outside the dust cloud. As a result of a self-consistent evolution of plasma parameters to equilibrium steady-state conditions, ionization and recombination rates become equal to each other, electron and ion radial fluxes become equal to zero, and the radial component of electric field is expelled from the dust cloud.

Cosmic rays, gas and dust in nearby anticentre clouds. I. CO-to-H2 conversion factors and dust opacities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Remy, Q.; Grenier, I. A.; Marshall, D. J.; Casandjian, J. M.

2017-05-01

Aims: We aim to explore the capabilities of dust emission and γ rays for probing the properties of the interstellar medium in the nearby anti-centre region, using γ-ray observations with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT), and the thermal dust optical depth inferred from Planck and IRAS observations. We also aim to study massive star-forming clouds including the well known Taurus, Auriga, Perseus, and California molecular clouds, as well as a more diffuse structure which we refer to as Cetus. In particular, we aim at quantifying potential variations in cosmic-ray density and dust properties per gas nucleon across the different gas phases and different clouds, and at measuring the CO-to-H2 conversion factor, XCO, in different environments. Methods: We have separated six nearby anti-centre clouds that are coherent in velocities and distances, from the Galactic-disc background in H I 21-cm and 12CO 2.6-mm line emission. We have jointly modelled the γ-ray intensity recorded between 0.4 and 100 GeV, and the dust optical depth τ353 at 353 GHz as a combination of H I-bright, CO-bright, and ionised gas components. The complementary information from dust emission and γ rays was used to reveal the gas not seen, or poorly traced, by H I, free-free, and 12CO emissions, namely (I) the opaque H iand diffuse H2 present in the Dark Neutral Medium at the atomic-molecular transition, and (II) the dense H2 to be added where 12CO lines saturate. Results: The measured interstellar γ-ray spectra support a uniform penetration of the cosmic rays with energies above a few GeV through the clouds, from the atomic envelopes to the 12CO-bright cores, and with a small ± 9% cloud-to-cloud dispersion in particle flux. We detect the ionised gas from the H iiregion NGC 1499 in the dust and γ-ray emissions and measure its mean electron density and temperature. We find a gradual increase in grain opacity as the gas (atomic or molecular) becomes more dense. The increase reaches a factor of

Cosmic dust-ion-acoustic waves, spherical modified Kadomtsev-Petviashvili model, and symbolic computation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gao Yitian; Tian Bo; State Key Laboratory of Software Development Environment, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing 100083

2006-11-15

The spherical modified Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (smKP) model is hereby derived with symbolic computation for the dust-ion-acoustic waves with zenith-angle perturbation in a cosmic dusty plasma. Formation and properties of both dark and bright smKP nebulons are obtained and discussed. The relevance of those smKP nebulons to the supernova shells and Saturn's F-ring is pointed out, and possibly observable nebulonic effects for the future cosmic plasma experiments are proposed. The difference of the smKP nebulons from other types of nebulons is also analyzed.

Modeling light scattering by mineral dust particles using spheroids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merikallio, Sini; Nousiainen, Timo

Suspended dust particles have a considerable influence on light scattering in both terrestrial and planetary atmospheres and can therefore have a large effect on the interpretation of remote sensing measurements. Assuming dust particles to be spherical is known to produce inaccurate results when modeling optical properties of real mineral dust particles. Yet this approximation is widely used for its simplicity. Here, we simulate light scattering by mineral dust particles using a distribution of model spheroids. This is done by comparing scattering matrices calculated from a dust optical database of Dubovik et al. [2006] with those measured in the laboratory by Volten et al. [2001]. Wavelengths of 441,6 nm and 632,8 nm and refractive indexes of Re = 1.55 -1.7 and Im = 0.001i -0.01i were adopted in this study. Overall, spheroids are found to fit the measurements significantly better than Mie spheres. Further, we confirm that the shape distribution parametrization developed in Nousiainen et al. (2006) significantly improves the accuracy of simulated single-scattering for small mineral dust particles. The spheroid scheme should therefore yield more reliable interpretations of remote sensing data from dusty planetary atmospheres. While the spheroidal scheme is superior to spheres in remote sensing applications, its performance is far from perfect especially for samples with large particles. Thus, additional advances are clearly possible. Further studies of the Martian atmosphere are currently under way. Dubovik et al. (2006) Application of spheroid models to account for aerosol particle nonspheric-ity in remote sensing of desert dust, JGR, Vol. 111, D11208 Volten et al. (2001) Scattering matrices of mineral aerosol particles at 441.6 nm and 632.8 nm, JGR, Vol. 106, No. D15, pp. 17375-17401 Nousiainen et al. (2006) Light scattering modeling of small feldspar aerosol particles using polyhedral prisms and spheroids, JQSRT 101, pp. 471-487

Purity and Cleanness of Aeorgel as a Cosmic Dust Capture Medium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsou, P.; Fleming, R.; Lindley, P.; Craig, A.; Blake, D.

1994-01-01

The capability for capturing micrometeoroids intact through laboratory simulations [Tsou 1988] and in space [Tsou 1993] in passive underdense silica aerogel offers a valuable tool for cosmic dust research. The integrity of the sample handling medium can substantially modify the integrity of the sample. Intact capture is a violent hypervelocity event: the integrity of the capturing medium can cause even greater modification of the sample.

Pristine Stratospheric Collections of Cosmic Dust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Messenger, S.; Keller, L. P.; Nakamura-Messenger, K.; Clemett, S. J.

2012-01-01

Since 1981, NASA has routinely collected interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) in the stratosphere by inertial impact onto silicone oil-coated flat plate collectors deployed on the wings of high-altitude aircraft [1]. The highly viscous oil traps and localizes the particles, which can fragment during collection. Particles are removed from the collectors with a micromanipulator and washed of the oil using organic solvents, typically hexane or xylene. While silicone oil is an efficient collection medium, its use is problematic. All IDPs are initially coated with this material (polydimethylsiloxane, n(CH3)2SiO) and traces of oil may remain after cleaning. The solvent rinse itself is also a concern as it likely removes indigenous organics from the particles. To avoid these issues, we used a polyurethane foam substrate for the oil-free stratospheric collection of IDPs.

Particle atlas of World Trade Center dust

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lowers, Heather; Meeker, Gregory P.

2005-01-01

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun a reassessment of the presence of World Trade Center (WTC) dust in residences, public buildings, and office spaces in New York City, New York. Background dust samples collected from residences, public buildings, and office spaces will be analyzed by multiple laboratories for the presence of WTC dust. Other laboratories are currently studying WTC dust for other purposes, such as health effects studies. To assist in inter-laboratory consistency for identification of WTC dust components, this particle atlas of phases in WTC dust has been compiled.

Influence of emissivity on behavior of metallic dust particles in plasmas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tanaka, Y.; Smirnov, R. D.; Pigarov, A. Yu.

Influence of thermal radiation emissivity on the lifetime of a dust particle in plasmas is investigated for different fusion relevant metals (Li, Be, Mo, and W). The thermal radiation is one of main cooling mechanisms of the dust in plasmas especially for dust with evaporation temperature higher than 2500 K. In this paper, the temperature- and radius-dependent emissivity of dust particles is calculated using Mie theory and temperature-dependent optical constants for the above metallic materials. The lifetime of a dust particle in uniform plasmas is estimated with the calculated emissivity using the dust transport code DUSTT[A. Pigarov et al., Physicsmore » of Plasmas 12, 122508 (2005)], considering other dust cooling and destruction processes such as physical and chemical sputtering, melting and evaporation, electron emission etc. The use of temperature-dependent emissivity calculated with Mie theory provides a longer lifetime of the refractory metal dust particle compared with that obtained using conventional emissivity constants in the literature. The dynamics of heavy metal dust particles are also presented using the calculated emissivity in a tokamak plasma.« less

Research in particles and fields. [cosmic rays, gamma rays, and cosmic plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, E. C.; Buffington, A.; Davis, L., Jr.; Prince, T. A.; Vogt, R. E.

1984-01-01

Research activities in cosmic rays, gamma rays, and astrophysical plasmas are reviewed. Energetic particle and photon detector systems flown on spacecraft and balloons were used to carry out the investigations. Specific instruments mentioned are: the high energy isotope spectrometer telescope, the electron/isotope spectrometer, the heavy isotope spectrometer telescope, and magnetometers. Solar flares, planetary magnetospheres, element abundance, the isotopic composition of low energy cosmic rays, and heavy nuclei are among the topics receiving research attention.

Kuiper Belt Dust Grains as a Source of Interplanetary Dust Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liou, Jer-Chyi; Zook, Herbert A.; Dermott, Stanley F.

1996-01-01

The recent discovery of the so-called Kuiper belt objects has prompted the idea that these objects produce dust grains that may contribute significantly to the interplanetary dust population. In this paper, the orbital evolution of dust grains, of diameters 1 to 9 microns, that originate in the region of the Kuiper belt is studied by means of direct numerical integration. Gravitational forces of the Sun and planets, solar radiation pressure, as well as Poynting-Robertson drag and solar wind drag are included. The interactions between charged dust grains and solar magnetic field are not considered in the model. Because of the effects of drag forces, small dust grains will spiral toward the Sun once they are released from their large parent bodies. This motion leads dust grains to pass by planets as well as encounter numerous mean motion resonances associated with planets. Our results show that about 80% of the Kuiper belt grains are ejected from the Solar System by the giant planets, while the remaining 20% of the grains evolve all the way to the Sun. Surprisingly, the latter dust grains have small orbital eccentricities and inclinations when they cross the orbit of the Earth. This makes them behave more like asteroidal than cometary-type dust particles. This also enhances their chances of being captured by the Earth and makes them a possible source of the collected interplanetary dust particles; in particular, they represent a possible source that brings primitive/organic materials from the outer Solar System to the Earth. When collisions with interstellar dust grains are considered, however, Kuiper belt dust grains around 9 microns appear likely to be collisionally shattered before they can evolve toward the inner part of the Solar System. The collision destruction can be applied to Kuiper belt grains up to about 50 microns. Therefore, Kuiper belt dust grains within this range may not be a significant part of the interplanetary dust complex in the inner Solar

In situ observations of dust particles in Martian dust belts using a large-sensitive-area dust sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Masanori; Krüger, Harald; Senshu, Hiroki; Wada, Koji; Okudaira, Osamu; Sasaki, Sho; Kimura, Hiroshi

2018-07-01

In order to determine whether Martian dust belts (ring or torus) actually exist and, if so, to determine the characteristics of the dust, we propose a Circum-Martian Dust Monitor (CMDM) to be deployed on the Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) project, in which JAXA plans to launch the spacecraft in 2024, investigate Phobos and Deimos, and return samples back to Earth. The CMDM is a newly developed instrument that is an impact dust detector. It weighs only 650 g and has a sensor aperture area of ∼1 m2, according to the conceptual design study. Detectable velocities (v) range from 0.5 km/s to more than 70 km/s, which will cover all possible dust particles: circummartian (low v), interplanetary (mid v), and interstellar (high v) particles. The measurable mass ranges from 1.3 × 10-9 g to 7.8 × 10-7 g at v = 0.5 km/s. Since the MMX spacecraft will take a quasi-circular, prograde orbit around Mars, the CMDM will be able to investigate particles from Phobos and Deimos with relative velocities lower than 1 km/s. Therefore, the CMDM will be able to determine whether or not a confined dust ring exists along Phobos' orbit and whether an extended dust torus exists along Deimos' orbit. It may also be able to clarify whether or not any such ring or torus are self-sustained.

The Entry of Nano-dust Particles into the Terrestrial Magnetosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horanyi, M.; Juhasz, A.

2016-12-01

Nano-dust particles have been suggested to be responsible for spurious antenna signals on several spacecraft near 1 AU. Most of these tiny motes are generated in the solar vicinity where the collision-rate between larger inward migrating dust particles increases generating copious amounts of smaller dust grains. The vast majority of the dust grains is predicted to be lost to the Sun, but a fraction of them can be expelled by radiation pressure, and the solar wind plasma flow. Particles in the nano-meter size range can be incorporated in the solar wind, and arrive near 1 AU with characteristic speeds of approximately 400 km/s. Larger, but still submicron sized particles, that are expelled by radiation pressure, represent the so-called beta-meteoroid population. Both of these populations of dust particles can be detected by dedicated dust instruments near 1 AU. A fraction of these particles can also penetrate the terrestrial magnetosphere and possibly bombard spacecraft orbiting the Earth. This talk will explore the dynamics of nano-grains and beta-meteoroids entering the magnetosphere, and predict their spatial, mass and speed distributions as function of solar wind conditions.

Martian Dust Devils: Laboratory Simulations of Particle Threshold

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greeley, Ronald; Balme, Matthew R.; Iverson, James D.; Metzger, Stephen; Mickelson, Robert; Phoreman, Jim; White, Bruce

2003-01-01

An apparatus has been fabricated to simulate terrestrial and Martian dust devils. Comparisons of surface pressure profiles through the vortex core generated in the apparatus with both those in natural dust devils on Earth and those inferred for Mars are similar and are consistent with theoretical Rankine vortex models. Experiments to determine particle threshold under Earth ambient atmospheric pressures show that sand (particles > 60 micron in diameter) threshold is analogous to normal boundary-layer shear, in which the rotating winds of the vortex generate surface shear and hence lift. Lower-pressure experiments down to approx. 65 mbar follow this trend for sand-sized particles. However, smaller particles (i.e., dust) and all particles at very low pressures (w 10-60 mbar) appear to be subjected to an additional lift function interpreted to result from the strong decrease in atmospheric pressure centered beneath the vortex core. Initial results suggest that the wind speeds required for the entrainment of grains approx. 2 microns in diameter (i.e., Martian dust sizes) are about half those required for entrainment by boundary layer winds on both Earth and Mars.

Charge-fluctuation-induced heating of dust particles in a plasma.

PubMed

Vaulina, O S; Khrapak, S A; Nefedov, A P; Petrov, O F

1999-11-01

Random charge fluctuations are always present in dusty plasmas due to the discrete nature of currents charging the dust particle. These fluctuations can be a reason for the heating of the dust particle system. Such unexpected heating leading to the melting of the dust crystals was observed recently in several experiments. In this paper we show by analytical evaluations and numerical simulation that charge fluctuations provide an effective source of energy and can heat the dust particles up to several eV, in conditions close to experimental ones.

Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination IX: High-Speed Interstellar Dust Analog Capture in Stardust Flight-Spare Aerogel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Postberg, F.; Sterken, V.; Achilles, C.; Allen, C.; Bastien, R. K.; Frank, D.; Sandford, S. A.; Zolensky, M. E.; Butterworth, A.; Gainesforth, Z.

2014-01-01

The NASA Stardust mission used silica aerogel slabs to slowly decelerate and capture impinging cosmic dust particles for return to Earth. During this process, impact tracks are generated along the trajectory of the particle into the aerogel. It is believed that the morphology and dimensions of these tracks, together with the state of captured grains at track termini, may be linked to the size, velocity, and density of the impacting cosmic dust grain. Here, we present the results of laboratory hypervelocity impact experiments, during which cosmic dust analog particles (diameters of between 0.2 and 0.4 lm), composed of olivine, orthopyroxene, or an organic polymer, were accelerated onto Stardust flight spare low-density (approximately 0.01 g/cu cm) silica aerogel. The impact velocities (3-21 km/s) were chosen to simulate the range of velocities expected during Stardust's interstellar dust (ISD) collection phases. Track lengths and widths, together with the success of particle capture, are analyzed as functions of impact velocity and particle composition, density, and size. Captured terminal particles from low-density organic projectiles become undetectable at lower velocities than those from similarly sized, denser mineral particles, which are still detectable (although substantially altered by the impact process) at 15 km/s. The survival of these terminal particles, together with the track dimensions obtained during low impact speed capture of small grains in the laboratory, indicates that two of the three best Stardust candidate extraterrestrial grains were actually captured at speeds much lower than predicted. Track length and diameters are, in general, more sensitive to impact velocities than previously expected, which makes tracks of particles with diameters of 0.4 lm and below hard to identify at low capture speeds (<10 km/s). Therefore, although captured intact, the majority of the interstellar dust grains returned to Earth by Stardust remain to be found.

Structure of Cometary Dust Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levasseur-Regourd, A. C.; Hadamcik, E.; Lasue, J.

2004-11-01

The recent encounter of Stardust with comet 81P/Wild 2 has provided highly spatially resolved data about dust particles in the coma. They show intense swarms and bursts of particles, suggest the existence of fragmenting low-density particles formed of higher density sub-micrometer components [1], and definitely confirm previous results (inferred from Giotto encounter with comet Grigg-Skjellerup [2] and remote light scattering observations [3]). The light scattering properties (mostly polarization, which does not depend upon disputable normalizations) of dust in cometary comae will be summarized, with emphasis on the spatial changes and on the wavelength and phase angle dependence. Experimental and numerical simulations are needed to translate these observed light scattering properties in terms of physical properties of the dust particles (e.g. size, morphology, albedo, porosity). New experimental simulations (with fluffy mixtures of sub-micron sized silica and carbon grains) and new numerical simulations (with fractal aggregates of homogeneous or core-mantled silicate and organic grains) will be presented. The results are in favor of highly porous particles built up (by ballistic-cluster-cluster agglomeration) from grains of interstellar origin. The perspectives offered by laboratory simulations with aggregates built under conditions representative of the early solar system on board the International Space Station will be presented, together with the perspectives offered by future experiments on board the Rosetta cometary probe. Supports from CNES and ESA are acknowledged [1] Tuzzolino et al., Science, 304, 1776, 2004, [2] N. McBride et al., Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc., 289, p. 535-553, 1997, [3] Levasseur-Regourd and Hadamcik, J. Quant. Spectros. Radiat. Transfer, 79-80, 903-910, 2003.

Motion of dust particles in nonuniform magnetic field and applicability of smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saitou, Y.

2018-01-01

An SPH (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics) simulation code is developed to reproduce our findings on behavior of dust particles, which were obtained in our previous experiments (Phys. Plasmas, 23, 013709 (2016) and Abst. 18th Intern. Cong. Plasma Phys. (Kaohsiung, 2016)). Usually, in an SPH simulation, a smoothed particle is interpreted as a discretized fluid element. Here we regard the particles as dust particles because it is known that behavior of dust particles in complex plasmas can be described using fluid dynamics equations in many cases. Various rotation velocities that are difficult to achieve in the experiment are given to particles at boundaries in the newly developed simulation and motion of particles is investigated. Preliminary results obtained by the simulation are shown.

Neutral Hydrogen Structures Trace Dust Polarization Angle: Implications for Cosmic Microwave Background Foregrounds.

PubMed

Clark, S E; Hill, J Colin; Peek, J E G; Putman, M E; Babler, B L

2015-12-11

Using high-resolution data from the Galactic Arecibo L-Band Feed Array HI (GALFA-Hi) survey, we show that linear structure in Galactic neutral hydrogen (Hi) correlates with the magnetic field orientation implied by Planck 353 GHz polarized dust emission. The structure of the neutral interstellar medium is more tightly coupled to the magnetic field than previously known. At high Galactic latitudes, where the Planck data are noise dominated, the Hi data provide an independent constraint on the Galactic magnetic field orientation, and hence the local dust polarization angle. We detect strong cross-correlations between template maps constructed from estimates of dust intensity combined with either Hi-derived angles, starlight polarization angles, or Planck 353 GHz angles. The Hi data thus provide a new tool in the search for inflationary gravitational wave B-mode polarization in the cosmic microwave background, which is currently limited by dust foreground contamination.

Structures and dynamics in a two-dimensional dipolar dust particle system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, X. N.; Liu, Y. H.; Kravchenko, O. V.; Lapushkina, T. A.; Azarova, O. A.; Chen, Z. Y.; Huang, F.

2018-05-01

The effects of electric dipole moment, the number of dipolar particles, and system temperature on the structures and dynamics of a dipolar dust particle system are studied by molecular dynamics simulations. The results show that the larger electric dipole moment is favorable for the formation of a long-chain structure, the larger number of dipolar dust particles promotes the formation of the multi-chain structure, and the higher system temperature can cause higher rotation frequency. The trajectories, mean square displacement (MSD), and the corresponding spectrum functions of the MSDs are also calculated to illustrate the dynamics of the dipolar dust particle system, which is also closely related to the growth of dust particles. Some simulations are qualitatively in agreement with our experiments and can provide a guide for the study on dust growth, especially on the large-sized particles.

Differential Ablation of Cosmic Dust and Implications for the Relative Abundances of Atmospheric Metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNeil, W. J.

1997-09-01

Metals in the Earth's atmosphere are of interest and importance for several reasons. Emission lines from the sodium layer are used for wave front corrections in imaging space objects. The ionospheric metals present background contamination for remote sensing and tracking of space- born objects. Ionization during meteor showers may also interfere with communications. Although it is generally accepted that extraterrestrial material is the source of metals in the atmospheric, the relative abundances of mesospheric metals and ions present us with a conundrum. Lidar observations have consistently shown that the abundances of neutral metals in the atmospheric and the abundances of these metals in the meteoric material that falls to earth are significantly disproportionate. For example, the column density of neutral sodium is perhaps two orders of magnitude larger than that of calcium, while the abundances in meteorites are approximately equal. To complicate matters further, ion mass spectroscopy has shown that the abundances of the meteoric ions match reasonably well those in the meteorites. We present here a model that attempts to address these discrepancies. At the heart of the model is the concept of differential ablation, which suggests that more volatile metals sublimate earlier in the descent of a cosmic dust particle than do the less volatile components. The modeling is carried out comprehensively, beginning with the heating and vaporization of the dust particles. The vaporization rate is computed as a function of altitude from an ensemble of particles to give a deposition function which is then injected into a fully time-dependent kinetic code which allows for vertical diffusion and includes diurnal dependence through both the models of the major atmospheric components and through transport of the ions due to electric fields.

Phototelectric Emission Measurements on the Analogs of Individual Cosmic Dust Grains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbas, Mian M.; Tankosic, D.; Craven, P. D.; Spann, J. F.; LeClair, A.; West, E. A.; Weingartner, J. C.; Tielens, A. G. G. M.; Nuth, J. A.; Camata, R. P.;

Migration of Dust Particles and Their Collisions with the Terrestrial Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ipatov, S. I.; Mather, J. C.

2004-01-01

Our review of previously published papers on dust migration can be found in [1], where we also present different distributions of migrating dust particles. We considered a different set of initial orbits for the dust particles than those in the previous papers. Below we pay the main attention to the collisional probabilities of migrating dust particles with the planets based on a set of orbital elements during their evolution. Such probabilities were not calculated earlier.

Experiments to trap dust particles by a wire simulating an electron beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saeki, Hiroshi; Momose, Takashi; Ishimaru, Hajime

1991-11-01

Motion of trapped dust particles has been previously analyzed using high-energy bremsstrahlung data obtained during dust trapping in the TRISTAN accumulation ring. Because it is difficult to observe the actual motions of dust particles trapped in an electron beam due to the strong synchrotron light background, we carried out experiments to trap sample dust particles with a Cu wire simulating an electron beam. A negative potential was slowly applied to the wire using a high voltage dc power supply. Motions of dust particles trapped by the wire were recorded with a video camera system. In an experiment using a Cu wire (1.5 mm in diameter) with no magnetic field, the charged dust particle made vertical oscillation about the wire. In another experiment using the same wire but with a vertical magnetic field (0.135 T) simulating a bending magnetic field, both vertical and horizontal oscillating motions perpendicular to the wire were observed. Furthermore, it was found that the dust particle moved in the longitudinal direction of the wire in the bending magnetic field. Therefore, it is expected that charged dust particles trapped by the electric field of the electron beam oscillate vertically where there is no magnetic field in the TRISTAN accumulation ring. It is also expected that trapped dust particles where there is a bending magnetic field oscillate horizontally and vertically as the particle drifts in a longitudinal direction along the ring.

Cosmic Ray Exposure Ages of Stony Meteorites: Space Erosion or Yarkovsky?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubincam, David Parry

2014-01-01

Space erosion from dust impacts may set upper limits on the cosmic ray exposure (CRE) ages of stony meteorites. A meteoroid orbiting within the asteroid belt is bombarded by both cosmic rays and interplanetary dust particles. Galactic cosmic rays penetrate only the first few meters of the meteoroid; deeper regions are shielded. The dust particle impacts create tiny craters on the meteoroid's surface, wearing it away by space erosion (abrasion) at a particular rate. Hence a particular point inside a meteoroid accumulates cosmic ray products only until that point wears away, limiting CRE ages. The results would apply to other regolith-free surfaces in the solar system as well, so that abrasion may set upper CRE age limits which depend on the dusty environment. Calculations based on N. Divine's dust populations and on micrometeoroid cratering indicate that stony meteoroids in circular ecliptic orbits at 2 AU will record 21Ne CRE ages of approx.176 x 10(exp 6) years if dust masses are in the range 10(exp -21) - 10(exp -3) kg. This is in broad agreement with the maximum observed CRE ages of approx. 100 x 10(exp 6) years for stones. High erosion rates in the inner solar system may limit the CRE ages of Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) to approx. 120 x 10(exp 6) years. If abrasion should prove to be approx. 6 times quicker than found here, then space erosion may be responsible for many of the measured CRE ages of main belt stony meteorites. In that case the CRE ages may not measure the drift time to the resonances due to the Yarkovsky effects as in the standard scenario, and that for some reason Yarkovsky is ineffective.

Ice Nucleation Activity of Various Agricultural Soil Dust Aerosol Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schiebel, Thea; Höhler, Kristina; Funk, Roger; Hill, Thomas C. J.; Levin, Ezra J. T.; Nadolny, Jens; Steinke, Isabelle; Suski, Kaitlyn J.; Ullrich, Romy; Wagner, Robert; Weber, Ines; DeMott, Paul J.; Möhler, Ottmar

2016-04-01

Recent investigations at the cloud simulation chamber AIDA (Aerosol Interactions and Dynamics in the Atmosphere) suggest that agricultural soil dust has an ice nucleation ability that is enhanced up to a factor of 10 compared to desert dust, especially at temperatures above -26 °C (Steinke et al., in preparation for submission). This enhancement might be caused by the contribution of very ice-active biological particles. In addition, soil dust aerosol particles often contain a considerably higher amount of organic matter compared to desert dust particles. To test agricultural soil dust as a source of ice nucleating particles, especially for ice formation in warm clouds, we conducted a series of laboratory measurements with different soil dust samples to extend the existing AIDA dataset. The AIDA has a volume of 84 m3 and operates under atmospherically relevant conditions over wide ranges of temperature, pressure and humidity. By controlled adiabatic expansions, the ascent of an air parcel in the troposphere can be simulated. As a supplement to the AIDA facility, we use the INKA (Ice Nucleation Instrument of the KArlsruhe Institute of Technology) continuous flow diffusion chamber based on the design by Rogers (1988) to expose the sampled aerosol particles to a continuously increasing saturation ratio by keeping the aerosol temperature constant. For our experiments, soil dust was dry dispersed into the AIDA vessel. First, fast saturation ratio scans at different temperatures were performed with INKA, sampling soil dust aerosol particles directly from the AIDA vessel. Then, we conducted the AIDA expansion experiment starting at a preset temperature. The combination of these two different methods provides a robust data set on the temperature-dependent ice activity of various agriculture soil dust aerosol particles with a special focus on relatively high temperatures. In addition, to extend the data set, we investigated the role of biological and organic matter in more

Observation of Dust Particle Gyromotion in a Magnetized Dusty Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Compton, C. S.; Amatucci, W. E.; Gatling, G.; Tejero, E.

2008-11-01

In dusty plasma research, gyromotion of the dust has been difficult to observe experimentally. Previous experiments by Amatucci et al. have shown gyromotion of a single dust particle [1]. This early work was performed with alumina dust that had a size distribution and non-uniformly shaped particles. In the current experiment, evidence of spherical, monodispersed, dust particles exhibiting gyromotion has been observed. Silica particles 0.97 micrometers in diameter are suspended in a DC glow discharge argon plasma. The experiment is performed in the Naval Research Laboratory's DUsty PLasma EXperiment (DUPLEX Jr.). DUPLEX is a 61-cm tall by 46-cm diameter acrylic chamber allowing full 360 degree optical access for diagnostics. The neutral pressure for the experiment is 230 mTorr with a 275 V bias between the circular electrodes. The electrodes have a separation of 4 cm. A strong magnetic field is created by 2 pairs of neodymium iron boride magnets placed above and below the anode and cathode respectively. The resulting field is 1.4 kG. The dust particles are illuminated with a 25 mW, 672 nm laser. Images are captured using an intensified CCD camera and a consumer digital video cassette recorder. Recent evidence of gyromotion of spherical, monodispersed, dust particles will be presented. [1] Amatucci, W.E., et al., Phys. Plasmas, 11, 2097 (2004)

Evolution of Cometary Dust Particles to the Orbit of the Earth: Particle Size, Shape, and Mutual Collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Hongu; Ishiguro, Masateru

2018-02-01

In this study, we numerically investigated the orbital evolution of cometary dust particles, with special consideration of the initial size–frequency distribution (SFD) and different evolutionary tracks according to the initial orbit and particle shape. We found that close encounters with planets (mostly Jupiter) are the dominating factor determining the orbital evolution of dust particles. Therefore, the lifetimes of cometary dust particles (∼250,000 yr) are shorter than the Poynting–Robertson lifetime, and only a small fraction of large cometary dust particles can be transferred into orbits with small semimajor axes. The exceptions are dust particles from 2P/Encke and, potentially, active asteroids that have little interaction with Jupiter. We also found that the effects of dust shape, mass density, and SFD were not critical in the total mass supply rate to the interplanetary dust particle (IDP) cloud complex when these quantities are confined by observations of zodiacal light brightness and SFD around the Earth’s orbit. When we incorporate a population of fluffy aggregates discovered in the Earth’s stratosphere and the coma of 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko within the initial ejection, the initial SFD measured at the comae of comets (67P and 81P/Wild 2) can produce the observed SFD around the Earth’s orbit. Considering the above effects, we derived the probability of mutual collisions among dust particles within the IDP cloud for the first time in a direct manner via numerical simulation and concluded that mutual collisions can mostly be ignored.

Constraining the Origin of Impact Craters on Al Foils from the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stroud, Rhonda M.; Achilles, Cheri; Allen, Carlton; Ansari, Asna; Bajt, Sasa; Bassim, Nabil; Bastien, Ron S.; Bechtel, H. A.; Borg, Janet; Brenker, Frank E.;

Saharan Dust Particle Size And Concentration Distribution In Central Ghana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunnu, A. K.

2010-12-01

A.K. Sunnu*, G. M. Afeti* and F. Resch+ *Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Kumasi, Ghana. E-mail: albertsunnu@yahoo.com +Laboratoire Lepi, ISITV-Université du Sud Toulon-Var, 83162 La Valette cedex, France E-mail: resch@univ-tln.fr Keywords: Atmospheric aerosol; Saharan dust; Particle size distributions; Particle concentrations. Abstract The Saharan dust that is transported and deposited over many countries in the West African atmospheric environment (5°N), every year, during the months of November to March, known locally as the Harmattan season, have been studied over a 13-year period, between 1996 and 2009, using a location at Kumasi in central Ghana (6° 40'N, 1° 34'W) as the reference geographical point. The suspended Saharan dust particles were sampled by an optical particle counter, and the particle size distributions and concentrations were analysed. The counter gives the total dust loads as number of particles per unit volume of air. The optical particle counter used did not discriminate the smoke fractions (due to spontaneous bush fires during the dry season) from the Saharan dust. Within the particle size range measured (0.5 μm-25 μm.), the average inter-annual mean particle diameter, number and mass concentrations during the northern winter months of January and February were determined. The average daily number concentrations ranged from 15 particles/cm3 to 63 particles/cm3 with an average of 31 particles/cm3. The average daily mass concentrations ranged from 122 μg/m3 to 1344 μg/m3 with an average of 532 μg/m3. The measured particle concentrations outside the winter period were consistently less than 10 cm-3. The overall dust mean particle diameter, analyzed from the peak representative Harmattan periods over the 13-year period, ranged from 0.89 μm to 2.43 μm with an average of 1.5 μm ± 0.5. The particle size distributions exhibited the typical distribution pattern for

Mixed Calcium Dust and Carbonaceous Particles from Asia Contributing to Precipitation Changes in California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kristensen, L.; Cornwell, G.; Sedlacek, A. J., III; Prather, K. A.

2016-12-01

Mineral dust particles can serve as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), with enhanced CCN activity observed when the dust is mixed with additional soluble species. Long range atmospheric transport can change the composition of dust particles through aging, cloud processing and mixing with other particles. The CalWater2 campaign measured single particles and cloud dynamics to investigate the influence aerosols have on the hydrological cycle in California. An Aircraft Aerosol Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (ATOFMS) was used to characterize and identify single particles within clouds potentially acting as ice and cloud nuclei. Two matching flights over California's mountains in March 2015 detected significantly different particle types that resulted in different precipitation totals. Calcium dust dominated the particle composition during the first flight which had an observed decrease in orographic precipitation. Particle composition and air mass back trajectories indicate an Asian desert origin. The calcium dust particles contained secondary acids, in particular oxalic acid, acquired during transport from Asia to California. This chemical processing likely increased the solubility of the dust, enabling the particles to act as more effective CCN. The chemical composition also showed oligomeric carbonaceous species were mixed with the calcium dust particles, potentially further increasing the solubility the particles. A single particle soot photometer (SP2) measured black carbon concurrently and returned intense incandescence when calcium dust was present, confirming the calcium dust particles were internally mixed with a carbonaceous species. Dust particles were greatly reduced during the second flight with local biomass burning particles the dominant type. Observed precipitation in California were within forecast levels during the second flight. These single particle measurements from CalWater2 show that dust particles from Asia can affect cloud process and thus

Atmospheric cosmic rays and solar energetic particles at aircraft altitudes.

PubMed

O'Brien, K; Friedberg, W; Sauer, H H; Smart, D F

1996-01-01

Galactic cosmic rays, which are thought to be produced and accelerated by a variety of mechanisms in the Milky Way galaxy, interact with the solar wind, the earth's magnetic field, and its atmosphere to produce hadron, lepton, and photon fields at aircraft altitudes that are quite unlike anything produced in the laboratory. The energy spectra of these secondary particles extend from the lowest possible energy to energies over an EeV. In addition to cosmic rays, energetic particles, generated on the sun by solar flares or coronal mass ejections, bombard the earth from time to time. These particles, while less energetic than cosmic rays, also produce radiation fields at aircraft altitudes which have qualitatively the same properties as cosmic rays. The authors have calculated atmospheric cosmic-ray angular fluxes, spectra, scalar fluxes, and ionization, and compared them with experimental data. Agreement with these data is seen to be good. These data have been used to calculate equivalent doses in a simplified human phantom at aircraft altitudes and the estimated health risks to aircraft crews. The authors have also calculated the radiation doses from several large solar energetic particle events (known as GLEs, or Ground Level Events), which took place in 1989, including the very large event known as GLE 42, which took place on September 29th and 30th of that year. The spectra incident on the atmosphere were determined assuming diffusive shock theory. Unfortunately, there are essentially no experimental data with which to compare these calculations.

Particle size and metals concentrations of dust from a paint manufacturing plant.

PubMed

Huang, Siew Lai; Yin, Chun-Yang; Yap, Siaw Yang

2010-02-15

In this study, the particle size distribution and concentration of metallic elements of solvent- and water-based paint dust from bulk dust collected from dust-collecting hoppers were determined. The mean particle size diameter over a 12-week sampling period was determined using a particle size analyzer. The metals composition and concentration of the dust were determined via acid digestion technique followed by concentration analysis using inductively coupled plasma. The volume weighted mean particle diameters were found to be 0.941+/-0.016 and 8.185+/-0.201 microm for solvent- and water-based paint dust, respectively. The mean concentrations of metals in solvent-based paint dust were found to be 100+/-20.00 microg/g (arsenic), 1550+/-550.00 microg/g (copper), 15,680+/-11,780.00 microg/g (lead) and 30,460+/-10,580.00 microg/g (zinc) while the mean concentrations of metals in water-based paint dust were found to be 20.65+/-6.11 microg/g (arsenic), 9.14+/-14.65 microg/g (copper), 57.46+/-22.42 microg/g (lead) and 1660+/-1260 microg/g (zinc). Both paint dust types could be considered as hazardous since almost all of the dust particles were smaller than 10 microm. Particular emphasis on containment of solvent-based paint dust particles should be given since it was shown that they were very fine in size (<1 microm) and had high lead and zinc concentrations.

Heterogeneous chemistry of atmospheric mineral dust particles and their resulting cloud-nucleation properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sullivan, Ryan Christopher

Mineral dust particles are a major component of tropospheric aerosol mass and affect regional and global atmospheric chemistry and climate. Dust particles experience heterogeneous reactions with atmospheric gases that alter the gas and particle-phase chemistry. These in turn influence the warm and cold cloud nucleation ability and optical properties of the dust particles. This dissertation investigates the atmospheric chemistry of mineral dust particles and their role in warm cloud nucleation through a combination of synergistic field measurements, laboratory experiments, and theoretical modeling. In-situ measurements made with a single-particle mass spectrometer during the ACE-Asia field campaign in 2001 provide the motivation for this work. The observed mixing state of the individual ambient particles with secondary organic and inorganic components is described in Chapter 2. A large Asian dust storm occurred during the campaign and produced dramatic changes in the aerosol's composition and mixing state. The effect of particle size and mineralogy on the atmospheric processing of individual dust particles is explored in Chapters 3 & 4. Sulfate was found to accumulate preferentially in submicron iron and aluminosilicate-rich dust particles, while nitrate and chloride were enriched in supermicron calcite-rich dust. The mineral dust (and sea salt particles) were also enriched in oxalic acid, the dominant component of water soluble organic carbon. Chapter 5 explores the roles of gas-phase photochemistry and partitioning of the diacids to the alkaline particles in producing this unique behavior. The effect of the dust's mixing state with secondary organic and inorganic components on the dust particles' solubility, hygroscopicity, and thus warm cloud nucleation properties is explored experimentally and theoretically in Chapter 6. Cloud condensation nucleation (CCN) activation curves revealed that while calcium nitrate and calcium chloride particles were very hygroscopic

Airborne dust and soil particles at the Phoenix landing site, Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madsen, M. B.; Drube, L.; Goetz, W.; Leer, K.; Falkenberg, T. V.; Gunnlaugsson, H. P.; Haspang, M. P.; Hviid, S. F.; Ellehøj, M. D.; Lemmon, M. T.

2009-04-01

The three iSweep targets on the Phoenix lander instrument deck utilize permanent magnets and 6 different background colors for studies of airborne dust [1]. The name iSweep is short for Improved Sweep Magnet experiments and derives from MER heritage [2, 3] as the rovers carried a sweep magnet, which is a very strong ring magnet built into an aluminum structure. Airborne dust is attracted and held by the magnet and the pattern formed depends on magnetic properties of the dust. The visible/near-infrared spectra acquired of the iSweep are rather similar to typical Martian dust and soil spectra. Because of the multiple background colors of the iSweeps the effect of the translucence of thin dust layers can be studied. This is used to estimate the rate of dust accumulation and will be used to evaluate light scattering properties of the particles. Some particles raised by the retro-rockets during the final descent came to rest on the lander deck and spectra of these particles are studied and compared with those of airborne dust and with spectra obtained from other missions. High resolution images acquired by the Optical Microscope (OM) [4] showed subtle differences between different Phoenix soil samples in terms of particle size and color. Most samples contain orange dust (particles smaller than 10 micrometer) as their major component and silt-sized (50-80 micrometer large) subrounded particles. Both particle types are substantially magnetic. Based on results from the Mars Exploration Rovers, the magnetization of the silt-sized particles is believed to be caused by magnetite. Morphology, texture and color of these particles (ranging from colorless, red-brown to almost black) suggest a multiple origin: The darkest particles probably represent lithic fragments, while the brighter ones could be impact or volcanic glasses. [1] Leer K. et al. (2008) JGR, 113, E00A16. [2] Madsen M.B. et al. (2003) JGR, 108, 8069. [3] Madsen M.B. et al. (2008) JGR (in print). [4] Hecht M.H. et

Nanoflow Separation of Amino Acids for the Analysis of Cosmic Dust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, M. P.; Glavin, D. P.; Dworkin, Jason P.

2008-01-01

The delivery of amino acids to the early Earth by interplanetary dust particles, comets, and carbonaceous meteorites could have been a significant source of the early Earth's prebiotic organic inventory. Amino acids are central to modern terrestrial biochemistry as major components of proteins and enzymes and were probably vital in the origin of life. A variety of amino acids have been detected in the CM carbonaceous meteorite Murchison, many of which are exceptionally rare in the terrestrial biosphere including a-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) and isovaline. AIB has also been detected in a small percentage of Antarctic micrometeorite grains believed to be related to the CM meteorites We report on progress in optimizing a nanoflow liquid chromatography separation system with dual detection via laser-induced-fluorescence time of flight mass spectrometry (nLC-LIF/ToF-MS) for the analysis of o-phthaldialdehydelN-acetyl-L-cysteine (OPA/NAC) labeled amino acids in cosmic dust grains. The very low flow rates (<3 micro-L/min) of nLC over analytical LC (>0.1 ml/min) combined with <2 micron column bead sizes has the potential to produce efficient analyte ionizations andchromatograms with very sharp peaks; both increase sensitivity. The combination of the selectivity (only primary amines are derivatized), sensitivity (>4 orders of magnitude lower than traditional GC-MS techniques), and specificity (compounds identities are determined by both retention time and exact mass) makes this a compelling technique. However, the development of an analytical method to achieve separation of compounds as structurally similar as amino acid monomers and produce the sharp peaks required for maximum sensitivity is challenging.

Elongated dust particles growth in a spherical glow discharge in ethanol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedoseev, A. V.; Sukhinin, G. I.; Sakhapov, S. Z.; Zaikovskii, A. V.; Novopashin, S. A.

2018-01-01

The formation of elongated dust particles in a spherical dc glow discharge in ethanol was observed for the first time. Dust particles were formed in the process of coagulation of ethanol dissociation products in the plasma of gas discharge. During the process the particles were captured into clouds in the electric potential wells of strong striations of spherical discharge. The size and the shape of dust particles are easily detected by naked eye after the illumination of the laser sheet. The description of the experimental setup and conditions, the analysis of size, shape and composition of the particles, the explanation of spatial ordering and orientation of these particles are presented.

A parallel direct numerical simulation of dust particles in a turbulent flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, H. V.; Yokota, R.; Stenchikov, G.; Kocurek, G.

2012-04-01

Due to their effects on radiation transport, aerosols play an important role in the global climate. Mineral dust aerosol is a predominant natural aerosol in the desert and semi-desert regions of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The Arabian Peninsula is one of the three predominant source regions on the planet "exporting" dust to almost the entire world. Mineral dust aerosols make up about 50% of the tropospheric aerosol mass and therefore produces a significant impact on the Earth's climate and the atmospheric environment, especially in the MENA region that is characterized by frequent dust storms and large aerosol generation. Understanding the mechanisms of dust emission, transport and deposition is therefore essential for correctly representing dust in numerical climate prediction. In this study we present results of numerical simulations of dust particles in a turbulent flow to study the interaction between dust and the atmosphere. Homogenous and passive dust particles in the boundary layers are entrained and advected under the influence of a turbulent flow. Currently no interactions between particles are included. Turbulence is resolved through direct numerical simulation using a parallel incompressible Navier-Stokes flow solver. Model output provides information on particle trajectories, turbulent transport of dust and effects of gravity on dust motion, which will be used to compare with the wind tunnel experiments at University of Texas at Austin. Results of testing of parallel efficiency and scalability is provided. Future versions of the model will include air-particle momentum exchanges, varying particle sizes and saltation effect. The results will be used for interpreting wind tunnel and field experiments and for improvement of dust generation parameterizations in meteorological models.

AIRBORNE DETECTION AND ANALYSIS OF PRIMARY COSMIC PARTICLES WITH A SCINTILLATION DEVICE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Corkhill, deP.J.; Hoffman, R.A.

1960-07-01

Data are presented as derived from telemetered irformation from a primary cosmic-particle detecting device. The data are preliminury in nature in that comparison between the cosmic-particle spectrum (as shown by the mechanical detector) was not made with similar information provided by nuclear emulsions exposed to regions of pri

Accretion of Interplanetary Dust Particles by the Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kortenkamp, Stephen J.; Dermott, Stanley F.

1998-10-01

Analyses of hypervelocity micrometeoroid impact craters preserved in lunar material and on the panels of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) indicate that each year Earth accretes about 3 × 107kg of interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) from the zodiacal cloud (E. Grünet al.1985,Astron. Astrophys.286, 915-924; S. G. Love and D. E. Brownlee, 1993,Science262, 550-553). The size distributions of these lunar and LDEF craters indicate that the mass distribution of IDPs encountering Earth peaks at about 200 μm diameter. This particle-size cutoff may be indicative of collisionally evolved asteroidal dust, where the collisional lifetime of dust particles larger than ∼100 μm is shorter than the time required for their orbits to decay under Poynting-Robertson light drag from the asteroid belt to Earth (B. Å. S. Gustafson, 1994,Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci.22, 553-595). Additionally, analyses of IDPs collected from the stratosphere by high-flying aircraft reveal a diversity in chemical composition which is even narrower than that of the meteorites (G. J. Flynn, 1995,Nature376, 114). Together these findings suggest that IDPs present in the atmosphere and our collections may originate from very limited sources in the asteroid belt. The most abundant sources of dust to be unambiguously linked to the zodiacal cloud are the three asteroid families Eos, Themis, and Koronis-the progenitors of the ten-degree and low-latitude dust bands discovered by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite in 1984. We use direct numerical integration of the full equations of motion to model the orbital evolution of dust particles from these three families as well as from other nonfamily asteroids and from the population of known short period comets. Our simulations include gravitational perturbations from the planets, radiation pressure, and solar wind drag. We find that a large, and perhaps the dominant, fraction of the IDPs accreted by Earth comes from the asteroid families Eos, Themis, and

Collision of large dust particles with Suisei spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uesugi, K.

1986-12-01

The spacecraft Suisei encountered Halley's comet at 13:05:49 UT on March 8, 1986. The closest approach distance to the comet was 151,000 km and during the time of closest approach, Suisei was hit twice by dust particles which were believed to come from the comet nucleus. Although Suisei has no dust counter or detector, the mass of these particles can be estimated by the analysis of attitude change of the spin-stabilized spacecraft perturbed by the collisions. The result shows that the minimum weight of the first particle should be several milligram and second one was several ten micrograms.

Helium in interplanetary dust particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nier, A. O.; Schlutter, D. J.

1993-01-01

Helium and neon were extracted from fragments of individual stratosphere-collected interplanetary dust particles (IDP's) by subjecting them to increasing temperature by applying short-duration pulses of power in increasing amounts to the ovens containing the fragments. The experiment was designed to see whether differences in release temperatures could be observed which might provide clues as to the asteroidal or cometary origin of the particles. Variations were observed which show promise for elucidating the problem.

Planck intermediate results. XLVIII. Disentangling Galactic dust emission and cosmic infrared background anisotropies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Planck Collaboration; Aghanim, N.; Ashdown, M.; Aumont, J.; Baccigalupi, C.; Ballardini, M.; Banday, A. J.; Barreiro, R. B.; Bartolo, N.; Basak, S.; Benabed, K.; Bernard, J.-P.; Bersanelli, M.; Bielewicz, P.; Bonavera, L.; Bond, J. R.; Borrill, J.; Bouchet, F. R.; Boulanger, F.; Burigana, C.; Calabrese, E.; Cardoso, J.-F.; Carron, J.; Chiang, H. C.; Colombo, L. P. L.; Comis, B.; Couchot, F.; Coulais, A.; Crill, B. P.; Curto, A.; Cuttaia, F.; de Bernardis, P.; de Zotti, G.; Delabrouille, J.; Di Valentino, E.; Dickinson, C.; Diego, J. M.; Doré, O.; Douspis, M.; Ducout, A.; Dupac, X.; Dusini, S.; Elsner, F.; Enßlin, T. A.; Eriksen, H. K.; Falgarone, E.; Fantaye, Y.; Finelli, F.; Forastieri, F.; Frailis, M.; Fraisse, A. A.; Franceschi, E.; Frolov, A.; Galeotta, S.; Galli, S.; Ganga, K.; Génova-Santos, R. T.; Gerbino, M.; Ghosh, T.; Giraud-Héraud, Y.; González-Nuevo, J.; Górski, K. M.; Gruppuso, A.; Gudmundsson, J. E.; Hansen, F. K.; Helou, G.; Henrot-Versillé, S.; Herranz, D.; Hivon, E.; Huang, Z.; Jaffe, A. H.; Jones, W. C.; Keihänen, E.; Keskitalo, R.; Kiiveri, K.; Kisner, T. S.; Krachmalnicoff, N.; Kunz, M.; Kurki-Suonio, H.; Lamarre, J.-M.; Langer, M.; Lasenby, A.; Lattanzi, M.; Lawrence, C. R.; Le Jeune, M.; Levrier, F.; Lilje, P. B.; Lilley, M.; Lindholm, V.; López-Caniego, M.; Ma, Y.-Z.; Macías-Pérez, J. F.; Maggio, G.; Maino, D.; Mandolesi, N.; Mangilli, A.; Maris, M.; Martin, P. G.; Martínez-González, E.; Matarrese, S.; Mauri, N.; McEwen, J. D.; Melchiorri, A.; Mennella, A.; Migliaccio, M.; Miville-Deschênes, M.-A.; Molinari, D.; Moneti, A.; Montier, L.; Morgante, G.; Moss, A.; Natoli, P.; Oxborrow, C. A.; Pagano, L.; Paoletti, D.; Patanchon, G.; Perdereau, O.; Perotto, L.; Pettorino, V.; Piacentini, F.; Plaszczynski, S.; Polastri, L.; Polenta, G.; Puget, J.-L.; Rachen, J. P.; Racine, B.; Reinecke, M.; Remazeilles, M.; Renzi, A.; Rocha, G.; Rosset, C.; Rossetti, M.; Roudier, G.; Rubiño-Martín, J. A.; Ruiz-Granados, B.; Salvati, L.; Sandri, M.; Savelainen, M.; Scott, D.; Sirignano, C.; Sirri, G.; Soler, J. D.; Spencer, L. D.; Suur-Uski, A.-S.; Tauber, J. A.; Tavagnacco, D.; Tenti, M.; Toffolatti, L.; Tomasi, M.; Tristram, M.; Trombetti, T.; Valiviita, J.; Van Tent, F.; Vielva, P.; Villa, F.; Vittorio, N.; Wandelt, B. D.; Wehus, I. K.; Zacchei, A.; Zonca, A.

2016-12-01

Using the Planck 2015 data release (PR2) temperature maps, we separate Galactic thermal dust emission from cosmic infrared background (CIB) anisotropies. For this purpose, we implement a specifically tailored component-separation method, the so-called generalized needlet internal linear combination (GNILC) method, which uses spatial information (the angular powerspectra) to disentangle the Galactic dust emission and CIB anisotropies. We produce significantly improved all-sky maps of Planck thermal dust emission, with reduced CIB contamination, at 353, 545, and 857 GHz. By reducing the CIB contamination of the thermal dust maps, we provide more accurate estimates of the local dust temperature and dust spectral index over the sky with reduced dispersion, especially at high Galactic latitudes above b = ±20°. We find that the dust temperature is T = (19.4 ± 1.3) K and the dust spectral index is β = 1.6 ± 0.1 averaged over the whole sky, while T = (19.4 ± 1.5) K and β = 1.6 ± 0.2 on 21% of the sky at high latitudes. Moreover, subtracting the new CIB-removed thermal dust maps from the CMB-removed Planck maps gives access to the CIB anisotropies over 60% of the sky at Galactic latitudes |b| > 20°. Because they are a significant improvement over previous Planck products, the GNILC maps are recommended for thermal dust science. The new CIB maps can be regarded as indirect tracers of the dark matter and they are recommended for exploring cross-correlations with lensing and large-scale structure optical surveys. The reconstructed GNILC thermal dust and CIB maps are delivered as Planck products.

Planck intermediate results: XLVIII. Disentangling Galactic dust emission and cosmic infrared background anisotropies

DOE PAGES

Aghanim, N.; Ashdown, M.; Aumont, J.; ...

2016-12-12

Using the Planck 2015 data release (PR2) temperature maps, we separate Galactic thermal dust emission from cosmic infrared background (CIB) anisotropies. For this purpose, we implement a specifically tailored component-separation method, the so-called generalized needlet internal linear combination (GNILC) method, which uses spatial information (the angular powerspectra) to disentangle the Galactic dust emission and CIB anisotropies. We produce significantly improved all-sky maps of Planck thermal dust emission, with reduced CIB contamination, at 353, 545, and 857 GHz. By reducing the CIB contamination of the thermal dust maps, we provide more accurate estimates of the local dust temperature and dust spectralmore » index over the sky with reduced dispersion, especially at high Galactic latitudes above b = ±20°. We find that the dust temperature is T = (19.4 ± 1.3) K and the dust spectral index is β = 1.6 ± 0.1 averaged over the whole sky, while T = (19.4 ± 1.5) K and β = 1.6 ± 0.2 on 21% of the sky at high latitudes. Moreover, subtracting the new CIB-removed thermal dust maps from the CMB-removed Planck maps gives access to the CIB anisotropies over 60% of the sky at Galactic latitudes |b| > 20°. Because they are a significant improvement over previous Planck products, the GNILC maps are recommended for thermal dust science. The new CIB maps can be regarded as indirect tracers of the dark matter and they are recommended for exploring cross-correlations with lensing and large-scale structure optical surveys. The reconstructed GNILC thermal dust and CIB maps are delivered as Planck products.« less

Planck intermediate results: XLVIII. Disentangling Galactic dust emission and cosmic infrared background anisotropies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aghanim, N.; Ashdown, M.; Aumont, J.

Using the Planck 2015 data release (PR2) temperature maps, we separate Galactic thermal dust emission from cosmic infrared background (CIB) anisotropies. For this purpose, we implement a specifically tailored component-separation method, the so-called generalized needlet internal linear combination (GNILC) method, which uses spatial information (the angular powerspectra) to disentangle the Galactic dust emission and CIB anisotropies. We produce significantly improved all-sky maps of Planck thermal dust emission, with reduced CIB contamination, at 353, 545, and 857 GHz. By reducing the CIB contamination of the thermal dust maps, we provide more accurate estimates of the local dust temperature and dust spectralmore » index over the sky with reduced dispersion, especially at high Galactic latitudes above b = ±20°. We find that the dust temperature is T = (19.4 ± 1.3) K and the dust spectral index is β = 1.6 ± 0.1 averaged over the whole sky, while T = (19.4 ± 1.5) K and β = 1.6 ± 0.2 on 21% of the sky at high latitudes. Moreover, subtracting the new CIB-removed thermal dust maps from the CMB-removed Planck maps gives access to the CIB anisotropies over 60% of the sky at Galactic latitudes |b| > 20°. Because they are a significant improvement over previous Planck products, the GNILC maps are recommended for thermal dust science. The new CIB maps can be regarded as indirect tracers of the dark matter and they are recommended for exploring cross-correlations with lensing and large-scale structure optical surveys. The reconstructed GNILC thermal dust and CIB maps are delivered as Planck products.« less

The Implications of Interstellar Dust for the Cosmic Microwave Background

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmelz, Joan T.; Verschuur, Gerrit

2018-01-01

A detailed comparison of the full range of PLANCK and WMAP data for small (2 deg by 2 deg) areas of sky and the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) ILC maps reveals that the structure of foreground dust may be more complex than previously thought. If 857 and 353 GHz emission is dominated by galactic dust at a distance < few hundred light years, then it should not resemble the cosmological ILC structure originating at a distance ~13 billion light years. In some areas of sky, however, we find strong morphological correlations, forcing us to consider the possibility that the foreground subtraction is not complete. Our data also show that there is no single answer for the question, “To what extent does dust contaminate the cosmologically important 143 GHz data?” In some directions, the contamination appears to be quite strong, but in others, it is less of an issue. This complexity needs to be taken in account in order to derive an accurate foreground mask in the quest to understand the CMB small-scale structure. We hope that a continued investigation of these data will lead to a definitive answer to the question above and, possibly, to new scientific insights on interstellar matter, the CMB, or both.

Hygroscopicity of mineral dust particles: Roles of chemical mixing state and hygroscopic conversion timescale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sullivan, R. C.; Moore, M. J.; Petters, M. D.; Laskin, A.; Roberts, G. C.; Kreidenweis, S. M.; Prather, K. A.

2009-05-01

Our laboratory investigations of mineral dust particle hygroscopicity are motivated by field observations of the atmospheric processing of dust. During ACE-Asia we observed sulphate and nitrate to be strongly segregated from each other in individual aged Asian dust particles. CCN activation curves of pure calcium minerals as proxies for fresh (calcium carbonate) and aged (calcium sulphate, nitrate, chloride) dust indicate that this mixing state would cause a large fraction of aged dust particles to remain poor warm cloud nucleation potential, contrary to previous assumptions. The enrichment of oxalic acid in calcium-rich dust particles could have similar effects due to the formation of insoluble calcium oxalate. Soluble calcium nitrate and chloride reaction products are hygroscopic and will transform mineral dust into excellent CCN. Generating insoluble mineral particles wet by atomization produced particles with much higher hygroscopicity then when resuspended dry. The atomized particles are likely composed of dissolved residuals and do not properly reflect the chemistry of dry mineral powders. Aerosol flow tube experiments were employed to study the conversion of calcium carbonate into calcium nitrate via heterogeneous reaction with nitric acid, with simultaneous measurements of the reacted particles' chemistry and hygroscopicity. The timescale for this hygroscopic conversion was found to occur on the order of a few hours under tropospheric conditions. This implies that the conversion of non-hygroscopic calcite- containing dust into hygroscopic particles will be controlled by the availability of nitric acid, and not by the atmospheric residence time. Results from recent investigations of the effect of secondary coatings on the ice nucleation properties of dust particles will also be presented. The cloud formation potential of aged dust particles depends on both the quantity and form of the secondary species that have reacted or mixed with the dust. These results

Temperature measurement of a dust particle in a RF plasma GEC reference cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Jie; Qiao, Ke; Matthews, Lorin S.; Hyde, Truell W.

2016-10-01

The thermal motion of a dust particle levitated in a plasma chamber is similar to that described by Brownian motion in many ways. The primary difference between a dust particle in a plasma system and a free Brownian particle is that in addition to the random collisions between the dust particle and the neutral gas atoms, there are electric field fluctuations, dust charge fluctuations, and correlated motions from the unwanted continuous signals originating within the plasma system itself. This last contribution does not include random motion and is therefore separable from the random motion in a `normal' temperature measurement. In this paper, we discuss how to separate random and coherent motions of a dust particle confined in a glass box in a Gaseous Electronic Conference (GEC) radio-frequency (RF) reference cell employing experimentally determined dust particle fluctuation data analysed using the mean square displacement technique.

Statistical simulations of the dust foreground to cosmic microwave background polarization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vansyngel, F.; Boulanger, F.; Ghosh, T.; Wandelt, B.; Aumont, J.; Bracco, A.; Levrier, F.; Martin, P. G.; Montier, L.

2017-07-01

The characterization of the dust polarization foreground to the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is a necessary step toward the detection of the B-mode signal associated with primordial gravitational waves. We present a method to simulate maps of polarized dust emission on the sphere that is similar to the approach used for CMB anisotropies. This method builds on the understanding of Galactic polarization stemming from the analysis of Planck data. It relates the dust polarization sky to the structure of the Galactic magnetic field and its coupling with interstellar matter and turbulence. The Galactic magnetic field is modeled as a superposition of a mean uniform field and a Gaussian random (turbulent) component with a power-law power spectrum of exponent αM. The integration along the line of sight carried out to compute Stokes maps is approximated by a sum over a small number of emitting layers with different realizations of the random component of the magnetic field. The model parameters are constrained to fit the power spectra of dust polarization EE, BB, and TE measured using Planck data. We find that the slopes of the E and B power spectra of dust polarization are matched for αM = -2.5, an exponent close to that measured for total dust intensity but larger than the Kolmogorov exponent - 11/3. The model allows us to compute multiple realizations of the Stokes Q and U maps for different realizations of the random component of the magnetic field, and to quantify the variance of dust polarization spectra for any given sky area outside of the Galactic plane. The simulations reproduce the scaling relation between the dust polarization power and the mean total dust intensity including the observed dispersion around the mean relation. We also propose a method to carry out multifrequency simulations, including the decorrelation measured recently by Planck, using a given covariance matrix of the polarization maps. These simulations are well suited to optimize

Orbital Evolution of Dust Particles in the Sublimation Zone near the Sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shestakova, L. I.; Demchenko, B. I.

2018-03-01

We have performed the calculations of the orbital evolution of dust particles from volcanic glass ( p-obsidian), basalt, astrosilicate, olivine, and pyroxene in the sublimation zone near the Sun. The sublimation (evaporation) rate is determined by the temperature of dust particles depending on their radius, material, and distance to the Sun. All practically important parameters that characterize the interaction of spherical dust particles with the radiation are calculated using the Mie theory. The influence of radiation and solar wind pressure, as well as the Poynting-Robertson drag force effects on the dust dynamics, are also taken into account. According to the observations (Shestakova and Demchenko, 2016), the boundary of the dust-free zone is 7.0-7.6 solar radii for standard particles of the zodiacal cloud and 9.1-9.2 solar radii for cometary particles. The closest agreement is obtained for basalt particles and certain kinds of olivine, pyroxene, and volcanic glass.

Dust Particle Dynamics in The Presence of Highly Magnetized Plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lynch, Brian; Konopka, Uwe; Thomas, Edward; Merlino, Robert; Rosenberg, Marlene

2016-10-01

Complex plasmas are four component plasmas that contain, in addition to the usual electrons, ions, and neutral atoms, macroscopic electrically charged (nanometer to micrometer) sized ``dust'' particles. These macroscopic particles typically obtain a net negative charge due to the higher mobility of electrons compared to that of ions. Because the electrons, ions, and dust particles are charged, their dynamics may be significantly modified by the presence of electric and magnetic fields. Possible consequences of this modification may be the charging rate and the equilibrium charge. For example, in the presence of a strong horizontal magnetic field (B >1 Tesla), it may be possible to observe dust particle gx B deflection and, from that deflection, determine the dust grain charge. In this poster, we present recent data from performing multiple particle dropping experiments to characterize the g x B deflection in the Magnetized Dusty Plasma Experiment (MDPX). This work is supported by funding from the U. S. Department of Energy Grant Number DE - SC0010485 and the NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory, JPL-1543114.

LORD Space Experiment for Investigation of Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic-ray Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryabov, V. A.; Gusev, G. A.; Chechin, V. A.

2013-02-01

The problem of detecting cosmic rays and neutrinos of energies above the GZK cutoff is reviewed. Nowadays, it becomes clear that registration of nature's most energetic particles requires approaches based on new principles. First of all, we imply the detection of the coherent Cherenkov radio emission in cascades of ultrahigh-energy particles in radio-transparent natural dense media, i.e., ice shields of Antarctica, mineral salt, and lunar regolith. The Luna-Glob space mission planned for launching in the near future involves the Lunar Orbital Radio Detector (LORD) whose aperture for cosmic rays and neutrinos of energies E >= 1020 eV exceeds all existing ground-based arrays. The feasibility of LORD to detect radio signals from showers initiated by ultrahigh-energy particles interacting with the lunar regolith is examined. The design of the LORD space instrument and its scientific potentialities for registration of low-intense cosmic-ray particle fluxes above the GZK cut-off up to 1025 eV is discussed.

Enrichment of Mineral Dust Storm Particles with Sea Salt Elements - Using bulk and Single Particle Analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mamane, Y.; Perrino, C.; Yossef, O.

2009-12-01

Mineral aerosol emitted from African and Asian deserts plays an important role in the atmosphere. During their long-range transport, the physical and chemical properties of mineral dust particles change due to heterogeneous reactions with trace gases, coagulation with other particles, and in-cloud processing. These processes affect the optical and hygroscopic properties of dust particles, and in general influencing the physics and chemistry of the atmosphere. Four African and Arabian dust storm episodes affecting the East Mediterranean Coast in the spring of 2006 have been characterized, to determine if atmospheric natural dust particles are enriched with sea salt and anthropogenic pollution. Particle samplers included PM10 and manual dichotomous sampler that collected fine and coarse particles. Three sets of filters were used: Teflon filters for gravimetric, elemental and ionic analyses; Pre-fired Quartz-fiber filters for elemental and organic carbon; and Nuclepore filters for scanning electron microscopy analysis. Computer-controlled scanning electron microscopy (Philips XL 30 ESEM) was used to analyze single particle, for morphology, size and chemistry of selected filter samples. A detailed chemical and microscopical characterization has been performed for the particles collected during dust event days and during clear days. The Saharan and Arabian air masses increased significantly the daily mass concentrations of the coarse and the fine particle fractions. Carbonates, mostly as soil calcites mixed with dolomites, and silicates are the major components of the coarse fraction, followed by sea salt particles. In addition, the levels of anthropogenic heavy metals and sea salt elements registered during the dust episode were considerably higher than levels recorded during clear days. Sea salt elements contain Na and Cl, and smaller amounts of Mg, K, S and Br. Cl ranges from 300 to 5500 ng/m3 and Na from 100 to almost 2400 ng/m3. The Cl to Na ratio on dusty days in

The Complexities of Interstellar Dust and the Implications for the Small-scale Structure in the Cosmic Microwave Background

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verschuur, G. L.; Schmelz, J. T.

2018-02-01

A detailed comparison of the full range of PLANCK and Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe data for small (2° × 2°) areas of sky and the Cosmic Microwave Background Internal Linear Combination (ILC) maps reveals that the structure of foreground dust may be more complex than previously thought. If 857 and 353 GHz emission is dominated by galactic dust at a distance < few hundred light years, then it should not resemble the cosmological ILC structure originating at a distance ∼13 billion light years. In some areas of sky, however, we find strong morphological correlations, forcing us to consider the possibility that the foreground subtraction is not complete. Our data also show that there is no single answer for the question: “to what extent does dust contaminate the cosmologically important 143 GHz data?” In some directions, the contamination appears to be quite strong, but in others, it is less of an issue. This complexity needs to be taken in account in order to derive an accurate foreground mask in the quest to understand the Cosmic Microwave Background small-scale structure. We hope that a continued investigation of these data will lead to a definitive answer to the question above and, possibly, to new scientific insights on interstellar matter, the Cosmic Microwave Background, or both.

Rotational bursting of interplanetary dust particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paddack, S. J.; Rhee, J. W.

1974-01-01

Solar radiation pressure is discussed as a cause of rotational bursting, and of eventual elimination of asymmetric dust particles from the solar system, by a windmill effect. The predicted life span with this process for metallic particles with radii of 0.00001 to 0.01 cm ranges from 10 to 10,000 years. The effects of magnetic spin damping were considered. This depletion mechanism works faster than the traditional Poynting-Robertson effect by approximately one order of magnitude for metallic particles and about two orders of magnitude for nonmetallic particles.

Observation of nitrate coatings on atmospheric mineral dust particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, W. J.; Shao, L. Y.

2009-03-01

Nitrate compounds have received much attention because of their ability to alter the hygroscopic properties and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity of mineral dust particles in the atmosphere. However, very little is known about specific characteristics of ambient nitrate-coated mineral particles on an individual particle scale. In this study, sample collection was conducted during brown haze and dust episodes between 24 May and 21 June 2007 in Beijing, northern China. Sizes, morphologies, and compositions of 332 mineral dust particles together with their coatings were analyzed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalyses. Structures of some mineral particles were verified using selected-area electron diffraction (SAED). TEM observation indicates that approximately 90% of the collected mineral particles are covered by visible coatings in haze samples whereas only 5% are coated in the dust sample. 92% of the analyzed mineral particles are covered with Ca-, Mg-, and Na-rich coatings, and 8% are associated with K- and S-rich coatings. The majority of coatings contain Ca, Mg, O, and N with minor amounts of S and Cl, suggesting that they are possibly nitrates mixed with small amounts of sulfates and chlorides. These nitrate coatings are strongly correlated with the presence of alkaline mineral components (e.g., calcite and dolomite). CaSO4 particles with diameters from 10 to 500 nm were also detected in the coatings including Ca(NO3)2 and Mg(NO3)2. Our results indicate that mineral particles in brown haze episodes were involved in atmospheric heterogeneous reactions with two or more acidic gases (e.g., SO2, NO2, HCl, and HNO3). Mineral particles that acquire hygroscopic nitrate coatings tend to be more spherical and larger, enhancing their light scattering and CCN activity, both of which have cooling effects on the climate.

Origins and Dynamics of Interplanetary Dust Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dermott, Stanley F.

2005-01-01

This is a final report for research supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration issued through the Office of Space Science Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program, covering all relevant activities during its 3-year period of funding from 02/01/2002 through to 01/31/2005. The ongoing aim of the research supported through this grant, and now through a successor award, is to investigate the origin of interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) and their dynamical and collisional evolution, in order to: (1) understand the provenance of zodiacal cloud particles and their transport from their source regions to the inner solar system; (2) produce detailed models of the zodiacal cloud and its constituent components; (3) determine the origin of the dust particles accreted by the Earth; (4) ascertain the level of temporal variations in the dust environment of the inner solar system and the accretion rate of IDPs by the Earth, and evaluate potential effects on global climate; and to (5) exploit this research as a basis for interpreting the structure observed in exozodiacal clouds that may result from the collisional evolution of planetesimals and the presence of unseen planets.

UV-VIS depolarization from Arizona Test Dust particles at exact backscattering angle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miffre, Alain; Mehri, Tahar; Francis, Mirvatte; Rairoux, Patrick

2016-01-01

In this paper, a controlled laboratory experiment is performed to accurately evaluate the depolarization from mineral dust particles in the exact backward scattering direction (ϴ=180.0±0.2°). The experiment is carried out at two wavelengths simultaneously (λ=355 nm, λ=532 nm), on a determined size and shape distribution of Arizona Test Dust (ATD) particles, used as a proxy for mineral dust particles. After validating the set-up on spherical water droplets, two determined ATD-particle size distributions, representative of mineral dust after long-range transport, are generated to accurately retrieve the UV-VIS depolarization from ATD-particles at exact backscattering angle, which is new. The measured depolarization reaches at most 37.5% at λ=355 nm (35.5% at λ=532 nm), and depends on the particle size distribution. Moreover, these laboratory findings agree with T-matrix numerical simulations, at least for a determined particle size distribution and at a determined wavelength, showing the ability of the spheroidal model to reproduce mineral dust particles in the exact backward scattering direction. However, the spectral dependence of the measured depolarization could not be reproduced with the spheroidal model, even for not evenly distributed aspect ratios. Hence, these laboratory findings can be used to evaluate the applicability of the spheroidal model in the backward scattering direction and moreover, to invert UV-VIS polarization lidar returns, which is useful for radiative transfer and climatology, in which mineral dust particles are strongly involved.

Mars Dust: Characterization of Particle Size and Electrostatic Charge Distribution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazumder, M. K.; Saini, D.; Biris, A. S.; Sriama, P. K.; Calle, C.; Buhler, C.

2004-01-01

Some of the latest pictures of Mars surface sent by NASA's Spirit rover in early January, 2004, show very cohesive, "mud-like" dust layers. Significant amounts of dust clouds are present in the atmosphere of Mars [1-4]. NASA spacecraft missions to Mars confirmed hypotheses from telescopic work that changes observed in the planet's surface markings are caused by wind-driven redistribution of dust. In these dust storms, particles with a wide range of diameters (less than 1 micrometer to 50 micrometers) are a serious problem to solar cells, spacecraft, and spacesuits. Dust storms may cover the entire planet for an extended period of time [5]. It is highly probable that the particles are charged electrostatically by triboelectrification and by UV irradiation.

Fine metal dust particles on the wall probes from JET-ILW

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fortuna-Zaleśna, E.; Grzonka, J.; Moon, Sunwoo; Rubel, M.; Petersson, P.; Widdowson, A.; Contributors, JET

2017-12-01

Collection and ex situ studies of dust generated in controlled fusion devices during plasma operation are regularly carried out after experimental campaigns. Herewith results of the dust survey performed in JET after the second phase of operation with the metal ITER-like wall (2013-2014) are presented. For the first-time-ever particles deposited on silicon plates acting as dust collectors installed in the inner and outer divertor have been examined. The emphasis is on analysing metal particles (Be and W) with the aim to determine their composition, size and surface topography. The most important is the identification of beryllium dust in the form of droplets (both splashes and spherical particles), flakes of co-deposits and small fragments of Be tiles. Tungsten and nickel rich (from Inconel) particles are also identified. Nitrogen from plasma edge cooling has been detected in all types of particles. They are categorized and the origin of various constituents is discussed.

High energy interactions of cosmic ray particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, L. W.

1986-01-01

The highlights of seven sessions of the Conference dealing with high energy interactions of cosmic rays are discussed. High energy cross section measurements; particle production-models of experiments; nuclei and nuclear matter; nucleus-nucleus collision; searches for magnetic monopoles; and studies of nucleon decay are covered.

Resuspended dust as a novel source of marine ice nucleating particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cornwell, G.; Sultana, C. M.; Schill, G. P.; Hill, T. C. J.; Cochran, R. E.; DeMott, P. J.; Prather, K. A.

2017-12-01

Recent studies of marine ice nucleating particles (INPs) have focused upon their production from phytoplankton blooms, the products of their metabolism, and resulting from their decomposition. In this work, we provide evidence for an additional, inorganic source of marine INPs independent of the marine mesocosm. Laboratory studies of aerosols generated from both synthetic seawater solutions spiked with mineral dust and from nascent coastal Pacific Ocean seawater indicate that dust can be ejected from seawater during the bubble bursting processes. Online and offline measurements of INP concentrations showed that these dust particles were ice nucleation-active in concentrations up to 40 L-1 at -30 °C, an order of magnitude more than those found in marine boundary layers or in laboratory mesocosms. Additional single particle composition measurements using an aerosol time of flight mass spectrometer (ATOFMS) collected along the Californian coast at Bodega Marine Laboratory found dust particles that contained markers from internal mixing with sea salt similar to those observed in the laboratory studies. The evidence from both laboratory and field studies suggests that there is a reservoir of dust particles within the ocean that can be ejected from the ocean's surface and act as INPs.

Cosmic-ray record in solar system matter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reedy, R. C.; Arnold, J. R.; Lal, D.

1983-01-01

The interaction of galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar cosmic rays (SCR) with bodies in the solar system is discussed, and what the record of that interaction reveals about the history of the solar system is considered. The influence of the energy, charge, and mass of the particles on the interaction is addressed, showing long-term average fluxes of solar protons, predicted production rates for heavy-nuclei tracks and various radionuclides as a function of depth in lunar rock, and integral fluxes of protons emitted by solar flares. The variation of the earth's magnetic field, the gardening of the lunar surface, and the source of meteorites and cosmic dust are studied using the cosmic ray record. The time variation of GCR, SCR, and VH and VVH nuclei is discussed for both the short and the long term.

Distribution of pesticides in dust particles in urban environments.

PubMed

Richards, Jaben; Reif, Ruben; Luo, Yuzhuo; Gan, Jay

2016-07-01

In regions with a mild climate, pesticides are often used around homes for pest control. Recent monitoring studies have linked pesticide use in residential areas to aquatic toxicity in urban surface water ecosystems, and suggested dust particles on paved surfaces as an important source of pesticides. To test the hypothesis that dust on hard surfaces is a significant source of pesticides, we evaluated spatial and temporal patterns of current-use insecticides in Southern California, and further explored their distribution as a function of particle sizes. Pyrethroid insecticides were detected in dust from the driveway, curb gutter and street at 53.5-94.8%, with median concentrations of 1-46 ng g(-1). Pyrethroid residues were uniformly distributed in areas adjacent to a house, suggesting significant redistribution. The total levels of pyrethroids in dust significantly (p < 0.01) decreased from October to February, suggesting rainfalls as a major mechanism to move pesticide residues offsite. Fipronil as well as its degradation products, were detected at 50.6-75.5%, and spatial and temporal patterns of fipronil residues suggested rapid transformations of fipronil to its biologically active intermediates. Moreover, pyrethroids were found to be enriched in fine particles that have a higher mobility in runoff than coarse particles. Results from this study highlight the widespread occurrence of pesticides in outdoor dust around homes and the potential contribution to downstream surface water contamination via rain-induced runoff. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Laboratory Investigations of the Physical and Optical Properties of the Analogs of Individual Cosmic Dust Grains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbas, M. M.; Tankosic, D.; Craven, P. D.; Spann, J. F.; LeClair, A.; West, E. A.

2005-01-01

Microdsub-micron size cosmic dust grains play an important role in the physical and dynamical process in the galaxy, the interstellar medium, and the interplanetary and planetary environments. The dust grains in various astrophysical environments are generally charged by a variety of mechanisms that include collisional process with electrons and ions, and photoelectric emissions with UV radiation. The photoelectric emission process is believed to be the dominant process in many astrophysical environments with nearby UV sources, such as the interstellar medium, diffuse clouds, the outer regions of the dense molecular clouds, interplanetary medium, dust in planetary environments and rings, cometary tails, etc. Also, the processes and mechanisms involved in the rotation and alignment of interstellar dust grains are of great interest in view of the polarization of observed starlight as a probe for evaluation of the galactic magnetic field.

A beam of particles in ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krymsky, G. F.; Pravdin, M. I.; Sleptsov, I. E.

2017-11-01

Three particles with energies of 36, 35, and 58 EeV arrived from one sky region were recorded by two EAS arrays during a day. The events are assumed to have been produced by the beam of particles that resulted from the interaction of cosmic rays with a relativistic shock front.

Characterizing Particle Size Distributions of Crystalline Silica in Gold Mine Dust

PubMed Central

Chubb, Lauren G.; Cauda, Emanuele G.

2017-01-01

Dust containing crystalline silica is common in mining environments in the U.S. and around the world. The exposure to respirable crystalline silica remains an important occupational issue and it can lead to the development of silicosis and other respiratory diseases. Little has been done with regard to the characterization of the crystalline silica content of specific particle sizes of mine-generated dust. Such characterization could improve monitoring techniques and control technologies for crystalline silica, decreasing worker exposure to silica and preventing future incidence of silicosis. Three gold mine dust samples were aerosolized in a laboratory chamber. Particle size-specific samples were collected for gravimetric analysis and for quantification of silica using the Microorifice Uniform Deposit Impactor (MOUDI). Dust size distributions were characterized via aerodynamic and scanning mobility particle sizers (APS, SMPS) and gravimetrically via the MOUDI. Silica size distributions were constructed using gravimetric data from the MOUDI and proportional silica content corresponding to each size range of particles collected by the MOUDI, as determined via X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopic quantification of silica. Results indicate that silica does not comprise a uniform proportion of total dust across all particle sizes and that the size distributions of a given dust and its silica component are similar but not equivalent. Additional research characterizing the silica content of dusts from a variety of mine types and other occupational environments is necessary in order to ascertain trends that could be beneficial in developing better monitoring and control strategies. PMID:28217139

What caused terrestrial dust loading and climate downturns between A.D. 533 and 540?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Abbott, Dallas H.; Breger, Dee; Biscaye, Pierre E.; Barron, John A.; Juhl, Robert A.; McCafferty, Patrick

2014-01-01

Sn-rich particles, Ni-rich particles, and cosmic spherules are found together at four discrete stratigraphic levels within the 362-360 m depth interval of the Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 (GISP2) ice core (72.6°N, 38.5°W, elevation: 3203 m). Using a previously derived calendar-year time scale, these particles span a time of increased dust loading of Earth's atmosphere between A.D. 533 and 540. The Sn-rich and Ni-rich particles contain an average of 10–11 wt% C. Their high C contents coupled with local enrichments in the volatile elements I, Zn, Cu, and Xe suggest a cometary source for the dust. The late spring timing of extraterrestrial input best matches the Eta Aquarid meteor shower associated with comet 1P/Halley. An increased flux of cometary dust might explain a modest climate downturn in A.D. 533. Both cometary dust and volcanic sulfate probably contributed to the profound global dimming during A.D. 536 and 537 but may be insufficient sources of fine aerosols. We found tropical marine microfossils and aerosol-sized CaCO3 particles at the end A.D. 535–start A.D. 536 level that we attribute to a low-latitude explosion in the ocean. This additional source of dust is probably needed to explain the solar dimming during A.D. 536 and 537. Although there has been no extinction documented at A.D. 536, our results are relevant because mass extinctions may also have multiple drivers. Detailed examinations of fine particles at and near extinction horizons can help to determine the relative contributions of cosmic and volcanic drivers to mass extinctions.

Fun Times with Cosmic Rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wanjek, Christopher

2003-01-01

Who would have thought cosmic rays could be so hip? Although discovered 90 years ago on death-defying manned balloon flights hip even by twenty-first-century extremesport standards cosmic rays quickly lost popularity as way-cool telescopes were finding way-too-cool phenomena across the electromagnetic spectrum. Yet cosmic rays are back in vogue, boasting their own set of superlatives. Scientists are tracking them down with new resolve from the Arctic to Antarctica and even on the high western plains of Argentina. Theorists, too, now see cosmic rays as harbingers of funky physics. Cosmic rays are atomic and subatomic particles - the fastest moving bits of matter in the universe and the only sample of matter we have from outside the solar system (with the exception of interstellar dust grains). Lower-energy cosmic rays come from the Sun. Mid-energy particles come from stellar explosions - either spewed directly from the star like shrapnel, or perhaps accelerated to nearly the speed of light by shock waves. The highest-energy cosmic rays, whose unequivocal existence remains one of astronomy's greatest mysteries, clock in at a staggering 10(exp 19) to 10(exp 22) electron volts. This is the energy carried in a baseball pitch; seeing as how there are as many atomic particles in a baseball as there are baseballs in the Moon, that s one powerful toss. No simple stellar explosion could produce them. At a recent conference in Albuquerque, scientists presented the first observational evidence of a possible origin for the highest-energy variety. A team led by Elihu Boldt at NASA s Goddard Space Flight Center found that five of these very rare cosmic rays (there are only a few dozen confirmed events) come from the direction of four 'retired' quasar host galaxies just above the arm of the Big Dipper, all visible with backyard telescopes: NGC 3610, NGC 3613, NGC 4589, and NGC 5322. These galaxies are billions of years past their glory days as the brightest beacons in the universe

Analytical electron microscopy of fine-grained phases in primitive interplanetary dust particles and carbonaceous chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mackinnon, Ian D. R.; Rietmeijer, Frans J. M.; Mckay, David S.

1987-01-01

In order to describe the total mineralogical diversity within primitive extraterrestrial materials, individual interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) collected from the stratosphere as part of the JSC Cosmic Dust Curatorial Program were analyzed using a variety of AEM techniques. Identification of over 250 individual grains within one chondritic porous (CP) IDP shows that most phases could be formed by low temperature processes and that heating of the IDP during atmospheric entry is minimal and less than 600 C. In a review of the mineralogy of IDPs, it was suggested that the occurrence of other silicates such as enstatite whiskers is consistent with the formation in an early turbulent period of the solar nebula. Experimental confirmation of fundamental chemical and physical processes in a stellar environment, such as vapor phase condensation, nucleation, and growth by annealing, is an important aspect of astrophysical models for the evolution of the Solar System. A detailed comparison of chondritic IDP and carbonaceous chondrite mineralogies shows significant differences between the types of silicate minerals as well as the predominant oxides.

Sulfate and nitrate in Asian dust particles observed in desert, coastal and marine air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, D.; Wu, F.; Junji, C.

2016-12-01

Sulfate and nitrate in dust particles are believed to be two key species which can largely alter the physical and chemical properties of the particles in the atmosphere, in particular under humid conditions. Their occurrence in the particles has usually been considered to be the consequence of particles' aging during their long-distance travel in the air although they are present in some crustal minerals. Our observations at two deserts in China during dust episodes revealed that there were soil-derived sulfate and background-like nitrate in atmospheric dust samples. Sulfate in dust samples was proportional to samples' mass and comprised at steady mass percentages in differently sized samples. In contrast, nitrate concentration was approximately stable and independent from dust loading. Our observations at inland and coastal areas of China during dust episodes revealed that sulfate and nitrate were hardly produced on the surface of dust particles that were originated from the deserts areas in northwestern China. This is because the dust particles were in the postfrontal air, where the temperature was low and the relative humidity was small due to the adiabatic properties of the air mass. There are a number studies reporting that sulfate and nitrate had been efficiently produced on mineral particles in inland areas of China. However, those mineral particles were more likely from the local areas rather than from the desert areas. Our observations in the coastal areas of Japan, which is located in the downstream areas of the Asian continent and surrounded by sea areas revealed that dust particles appearing there frequently contained sulfate and nitrate, indicating sulfate and nitrate had been efficiently produced on the surface of the particles when the particles traveled in the marine air between China and Japan.

Cometary dust: the diversity of primitive refractory grains

PubMed Central

Ishii, H. A.

2017-01-01

Comet dust is primitive and shows significant diversity. Our knowledge of the properties of primitive cometary particles has expanded significantly through microscale investigations of cosmic dust samples (anhydrous interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), chondritic porous (CP) IDPs and UltraCarbonaceous Antarctic micrometeorites, Stardust and Rosetta), as well as through remote sensing (Spitzer IR spectroscopy). Comet dust are aggregate particles of materials unequilibrated at submicrometre scales. We discuss the properties and processes experienced by primitive matter in comets. Primitive particles exhibit a diverse range of: structure and typology; distribution of constituents; concentration and form of carbonaceous and refractory organic matter; Mg- and Fe-contents of the silicate minerals; sulfides; existence/abundance of type II chondrule fragments; high-temperature calcium–aluminium inclusions and ameboid-olivine aggregates; and rarely occurring Mg-carbonates and magnetite, whose explanation requires aqueous alteration on parent bodies. The properties of refractory materials imply there were disc processes that resulted in different comets having particular selections of primitive materials. The diversity of primitive particles has implications for the diversity of materials in the protoplanetary disc present at the time and in the region where the comets formed. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Cometary science after Rosetta’. PMID:28554979

Diffusion of strongly magnetized cosmic ray particles in a turbulent medium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ptuskin, V. S.

1985-01-01

Cosmic ray (CR) propagation in a turbulent medium is usually considered in the diffusion approximation. Here, the diffusion equation is obtained for strongly magnetized particles in the general form. The influence of a large-scale random magnetic field on CR propagation in interstellar medium is discussed. Cosmic rays are assumed to propagate in a medium with a regular field H and an ensemble of random MHD waves. The energy density of waves on scales smaller than the free path 1 of CR particles is small. The collision integral of the general form which describes interaction between relativistic particles and waves in the quasilinear approximation is used.

Physicochemical classification of dust particles observed at Gosan ABC superstation in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shang, X.; Lee, M.; Chung, C. E.

2013-12-01

We identified different types of dust particles from long-term measurements of mass and ionic and carbonaceous compositions of PM1.0, PM2.5 and PM10 at Gosan ABC superstation on Jeju Island, Korea from August 2007 to February 2012. The concentration of PM1.0, PM10 mass and PM10 Ca2+ showed clear bimodal distributions, which provided robust criteria to distinguish atmospheric particles in different physiochemical regimes. Dust impacted particles were clearly separated by high PM10 mass over 29μg/m3. Some dust storm often passed over heavily populated areas in China, which made dust particles mixed with pollutants. This type of aerosol showed enhanced concentration of PM1.0 over 22μg/m3. We also recognized high Ca2+ concentration in PM1.0 when air came from northeastern China where salt deposit spreads in dry lakes. The Ca2+ concentration in PM10 was found to be a good indicator for the saline dust particles. In addition, the ratios of mass, SO42-, Mg2+ and organic carbon (OC) to Ca2+ turned out to be useful to distinguish different types of dust-impacted particles.

Dust generation in powders: Effect of particle size distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakravarty, Somik; Le Bihan, Olivier; Fischer, Marc; Morgeneyer, Martin

2017-06-01

This study explores the relationship between the bulk and grain-scale properties of powders and dust generation. A vortex shaker dustiness tester was used to evaluate 8 calcium carbonate test powders with median particle sizes ranging from 2μm to 136μm. Respirable aerosols released from the powder samples were characterised by their particle number and mass concentrations. All the powder samples were found to release respirable fractions of dust particles which end up decreasing with time. The variation of powder dustiness as a function of the particle size distribution was analysed for the powders, which were classified into three groups based on the fraction of particles within the respirable range. The trends we observe might be due to the interplay of several mechanisms like de-agglomeration and attrition and their relative importance.

An instrument for discrimination between orbital debris and natural particles in near-Earth space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuzzolino, A. J.; Simpson, J. A.; McKibben, R. B.; Voss, H. D.; Gursky, H.

1993-08-01

We discuss a SPAce DUSt instrument (SPADUS) under development for flight on the USA ARGOS mission to measure the flux, mass, velocity and trajectory of near-Earth dust. Since natural (cosmic) dust and man-made dust particles (orbital debris) have different velocity and trajectory distributions, they are distinguished by means of the SPADUS velocity/trajectory information. Measurements will cover the dust mass range ~5×10-12 g (2 μm diameter) to ~ 1×10-5g (200 μm diameter), with an expected mean error in particle trajectory of ~7° (isotropic flux).

Primary cosmic ray particles with z 35 (VVH particles). [very heavy particle detection by high altitude balloons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blanford, G. E., Jr.; Friedlander, M. W.; Hoppe, M.; Klarmann, J.; Walker, R. M.; Wefel, J. P.

1972-01-01

Large areas of nuclear emulsions and plastic detectors were exposed to the primary cosmic radiation during high altitude balloon flights. From the analysis of 141 particle tracks recorded during a total exposure of 1.3 x 10 to the 7th power sq m ster.sec., a charge spectrum of the VVH particles has been derived.

Urban particle size distributions during two contrasting dust events originating from Taklimakan and Gobi Deserts.

PubMed

Zhao, Suping; Yu, Ye; Xia, Dunsheng; Yin, Daiying; He, Jianjun; Liu, Na; Li, Fang

2015-12-01

The dust origins of the two events were identified using HYSPLIT trajectory model and MODIS and CALIPSO satellite data to understand the particle size distribution during two contrasting dust events originated from Taklimakan and Gobi deserts. The supermicron particles significantly increased during the dust events. The dust event from Gobi desert affected significantly on the particles larger than 2.5 μm, while that from Taklimakan desert impacted obviously on the particles in 1.0-2.5 μm. It is found that the particle size distributions and their modal parameters such as VMD (volume median diameter) have significant difference for varying dust origins. The dust from Taklimakan desert was finer than that from Gobi desert also probably due to other influencing factors such as mixing between dust and urban emissions. Our findings illustrated the capacity of combining in situ, satellite data and trajectory model to characterize large-scale dust plumes with a variety of aerosol parameters. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Scavenging of pollutant acid substances by Asian mineral dust particles - article no. L07816

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matsumoto, J.; Takahashi, K.; Matsumi, Y.

2006-04-13

Uptakes of sulfate and nitrate onto Asian dust particles during transport from the Asian continent to the Pacific Ocean were analyzed by using a single-particle time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Observation was conducted at Tsukuba in Japan in the springtime of 2004. Sulfate-rich dust particles made their largest contribution during the 'dust event' in the middle of April 2004. As a result of detailed analysis including backward trajectory calculations, it was confirmed that sulfate components originating from coal combustion in the continent were internally mixed with dust particles. Even in the downstream of the outflow far from the continental coastline, significant contributionmore » of Asian dust to sulfate was observed. Asian dust plays critical roles as the carrier of sulfate over the Pacific Ocean.« less

The search for refractory interplanetary dust particles from preindustrial aged Antarctic ice

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, Michael E.; Webb, Susan J.; Thomas, Kathie

1988-01-01

In a study of refractory interplanetary dust particles, preindustrial-aged Antarctic ice samples have been collected, melted, and filtered to separate the particle load. Particles containing a significant amount of aluminum, titanium, and/or calcium were singled out for detailed SEM and STEM characterization. The majority of these particles are shown to be volcanic tephra from nearby volcanic centers. Six spherical aggregates were encountered that consist of submicron-sized grains of rutile within polycrystalline cristobalite. These particles are probably of terrestrial volcanic origin, but have not been previously reported from any environment. One aggregate particle containing fassaite and hibonite is described as a probable interplanetary dust particle. The constituent grain sizes of this particle vary from 0.1 to 0.3 microns, making it significantly more fine-grained than meteoritic calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions. This particle is mineralogically and morphologically similar to recently reported refractory interplanetary dust particles collected from the stratosphere, and dissimilar to the products of modern spacecraft debris.

The nature of (sub-)micrometre cometary dust particles detected with MIDAS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mannel, T.; Bentley, M. S.; Torkar, K.; Jeszenszky, H.; Romstedt, J.; Schmied, R.

2015-10-01

The MIDAS Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) onboard Rosetta collects dust particles and produces three-dimensional images with nano- to micrometre resolution. To date, several tens of particles have been detected, allowing determination of their properties at the smallest scale. The key features will be presented, including the particle size, their fragile character, and their morphology. These findings will be compared with the results of other Rosetta dust experiments.

Characterization of biogenic elements in interplanetary dust particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bunch, T. E.

1986-01-01

Those particles that were designated cometary are aggregates of amorphous materials including carbon, iron-magnesium silicates, sulfides, metal and trace amounts of unusual phases. Most aggregates are carbon-rich with major and minor element abundances similar to a fine grained matrix of carbonaceous chondrites. Several particles were analyzed by a laser microprobe. The negative ionic species identified to date include carbon clusters, protonated carbon clusters, CN-, HCN-, CNO-, PO2-, PO3-, S-, S2- asnd OH-. These species are similar to those observed in cometary spectra and they support the assumption that organic materials are present. The occurance of phosphate ions suggests the presence of apatite or whitlockite. Cometary particle characteristics may indicate that the component grains represent primitive unaltered dust whose overall properties are extremely similar to altered primitive dust in carbonaceous chondrites.

How Much Dust Does Enceladus eject?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kempf, S.; Southworth, B.; Srama, R.; Schmidt, J.; Postberg, F.

2016-12-01

There is an ongoing argument how much dust per second the ice volcanoes on Saturn's ice moon eject. By adjusting their plume model to the dust flux measured by the Cassini dust detector during the close Enceladus flyby in 2005, Schmidt et al. (2008) obtained a total dust production rate in the plumes of about 􏱱5 kg/s. On the other hand, Ingersoll and Ewald (2005) derived a dust production rate of 51 kg/s from the total plume brightness. Knowledge of the production rate is essential for estimating the dust to gas mass ratio, which in turn is an important constraint for finding the plume source mechanism. Here we report on measurements of the plume dust density during the last close Cassini flyby at Enceladus in October 2015. The data match our numerical model for the Enceladus plume. The model is based on a large number of dynamical simulations including gravity and Lorentz force to investigate the earliest phase of the ring particle life span. The evolution of the electrostatic charge carried by the initially uncharged grains is treated self-consistently. Our numerical simulations reproduce all Enceladus data sets obtained by Cassini's Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA). Our model calculations together with the new density data constrain the Enceladus dust source rate to < 5 kg/s. Based on our simulation results we are able to draw conclusions about the emission of plume particles along the fractures in the south polar terrain.

Chemo-Mechanical Characteristics of Mud Formed from Environmental Dust Particles in Humid Ambient Air

PubMed Central

Hassan, Ghassan; Yilbas, B. S.; Said, Syed A. M.; Al-Aqeeli, N.; Matin, Asif

2016-01-01

Mud formed from environmental dust particles in humid ambient air significantly influences the performance of solar harvesting devices. This study examines the characterization of environmental dust particles and the chemo-mechanics of dry mud formed from dust particles. Analytical tools, including scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, particle sizing, and X-ray diffraction, are used to characterize dry mud and dust particles. A micro/nano tribometer is used to measure the tangential force and friction coefficient while tensile tests are carried out to assess the binding forces of dry mud pellets. After dry mud is removed, mud residuals on the glass surface are examined and the optical transmittance of the glass is measured. Dust particles include alkaline compounds, which dissolve in water condensate and form a mud solution with high pH (pH = 7.5). The mud solution forms a thin liquid film at the interface of dust particles and surface. Crystals form as the mud solution dries, thus, increasing the adhesion work required to remove dry mud from the surface. Optical transmittance of the glass is reduced after dry mud is removed due to the dry mud residue on the surface. PMID:27445272

Chemo-Mechanical Characteristics of Mud Formed from Environmental Dust Particles in Humid Ambient Air.

PubMed

Hassan, Ghassan; Yilbas, B S; Said, Syed A M; Al-Aqeeli, N; Matin, Asif

2016-07-22

Mud formed from environmental dust particles in humid ambient air significantly influences the performance of solar harvesting devices. This study examines the characterization of environmental dust particles and the chemo-mechanics of dry mud formed from dust particles. Analytical tools, including scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, particle sizing, and X-ray diffraction, are used to characterize dry mud and dust particles. A micro/nano tribometer is used to measure the tangential force and friction coefficient while tensile tests are carried out to assess the binding forces of dry mud pellets. After dry mud is removed, mud residuals on the glass surface are examined and the optical transmittance of the glass is measured. Dust particles include alkaline compounds, which dissolve in water condensate and form a mud solution with high pH (pH = 7.5). The mud solution forms a thin liquid film at the interface of dust particles and surface. Crystals form as the mud solution dries, thus, increasing the adhesion work required to remove dry mud from the surface. Optical transmittance of the glass is reduced after dry mud is removed due to the dry mud residue on the surface.

The immersion freezing behavior of mineral dust particles mixed with biological substances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Augustin-Bauditz, S.; Wex, H.; Denjean, C.; Hartmann, S.; Schneider, J.; Schmidt, S.; Ebert, M.; Stratmann, F.

2015-10-01

Biological particles such as bacteria, fungal spores or pollen are known to be efficient ice nucleating particles. Their ability to nucleate ice is due to ice nucleation active macromolecules (INM). It has been suggested that these INM maintain their nucleating ability even when they are separated from their original carriers. This opens the possibility of an accumulation of such INM in e.g., soils, resulting in an internal mixture of mineral dust and INM. If particles from such soils which contain biological INM are then dispersed into the atmosphere due to wind erosion or agricultural processes, they could induce ice nucleation at temperatures typical for biological substances, i.e., above -20 up to almost 0 °C. To explore this hypothesis, we performed a measurement campaign within the research unit INUIT, where we investigated the ice nucleation behavior of mineral dust particles internally mixed with INM. Specifically, we mixed a pure mineral dust sample (illite-NX) with ice active biological material (birch pollen washing water) and quantified the immersion freezing behavior of the resulting particles utilizing the Leipzig Aerosol Cloud Interaction Simulator (LACIS). To characterize the mixing state of the generated aerosol we used different methods which will also be discussed. We found that internally mixed particles, containing ice active biological material, follow the ice nucleation behavior observed for the purely biological particles, i.e. freezing occurs at temperatures at which mineral dusts themselves are not yet ice active. It can be concluded that INM located on a mineral dust particle determine the freezing behavior of that particle.

GEO Debris and Interplanetary Dust: Fluxes and Charging Behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graps, A. L.; Green, S. F.; McBride, N. M.; McDonnell, J. A. M.; Drolshagen, G.; Svedhem, H.; Bunte, K. D.

2005-08-01

A population of cosmic dust mixed with a population of man-made debris exists within the Earth's magnetosphere. Measurements of these provide the data samples for studies of the interplanetary dust particles that travel through our magnetosphere from the outside and for studies of the local byproducts of our space endeavours. Even though instruments to detect natural meteoroids and space debris particles have been flown in Low Earth Orbits (LEO) and on interplanetary missions, very little information on the particle environment for Earth orbits above about 600 km altitude have been available. In particular, knowledge about particles smaller than 1 m in the geostationary (GEO) region was largely unknown before GORID. In September 1996, a dust/debris detector: GORID was launched into GEO as a piggyback instrument on the Russian Express-2 telecommunications spacecraft. The instrument began its normal operation in April 1997 and ended its mission in July 2002. The goal of this work was to use GORID's particle data to identify and separate the space debris from the interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) in GEO, to more finely determine the instrument's measurement characteristics and to derive impact fluxes. Here we present some results of that study. We give GORID flux distributions for debris and IDPs and then present intriguing debris clustering features that might be the result of electrostatic fragmentation of the rocket slag particles.

Anomalous diffusion due to the non-Markovian process of the dust particle velocity in complex plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghannad, Z.; Hakimi Pajouh, H.

2017-12-01

In this work, the motion of a dust particle under the influence of the random force due to dust charge fluctuations is considered as a non-Markovian stochastic process. Memory effects in the velocity process of the dust particle are studied. A model is developed based on the fractional Langevin equation for the motion of the dust grain. The fluctuation-dissipation theorem for the dust grain is derived from this equation. The mean-square displacement and the velocity autocorrelation function of the dust particle are obtained in terms of the Mittag-Leffler functions. Their asymptotic behavior and the dust particle temperature due to charge fluctuations are studied in the long-time limit. As an interesting result, it is found that the presence of memory effects in the velocity process of the dust particle as a non-Markovian process can cause an anomalous diffusion in dusty plasmas. In this case, the velocity autocorrelation function of the dust particle has a power-law decay like t - α - 2, where the exponent α take values 0 < α < 1.

Electron density modification in ionospheric E layer by inserting fine dust particles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Misra, Shikha, E-mail: shikhamish@gmail.com; Mishra, S. K.

2015-02-15

In this paper, we have developed the kinetics of E-region ionospheric plasma comprising of fine dust grains and shown that the electron density in E-layer can purposely be reduced/enhanced up to desired level by inserting fine dust particles of appropriate physical/material properties; this may certainly be promising for preferred rf-signal processing through these layers. The analytical formulation is based on average charge theory and includes the number and energy balance of the plasma constituents along with charge balance over dust particles. The effect of varying number density, work function, and photo-efficiency of dust particles on ionospheric plasma density at differentmore » altitude in E-layer has been critically examined and presented graphically.« less

MicroMED: a dust particle counter for the characterization of airborne dust close to the surface of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cozzolino, Fabio; Esposito, Francesca; Molfese, Cesare; Cortecchia, Fausto; Saggin, Bortolino; D'amato, Francesco

2015-04-01

Monitoring of airborne dust is very important in planetary climatology. Indeed, dust absorbs and scatter solar and thermal radiation, severely affecting atmospheric thermal structure, balance and dynamics (in terms of circulations). Wind-driven blowing of sand and dust is also responsible for shaping planetary surfaces through the formation of sand dunes and ripples, the erosion of rocks, and the creation and transport of soil particles. Dust is permanently present in the atmosphere of Mars and its amount varies with seasons. During regional or global dust storms, more than 80% of the incoming sunlight is absorbed by dust causing an intense atmospheric heating. Airborne dust is therefore a crucial climate component on Mars which impacts atmospheric circulations at all scales. Main dust parameters influencing the atmosphere heating are size distribution, abundance, albedo, single scattering phase function, imaginary part of the index of refraction. Moreover, major improvements of Mars climate models require, in addition to the standard meteorological parameters, quantitative information about dust lifting, transport and removal mechanisms. In this context, two major quantities need to be measured for the dust source to be understood: surface flux and granulometry. While many observations have constrained the size distribution of the dust haze seen from the orbit, it is still not known what the primary airborne dust (e.g. the recently lifted dust) is made of, size-wise. MicroMED has been designed to fill this gap. It will measure the abundance and size distribution of dust, not in the atmospheric column, but close to the surface, where dust is lifted, so to be able to monitor dust injection into the atmosphere. This has never been performed in Mars and other planets exploration. MicroMED is an Optical Particle Counter, analyzing light scattered from single dust particles to measure their size and abundance. A proper fluid-dynamic system, including a pump and a

Constraining martian atmospheric dust particle size distributions from MER Navcam observations.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soderblom, J. M.; Smith, M. D.

2017-12-01

Atmospheric dust plays an important role in atmospheric dynamics by absorbing energy and influencing the thermal structure of the atmosphere [1]. The efficiency by which dust absorbs energy depends on its size and single-scattering albedo. Characterizing these properties and their variability is, thus, important in modeling atmospheric circulation. Near-sun observations of the martian sky from Viking Lander, Mars Pathfinder, and MER Pancam images have been used to characterize the atmospheric scattering phase function. The forward-scattering peak the atmospheric phase function is primarily controlled by the size of aerosol particles and is less sensitive to atmospheric opacity or particle shape and single-scattering albedo [2]. These observations, however, have been limited to scattering angles >5°. We use the MER Navcams, which experience little-to-no debilitating internal instrumental scattered light during near-Sun imaging, enabling measurements of the brightness of the martian sky down to very small scattering angles [3], making them more sensitive to aerosol particle size. Additionally, the Navcams band-pass wavelength is similar to the dust effective particle size, further increasing this sensitivity. These data sample a wide range of atmospheric conditions, including variations in the atmospheric dust loading across the entire martian year, as well as more rapid variations during the onset and dissipation of a global-scale dust storm. General circulation models (GCMs) predict a size-dependence for the transport of dust during dust storms that would result in both spatial (on regional-to-global scales) and temporal (days-to-months) variations in the dust size distribution [4]. The absolute calibration of these data, however, is limited. The instrument temperature measurement is limited to a single thermocouple on the Opportunity left Navcam CCD, and observations of the calibration target by Navcam are infrequent. We discuss ways to mitigate these

Direct Measurements of Interplanetary Dust Particles in the Vicinity of Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCracken, C. W.; Alexander, W. M.; Dubin, M.

1961-01-01

The direct measurements made by the Explorer VIII satellite provide the first sound basis for analyzing all available direct measurements of the distribution of interplanetary dust particles. The model average distribution curve established by such an analysis departs significantly from that predicted by the (uncertain) extrapolation of results from meteor observations. A consequence of this difference is that the daily accretion of interplanetary particulate matter by the earth is now considered to be mainly dust particles of the direct measurements range of particle size. Almost all the available direct measurements obtained with microphone systems on rockets, satellites, and spacecraft fit directly on the distribution curve defined by Explorer VIII data. The lack of reliable datum points departing significantly from the model average distribution curve means that available direct measurements show no discernible evidence of an appreciable geocentric concentration of interplanetary dust particles.

The dawn of the particle astronomy era in ultra-high-energy cosmic rays.

PubMed

Bauleo, Pablo M; Martino, Julio Rodríguez

2009-04-16

Cosmic rays are charged particles arriving at the Earth from space. Those at the highest energies are particularly interesting because the physical processes that could create or accelerate them are at the limit of our present knowledge. They also open the window to particle astronomy, as the magnetic fields along their paths are not strong enough to deflect their trajectories much from a straight line. The Pierre Auger Observatory is the largest cosmic-ray detector on Earth, and as such is beginning to resolve past observational disagreements regarding the origin and propagation of these particles.

In Situ Sampling of Relative Dust Devil Particle Loads and Their Vertical Grain Size Distributions.

PubMed

Raack, Jan; Reiss, Dennis; Balme, Matthew R; Taj-Eddine, Kamal; Ori, Gian Gabriele

2017-04-19

During a field campaign in the Sahara Desert in southern Morocco, spring 2012, we sampled the vertical grain size distribution of two active dust devils that exhibited different dimensions and intensities. With these in situ samples of grains in the vortices, it was possible to derive detailed vertical grain size distributions and measurements of the lifted relative particle load. Measurements of the two dust devils show that the majority of all lifted particles were only lifted within the first meter (∼46.5% and ∼61% of all particles; ∼76.5 wt % and ∼89 wt % of the relative particle load). Furthermore, ∼69% and ∼82% of all lifted sand grains occurred in the first meter of the dust devils, indicating the occurrence of "sand skirts." Both sampled dust devils were relatively small (∼15 m and ∼4-5 m in diameter) compared to dust devils in surrounding regions; nevertheless, measurements show that ∼58.5% to 73.5% of all lifted particles were small enough to go into suspension (<31 μm, depending on the used grain size classification). This relatively high amount represents only ∼0.05 to 0.15 wt % of the lifted particle load. Larger dust devils probably entrain larger amounts of fine-grained material into the atmosphere, which can have an influence on the climate. Furthermore, our results indicate that the composition of the surface, on which the dust devils evolved, also had an influence on the particle load composition of the dust devil vortices. The internal particle load structure of both sampled dust devils was comparable related to their vertical grain size distribution and relative particle load, although both dust devils differed in their dimensions and intensities. A general trend of decreasing grain sizes with height was also detected. Key Words: Mars-Dust devils-Planetary science-Desert soils-Atmosphere-Grain sizes. Astrobiology 17, xxx-xxx.

Primary cosmic ray particles with Z greater than 35 /VVH particles/. [Very Very Heavy particle track measurement by balloons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blanford, G. E., Jr.; Friedlander, M. W.; Hoppe, M.; Klarmann, J.; Walker, R. M.; Wefel, J. P.

1974-01-01

Large areas of nuclear emulsions and plastic detectors were exposed to the primary cosmic radiation during high-altitude balloon flights. From an analysis of 141 particle tracks recorded during a total exposure of 13,000,000 sq m-ster-sec, a charge spectrum of the VVH particles has been derived.

Workshop on the Analysis of Interplanetary Dust Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, Michael E. (Editor)

1994-01-01

Great progress has been made in the analysis of interplanetary dust particles (IDP's) over the past few years. This workshop provided a forum for the discussion of the following topics: observation and modeling of dust in the solar system, mineralogy and petrography of IDP's, processing of IDP's in the solar system and terrestrial atmosphere, comparison of IDP's to meteorites and micrometeorites, composition of IDP's, classification, and collection of IDP's.

Trajectory-capture cell instrumentation for measurement of dust particle mass, velocity and trajectory, and particle capture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simpson, J. A.; Tuzzolino, A. J.

1989-01-01

The development of the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) dust detector for space missions--such as the Halley Comet Missions where the impact velocity was very high as well as for missions where the impact velocity is low was extended to include: (1) the capability for impact position determination - i.e., x,y coordinate of impact; and (2) the capability for particle velocity determination using two thin PVDF sensors spaced a given distance apart - i.e., by time-of-flight. These developments have led to space flight instrumentation for recovery-type missions, which will measure the masses (sizes), fluxes and trajectories of incoming dust particles and will capture the dust material in a form suitable for later Earth-based laboratory measurements. These laboratory measurements would determine the elemental, isotopic and mineralogical properties of the captured dust and relate these to possible sources of the dust material (i.e., comets, asteroids), using the trajectory information. The instrumentation described here has the unique advantages of providing both orbital characteristics and physical and chemical properties--as well as possible origin--of incoming dust.

Constraints on interstellar dust models from extinction and spectro-polarimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siebenmorgen, R.; Voshchinnikov, N. V.; Bagnulo, S.; Cox, N. L. J.

2017-12-01

We present polarisation spectra of seven stars in the lines-of-sight towards the Sco OB1 association. Our spectra were obtained within the framework of the Large Interstellar Polarization Survey carried out with the FORS instrument of the ESO VLT. We have modelled the wavelength-dependence of extinction and linear polarisation with a dust model for the diffuse interstellar medium which consists of a mixture of particles with size ranging from the molecular domain of 0.5 nm up to 350 nm. We have included stochastically heated small dust grains with radii between 0.5 and 6 nm made of graphite and silicate, as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules (PAHs), and we have assumed that larger particles are prolate spheroids made of amorphous carbon and silicate. Overall, a dust model with eight free parameters best reproduces the observations, and is in agreement with cosmic abundance constraints. Reducing the number of free parameters leads to results that are inconsistent with the cosmic abundances of silicate and carbon. We found that aligned silicates are the dominant contributor to the observed polarisation, and that the polarisation spectra are best-fit by a lower limit of the equivolume sphere radius of aligned grains of 70-200 nm.

GAMA/G10-COSMOS/3D-HST: the 0 < z < 5 cosmic star formation history, stellar-mass, and dust-mass densities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Driver, Simon P.; Andrews, Stephen K.; da Cunha, Elisabete; Davies, Luke J.; Lagos, Claudia; Robotham, Aaron S. G.; Vinsen, Kevin; Wright, Angus H.; Alpaslan, Mehmet; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Bourne, Nathan; Brough, Sarah; Bremer, Malcolm N.; Cluver, Michelle; Colless, Matthew; Conselice, Christopher J.; Dunne, Loretta; Eales, Steve A.; Gomez, Haley; Holwerda, Benne; Hopkins, Andrew M.; Kafle, Prajwal R.; Kelvin, Lee S.; Loveday, Jon; Liske, Jochen; Maddox, Steve J.; Phillipps, Steven; Pimbblet, Kevin; Rowlands, Kate; Sansom, Anne E.; Taylor, Edward; Wang, Lingyu; Wilkins, Stephen M.

2018-04-01

We use the energy-balance code MAGPHYS to determine stellar and dust masses, and dust corrected star formation rates for over 200 000 GAMA galaxies, 170 000 G10-COSMOS galaxies, and 200 000 3D-HST galaxies. Our values agree well with previously reported measurements and constitute a representative and homogeneous data set spanning a broad range in stellar-mass (108-1012 M⊙), dust-mass (106-109 M⊙), and star formation rates (0.01-100 M⊙yr-1), and over a broad redshift range (0.0 < z < 5.0). We combine these data to measure the cosmic star formation history (CSFH), the stellar-mass density (SMD), and the dust-mass density (DMD) over a 12 Gyr timeline. The data mostly agree with previous estimates, where they exist, and provide a quasi-homogeneous data set using consistent mass and star formation estimators with consistent underlying assumptions over the full time range. As a consequence our formal errors are significantly reduced when compared to the historic literature. Integrating our CSFH we precisely reproduce the SMD with an interstellar medium replenishment factor of 0.50 ± 0.07, consistent with our choice of Chabrier initial mass function plus some modest amount of stripped stellar mass. Exploring the cosmic dust density evolution, we find a gradual increase in dust density with lookback time. We build a simple phenomenological model from the CSFH to account for the dust-mass evolution, and infer two key conclusions: (1) For every unit of stellar mass which is formed 0.0065-0.004 units of dust mass is also formed. (2) Over the history of the Universe approximately 90-95 per cent of all dust formed has been destroyed and/or ejected.

Dust Aerosol Particle Size at the Mars Science Laboratory Landing Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vicente-Retortillo, Alvaro; Martínez, Germán; Renno, Nilton; Lemmon, Mark; de la Torre-Juárez, Manuel

2017-04-01

We have developed a new methodology to retrieve dust aerosol particle size from Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) observations [1]. We use photodiode output currents measured by the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) UV sensor (UVS), ancillary data records (ADR) containing the geometry of the rover and the Sun, and values of the atmospheric opacity retrieved from Mastcam measurements. In particular, we analyze REMS UVS measurements when the Sun is blocked by the masthead and the mast of the rover since the behavior of the output currents during these shadow events depends on the dust phase function, which depends on particle size. The retrieved dust effective radii show a significant seasonal variability, ranging from 0.6 μm during the low opacity season (Ls = 60° - 140°) to 2 μm during the high opacity season (Ls = 180° - 360°). The relationship between atmospheric opacity and dust particle size indicates that dust-lifting events originate at various distances from Gale Crater. The external origin of high dust content events is consistent with the strong and persistent northerly and northwesterly winds at Gale Crater during the perihelion season centered around Ls = 270° [2]. From an interannual perspective, the general behavior of the particle size evolution in MY 31-32 is similar to that in MY 32-33, although some differences are noted. During the low opacity season (Ls = 60° - 140°), the retrieved dust effective radii in MY 33 are significantly lower than in MY 32. A larger contribution of water ice clouds to the total atmospheric opacity during the aphelion season of MY 33 can partially explain such a departure. Differences during the perihelion season are caused by interannual variability of enhanced opacity events. The determination of dust aerosol particle size is important to improve the accuracy of models in simulating the UV environment at the surface [3] and in predicting heating rates, which affect the atmospheric thermal and dynamical

Ice Nucleation of Bare and Sulfuric Acid-coated Mineral Dust Particles and Implication for Cloud Properties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kulkarni, Gourihar R.; Sanders, Cassandra N.; Zhang, Kai

2014-08-27

Ice nucleation properties of different dust species coated with soluble material are not well understood. We determined the ice nucleation ability of bare and sulfuric acid coated mineral dust particles as a function of temperature (-25 to -35 deg C) and relative humidity with respect to water (RHw). Five different mineral dust species: Arizona test dust (ATD), illite, montmorillonite, quartz and kaolinite were dry dispersed and size-selected at 150 nm and exposed to sulfuric acid vapors in the coating apparatus. The condensed sulfuric acid soluble mass fraction per particle was estimated from the cloud condensation nuclei activated fraction measurements. Themore » fraction of dust particles nucleating ice at various temperatures and RHw was determined using a compact ice chamber. In water-subsaturated conditions, compared to bare dust particles, we found that only coated ATD particles showed suppression of ice nucleation ability while other four dust species did not showed the effect of coating on the fraction of particles nucleating ice. The results suggest that interactions between the dust surface and sulfuric acid vapor are important, such that interactions may or may not modify the surface via chemical reactions with sulfuric acid. At water-supersaturated conditions we did not observed the effect of coating, i.e. the bare and coated dust particles had similar ice nucleation behavior.« less

Automated determination of dust particles trajectories in the coma of comet 67P

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marín-Yaseli de la Parra, J.; Küppers, M.; Perez Lopez, F.; Besse, S.; Moissl, R.

2017-09-01

During more than two years Rosetta spent at comet 67P, it took thousands of images that contain individual dust particles. To arrive at a statistics of the dust properties, automatic image analysis is required. We present a new methodology for fast-dust identification using a star mask reference system for matching a set of images automatically. The main goal is to derive particle size distributions and to determine if traces of the size distribution of primordial pebbles are still present in today's cometary dust [1].

How much dust does Enceladus eject?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kempf, Sascha; Horanyi, Mihaly; Schmidt, Jürgen; Southworth, Ben

2015-04-01

There is an ongoing argument how much dust per second the ice volcanoes on Saturn's ice moon Enceladus eject. By adjusting their plume model to the dust flux measured by the Cassini dust detector during the close Enceladus flyby in 2005, as well as to the plume brightness in Cassini imaging, Schmidt et al. (2008) obtained a total dust production rate in the plumes of about 5 kg/s. On the other hand, Ingersoll and Ewald (2011) derived a dust production rate of 51 kg/s from photometry of very high phase-angle images of the plume, a method that is sensitive also to particles in the size range of microns and larger. Knowledge of the production rate is essential for estimating the dust to gas mass ratio, which in turn is an important constraint for finding the plume source mechanism. Here we report on numerical simulations of the Enceladus dust plume. We run a large number of dynamical simulations including gravity and Lorentz force to investigate the earliest phase of the ring particle life span. The magnetic field in the vicinity of Enceladus is based on the model by Simon et al. (2012). The evolution of the electrostatic charge carried by the initially uncharged grains is treated self-consistently. Our numerical simulations reproduce dust measurements by the Cassini Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) during Cassini plume traversals as well as the snowfall pattern derived from ISS observations of the Enceladus surface (Schenk et al, 2011, EPSC abstract). Based on our simulation results we are able to draw conclusions about the dust production rate as well as wether the Enceladus dust plume constitutes a dusty plasma.

Unmelted cosmic metal particles in the Indian Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shyam Prasad, Mokkapati; Rudraswami, N. G.; De Araujo, Agnelo A.; Khedekar, Vijay D.

2017-06-01

Fe-Ni metal is a common constituent of most meteorites and is an indicator of the thermal history of the respective meteorites, it is a diagnostic tool to distinguish between groups/subgroups of meteorites. In spite of over a million micrometeorites collected from various domains, reports of pure metallic particles among micrometeorites have been extremely rare. We report here the finding of a variety of cosmic metal particles such as kamacite, plessite, taenite, and Fe-Ni beads from deep-sea sediments of the Indian Ocean, a majority of which have entered the Earth unaffected by frictional heating during atmospheric entry. Such particles are known as components of meteorites but have never been found as individual entities. Their compositions suggest precursors from a variety of meteorite groups, thus providing an insight into the metal fluxes on the Earth. Some particles have undergone heating and oxidation to different levels during entry developing features similar to I-type cosmic spherules, suggesting atmospheric processing of individual kamacites/taenite grains as another hitherto unknown source for the I-type spherules. The particles have undergone postdepositional aqueous alteration transforming finally into the serpentine mineral cronstedtite. Aqueous alteration products of kamacite reflect the local microenvironment, therefore they have the potential to provide information on the composition of water in the solar nebula, on the parent bodies or on surfaces of planetary bodies. Our observations suggest it would take sustained burial in water for tens of thousands of years under cold conditions for kamacites to alter to cronstedtite.

Laboratory-generated mixtures of mineral dust particles with biological substances: characterization of the particle mixing state and immersion freezing behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Augustin-Bauditz, Stefanie; Wex, Heike; Denjean, Cyrielle; Hartmann, Susan; Schneider, Johannes; Schmidt, Susann; Ebert, Martin; Stratmann, Frank

2016-05-01

Biological particles such as bacteria, fungal spores or pollen are known to be efficient ice nucleating particles. Their ability to nucleate ice is due to ice nucleation active macromolecules (INMs). It has been suggested that these INMs maintain their nucleating ability even when they are separated from their original carriers. This opens the possibility of an accumulation of such INMs in soils, resulting in an internal mixture of mineral dust and INMs. If particles from such soils which contain biological INMs are then dispersed into the atmosphere due to wind erosion or agricultural processes, they could induce ice nucleation at temperatures typical for biological substances, i.e., above -20 up to almost 0 °C, while they might be characterized as mineral dust particles due to a possibly low content of biological material. We conducted a study within the research unit INUIT (Ice Nucleation research UnIT), where we investigated the ice nucleation behavior of mineral dust particles internally mixed with INM. Specifically, we mixed a pure mineral dust sample (illite-NX) with ice active biological material (birch pollen washing water) and quantified the immersion freezing behavior of the resulting particles utilizing the Leipzig Aerosol Cloud Interaction Simulator (LACIS). A very important topic concerning the investigations presented here as well as for atmospheric application is the characterization of the mixing state of aerosol particles. In the present study we used different methods like single-particle aerosol mass spectrometry, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and a Volatility-Hygroscopicity Tandem Differential Mobility Analyser (VH-TDMA) to investigate the mixing state of our generated aerosol. Not all applied methods performed similarly well in detecting small amounts of biological material on the mineral dust particles. Measuring the hygroscopicity/volatility of the mixed particles with the VH-TDMA was the most

Dosimeter design, construction, and implantation. [for recording HZE cosmic particle tracks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winter, D. L.; Suri, K.; Durso, J. A.; Cota, F. L.; Ashley, W. W.; Binnard, R. M.; Haymaker, W.; Benton, E. V.; Cruty, M. R.; Zeman, W.

1975-01-01

To detect the passage of cosmic ray particles through the heads of the pocket mice during the Apollo XVII flight, a 'monitor' (dosimeter) composed of plastics was prepared and implanted under the scalp. The monitor was mounted on a platform, the undersurface of which fitted the contour of the skull. Numerous tests were run to assure that the presence of the monitor assembly beneath the scalp would be compatible with the well-being of the mice and that the capacity of the monitor to detect the traversal of cosmic ray particles would be preserved over the several weeks during which it would remain under the scalp.

Particle Physics at the Cosmic, Intensity, and Energy Frontiers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Essig, Rouven

Major efforts at the Intensity, Cosmic, and Energy frontiers of particle physics are rapidly furthering our understanding of the fundamental constituents of Nature and their interactions. The overall objectives of this research project are (1) to interpret and develop the theoretical implications of the data collected at these frontiers and (2) to provide the theoretical motivation, basis, and ideas for new experiments and for new analyses of experimental data. Within the Intensity Frontier, an experimental search for a new force mediated by a GeV-scale gauge boson will be carried out with the $A'$ Experiment (APEX) and the Heavy Photon Searchmore » (HPS), both at Jefferson Laboratory. Within the Cosmic Frontier, contributions are planned to the search for dark matter particles with the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and other instruments. A detailed exploration will also be performed of new direct detection strategies for dark matter particles with sub-GeV masses to facilitate the development of new experiments. In addition, the theoretical implications of existing and future dark matter-related anomalies will be examined. Within the Energy Frontier, the implications of the data from the Large Hadron Collider will be investigated. Novel search strategies will be developed to aid the search for new phenomena not described by the Standard Model of particle physics. By combining insights from all three particle physics frontiers, this research aims to increase our understanding of fundamental particle physics.« less

Impact of Radiatively Interactive Dust Aerosols in the NASA GEOS-5 Climate Model: Sensitivity to Dust Particle Shape and Refractive Index

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colarco, Peter R.; Nowottnick, Edward Paul; Randles, Cynthia A.; Yi, Bingqi; Yang, Ping; Kim, Kyu-Myong; Smith, Jamison A.; Bardeen, Charles D.

2013-01-01

We investigate the radiative effects of dust aerosols in the NASA GEOS-5 atmospheric general circulation model. GEOS-5 is improved with the inclusion of a sectional aerosol and cloud microphysics module, the Community Aerosol and Radiation Model for Atmospheres (CARMA). Into CARMA we introduce treatment of the dust and sea salt aerosol lifecycle, including sources, transport evolution, and sinks. The aerosols are radiatively coupled to GEOS-5, and we perform a series of multi-decade AMIP-style simulations in which dust optical properties (spectral refractive index and particle shape distribution) are varied. Optical properties assuming spherical dust particles are from Mie theory, while those for non-spherical shape distributions are drawn from a recently available database for tri-axial ellipsoids. The climatologies of the various simulations generally compare well to data from the MODIS, MISR, and CALIOP space-based sensors, the ground-based AERONET, and surface measurements of dust deposition and concentration. Focusing on the summertime Saharan dust cycle we show significant variability in our simulations resulting from different choices of dust optical properties. Atmospheric heating due to dust enhances surface winds over important Saharan dust sources, and we find a positive feedback where increased dust absorption leads to increased dust emissions. We further find that increased dust absorption leads to a strengthening of the summertime Hadley cell circulation, increasing dust lofting to higher altitudes and strengthening the African Easterly Jet. This leads to a longer atmospheric residence time, higher altitude, and generally more northward transport of dust in simulations with the most absorbing dust optical properties. We find that particle shape, although important for radiance simulations, is a minor effect compared to choices of refractive index, although total atmospheric forcing is enhanced by greater than 10 percent for simulations incorporating a

Influence of Air Humidity and Water Particles on Dust Control Using Ultrasonic Atomization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okawa, Hirokazu; Nishi, Kentaro; Shindo, Dai; Kawamura, Youhei

2012-07-01

The influence of air humidity and water particles on dust control was examined using ultrasonic atomization at 2.4 MHz, an acrylic box (61 L), and four types of ore dust samples: green tuff (4 µm), green tuff (6 µm), kaolin, and silica. It was clearly demonstrated that ultrasonic atomization was effective in raising humidity rapidly. However, at high relative air humidity, the water particles remained stable in the box without changing to water vapor. Ultrasonic atomization was applied to suppress dust dispersion and 40-95% dust reduction was achieved at 83% relative air humidity. Dust dispersion was more effective with ultrasonic atomization than without.

High Precision Oxygen Three Isotope Analysis of Wild-2 Particles and Anhydrous Chondritic Interplanetary Dust Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nakashima, D.; Ushikubo, T.; Zolensky, Michael E.; Weisberg, M. K.; Joswiak, D. J.; Brownlee, D. E.; Matrajt, G.; Kita, N. T.

2011-01-01

One of the most important discoveries from comet Wild-2 samples was observation of crystalline silicate particles that resemble chondrules and CAIs in carbonaceous chondrites. Previous oxygen isotope analyses of crystalline silicate terminal particles showed heterogeneous oxygen isotope ratios with delta(sup 18)O to approx. delta(sup 17)O down to -50% in the CAI-like particle Inti, a relict olivine grain in Gozen-sama, and an olivine particle. However, many Wild-2 particles as well as ferromagnesian silicates in anhydrous interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) showed Delta(sup 17)O values that cluster around -2%. In carbonaceous chondrites, chondrules seem to show two major isotope reservoirs with Delta(sup 17)O values at -5% and -2%. It was suggested that the Delta(sup 17)O = -2% is the common oxygen isotope reservoir for carbonaceous chondrite chondrules and cometary dust, from the outer asteroid belt to the Kuiper belt region. However, a larger dataset with high precision isotope analyses (+/-1-2%) is still needed to resolve the similarities or distinctions among Wild-2 particles, IDPs and chondrules in meteorites. We have made signifi-cant efforts to establish routine analyses of small particles (< or =10micronsm) at 1-2% precision using IMS-1280 at WiscSIMS laboratory. Here we report new results of high precision oxygen isotope analyses of Wild-2 particles and anhydrous chondritic IDPs, and discuss the relationship between the cometary dust and carbonaceous chondrite chondrules.

Evaluating the effect of soil dust particles from semi-arid areas on clouds and climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kristjansson, J. E.; Hummel, M.; Lewinschal, A.; Grini, A.

2016-12-01

Primary ice production in mixed-phase clouds predominantly takes place by heterogeneous freezing of mineral dust particles. Therefore, mineral dust has a large impact on cloud properties. Organic matter attached to mineral dust particles can expand their already good freezing ability further to warmer subzero temperatures. These dust particles are called "soil dust". Dusts emitted from deserts contribute most to the total dust concentration in the atmosphere and they can be transported over long distances. Soil dust is emitted from semi-arid regions, e.g. agricultural areas. Besides wind erosion, human activities like tillage or harvest might be a large source for soil dust release into the atmosphere. In this study, we analyze the influence of soil dust particles on clouds with the Norwegian Earth System Model (NorESM; Bentsen et al., 2013: GMD). The parameterization of immersion freezing on soil dust is based on findings from the AIDA cloud chamber (Steinke et al., in prep.). Contact angle and activation energy for soil dust are estimated in order to be used in the dust immersion freezing scheme of the model, which is based on classical nucleation theory. Our first results highlight the importance of soil dust for ice nucleation on a global scale. Its influence is expected to be highest in the northern hemisphere due to its higher area for soil dust emission. The immersion freezing rates due to additional soil dust can on average increase by a factor of 1.2 compared to a mineral dust-only simulation. Using a budget tool for NorESM, influences of soil dust ice nuclei on single tendencies of the cloud microphysics can be identified. For example, accretion to snow is sensitive to adding soil dust ice nuclei. This can result in changes e.g. in the ice water path and cloud radiative properties.

How micron-sized dust particles determine the chemistry of our Universe

PubMed Central

Dulieu, François; Congiu, Emanuele; Noble, Jennifer; Baouche, Saoud; Chaabouni, Henda; Moudens, Audrey; Minissale, Marco; Cazaux, Stéphanie

2013-01-01

In the environments where stars and planets form, about one percent of the mass is in the form of micro-meter sized particles known as dust. However small and insignificant these dust grains may seem, they are responsible for the production of the simplest (H2) to the most complex (amino-acids) molecules observed in our Universe. Dust particles are recognized as powerful nano-factories that produce chemical species. However, the mechanism that converts species on dust to gas species remains elusive. Here we report experimental evidence that species forming on interstellar dust analogs can be directly released into the gas. This process, entitled chemical desorption (fig. 1), can dominate over the chemistry due to the gas phase by more than ten orders of magnitude. It also determines which species remain on the surface and are available to participate in the subsequent complex chemistry that forms the molecules necessary for the emergence of life. PMID:23439221

Influence of the RF electrode cleanliness on plasma characteristics and dust-particle generation in methane dusty plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Géraud-Grenier, I.; Desdions, W.; Faubert, F.; Mikikian, M.; Massereau-Guilbaud, V.

2018-01-01

The methane decomposition in a planar RF discharge (13.56 MHz) leads both to a dust-particle generation in the plasma bulk and to a coating growth on the electrodes. Growing dust-particles fall onto the grounded electrode when they are too heavy. Thus, at the end of the experiment, the grounded electrode is covered by a coating and by fallen dust-particles. During the dust-particle growth, the negative DC self-bias voltage (VDC) increases because fewer electrons reach the RF electrode, leading to a more resistive plasma and to changes in the plasma chemical composition. In this paper, the cleanliness influence of the RF electrode on the dust-particle growth, on the plasma characteristics and composition is investigated. A cleanliness electrode is an electrode without coating and dust-particles on its surface at the beginning of the experiment.

Kent in space: Cosmic dust to space debris

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonnell, J. A. M.

1994-10-01

The dusty heritage of the University of Kent's Space Group commenced at Jodrell Bank, Cheshire, U.K., the home of the largest steerable radio telescope. While Professor Bernard Lovell's 250 ft. diameter telescope was used to command the U.S. deep space Pioneer spacecraft, Professor Tony McDonnell, as a research student in 1960, was developing a space dust detector for the US-UK Ariel program. It was successful. With a Ph.D. safely under the belt, it seemed an inevitable step to go for the next higher degree, a B.T.A.] Two years with NASA at Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, provided excellent qualifications for such a graduation ('Been to America'). A spirited return to the University of Kent at Canterbury followed, to one of the green field UK University sites springing from the Robbins Report on Higher Education. Swimming against the current of the brain drain, and taking a very considerable reduction in salary, it was with some disappointment that he found that the UK Premier Harold Wilson's 'white-hot technological revolution' never quite seemed to materialize in terms of research funding] Research expertise, centered initially on cosmic dust, enlarged to encompass planetology during the Apollo program, and rightly acquired international acclaim, notching up a history of space missions over 25 years. The group now comprises 38 people supported by four sources: the government's Research Councils, the University, the Space Agencies and Industry. This paper describes the thrust of the group's Research Plan in Space Science and Planetology; not so much based on existing international space missions, but more helping to shape the direction and selection of space missions ahead.

Exploring results of the possibility on detecting cosmic ray particles by acoustic way

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jiang, Y.; Yuan, Y.; Li, Y.; Chen, D.; Zheng, R.; Song, J.

1985-01-01

It has been demonstrated experimentally and theoretically that high energy particles produce detectable sounds in water. However, no one has been able to detect an acoustic signal generated by a high energy cosmic ray particle in water. Results show that transient ultrasonic signals in a large lake or reservoir are fairly complex and that the transient signals under water may arise mainly from sound radiation from microbubbles. This field is not explored in detail. Perhaps, the sounds created by cosmic ray particles hide in these ultrasonic signals. In order to develop the technique of acoustic detection, it is most important to make a thorough investigation of these ultrasonic signals in water.

Spectral distortions of the cosmic microwave background

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Fred C.; Mcdowell, Jonathan C.; Freese, Katherine; Levin, Janna

1989-01-01

Recent experiments indicate that the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background deviates from a pure blackbody; here, spectral distortions produced by cosmic dust are considered. The main result is that cosmic dust in conjunction with an injected radiation field (perhaps produced by an early generation of very massive stars) can explain the observed spectral distortions without violating existing cosmological constraints. In addition, it is shown that Compton y-distortions can also explain the observed spectral shape, but the energetic requirements are more severe.

A Laboratory Study of the Charging/Discharging Mechanisms of a Dust Particle Exposed to an Electron Beam

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venturini, C. C.; Spann, J. F.; Comfort, R. H.

1999-01-01

The interaction of micron sized particles or "dust particles" with different space and planetary environments has become an important area of research. One particular area of interest is how dust particles interact with plasmas. Studies have shown that charged dust particles immersed in plasmas can alter plasma characteristics, while ions and electrons in plasmas can affect a particle's potential and thereby, its interaction with other particles. The basis for understanding these phenomena is the charging mechanisms of the dust particle, specifically, how the particle's charge and characteristics are affected when exposed to ions and electrons. At NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, a laboratory experiment has been developed to study the interaction of dust particles with electrons. Using a unique laboratory technique known as electrodynamic suspension, a single charged particle is suspended in a modified quadrupole trap. Once suspended, the particle is then exposed to an electron beam to study the charging/discharging mechanisms due to collisions of energetic electrons. The change in the particle's charge, approximations of the charging/discharging currents, and the charging/discharging yield are calculated.

Wood dust particle and mass concentrations and filtration efficiency in sanding of wood materials.

PubMed

Welling, Irma; Lehtimäki, Matti; Rautio, Sari; Lähde, Tero; Enbom, Seppo; Hynynen, Pasi; Hämeri, Kaarle

2009-02-01

The importance of fine particles has become apparent as the knowledge of their effects on health has increased. Fine particle concentrations have been published for outside air, plasma arc cutting, welding, and grinding, but little data exists for the woodworking industry. Sanding was evaluated as the producer of the woodworking industry's finest particles, and was selected as the target study. The number of dust particles in different particle size classes and the mass concentrations were measured in the following environments: workplace air during sanding in plywood production and in the inlet and return air; in the dust emission chamber; and in filter testing. The numbers of fine particles were low, less than 10(4) particles/cm(3) (10(7) particles/L). They were much lower than typical number concentrations near 10(6) particles/cm(3) measured in plasma arc cutting, grinding, and welding. Ultrafine particles in the size class less than 100 nm were found during sanding of MDF (medium density fiberboard) sheets. When the cleaned air is returned to the working areas, the dust content in extraction systems must be monitored continuously. One way to monitor the dust content in the return air is to use an after-filter and measure pressure drop across the filter to indicate leaks in the air-cleaning system. The best after-filtration materials provided a clear increase in pressure drop across the filter in the loading of the filter. The best after-filtration materials proved to be quite effective also for fine particles. The best mass removal efficiencies for fine particles around 0.3 mum were over 80% for some filter materials loaded with sanding wood dust.

Interplanetary Dust Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradley, J. P.

2003-12-01

micrometeorites) containing layer silicates indicative of parent-body aqueous alteration and the more distant anhydrous P and D asteroids exhibiting no evidence of (aqueous) alteration (Gradie and Tedesco, 1982). This gradation in spectral properties presumably extends several hundred AU out to the Kuiper belt, the source region of most short-period comets, where the distinction between comets and outer asteroids may simply be one of the orbital parameters ( Luu, 1993; Brownlee, 1994; Jessberger et al., 2001). The mineralogy and petrography of meteorites provides direct confirmation of aqueous alteration, melting, fractionation, and thermal metamorphism among the inner asteroids ( Zolensky and McSween, 1988; Farinella et al., 1993; Brearley and Jones, 1998). Because the most common grains in the ISM (silicates and carbonaceous matter) are not as refractory as those found in meteorites, it is unlikely that they have survived in significant quantities in meteorites. Despite a prolonged search, not a single presolar silicate grain has yet been identified in any meteorite.Interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) are the smallest and most fine-grained meteoritic objects available for laboratory investigation (Figure 1). In contrast to meteorites, IDPs are derived from a broad range of dust-producing bodies extending from the inner main belt of the asteroids to the Kuiper belt (Flynn, 1996, 1990; Dermott et al., 1994; Liou et al., 1996). After release from their asteroidal or cometary parent bodies the orbits of IDPs evolve by Poynting-Robertson (PR) drag (the combined influence of light pressure and radiation drag) ( Dermott et al., 2001). Irrespective of the location of their parent bodies nearly all IDPs under the influence of PR drag can eventually reach Earth-crossing orbits. IDPs are collected in the stratosphere at 20-25 km altitude using NASA ER2 aircraft ( Sandford, 1987; Warren and Zolensky, 1994). Laboratory measurements of implanted rare gases, solar flare tracks ( Figure 2

Coulomb scatter of diamagnetic dust particles in a cusp magnetic trap under microgravity conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Myasnikov, M. I., E-mail: miasnikovmi@mail.ru; D’yachkov, L. G.; Petrov, O. F.

2017-02-15

The effect of a dc electric field on strongly nonideal Coulomb systems consisting of a large number (~10{sup 4}) of charged diamagnetic dust particles in a cusp magnetic trap are carried out aboard the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS) within the Coulomb Crystal experiment. Graphite particles of 100–400 μm in size are used in the experiments. Coulomb scatter of a dust cluster and the formation of threadlike chains of dust particles are observed experimentally. The processes observed are simulated by the molecular dynamics (MD) method.

Dust Devils on Mars: Effects of Surface Roughness on Particle Threshold

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neakrase, Lynn D.; Greeley, Ronald; Iversen, James D.; Balme, Matthew L.; Foley, Daniel J.; Eddlemon, Eric E.

2005-01-01

Dust devils have been proposed as effective mechanisms for lofting large quantities of dust into the martian atmosphere. Previous work showed that vortices lift dust more easily than simple boundary layer winds. The aim of this study is to determine experimentally the effects of non-erodable roughness elements on vortex particle threshold through laboratory simulations of natural surfaces. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Physics of sub-micron cosmic dust particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roy, N. L.

1974-01-01

Laboratory tests with simulated micrometeoroids to measure the heat transfer coefficient are discussed. Equations for ablation path length for electrically accelerated micrometeoroids entering a gas target are developed which yield guidelines for the laboratory measurement of the heat transfer coefficient. Test results are presented for lanthanum hexaboride (LaB sub 6) microparticles in air, argon, and oxygen targets. The tests indicate the heat transfer coefficient has a value of approximately 0.9 at 30 km/sec, and that it increases to approximately unity at 50 km/sec and above. Test results extend to over 100 km/sec. Results are also given for two types of small particle detectors. A solid state capacitor type detector was tested from 0.61 km/sec to 50 km/sec. An impact ionization type detector was tested from 1.0 to 150 km/sec using LaB sub 6 microparticles.

Partitioning of phthalates among the gas phase, airborne particles and settled dust in indoor environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weschler, Charles J.; Salthammer, Tunga; Fromme, Hermann

A critical evaluation of human exposure to phthalate esters in indoor environments requires the determination of their distribution among the gas phase, airborne particles and settled dust. If sorption from the gas phase is the dominant mechanism whereby a given phthalate is associated with both airborne particles and settled dust, there should be a predictable relationship between its particle and dust concentrations. The present paper tests this for six phthalate esters (DMP, DEP, DnBP, DiBP, BBzP and DEHP) that have been measured in both the air and the settled dust of 30 Berlin apartments. The particle concentration, CParticle, of a given phthalate was calculated from its total airborne concentration and the concentration of airborne particles (PM 4). This required knowledge of the particle-gas partition coefficient, Kp, which was estimated from either the saturation vapor pressure ( ps) or the octanol/air partition coefficient ( KOA). For each phthalate in each apartment, the ratio of its particle concentration to its dust concentration ( CParticle/ CDust) was calculated. The median values of this ratio were within an order of magnitude of one another for five of the phthalate esters despite the fact that their vapor pressures span four orders of magnitude. This indicates that measurements of phthalate ester concentrations in settled dust can provide an estimate of their concentration in airborne particles. When the latter information is coupled with measurements of airborne particle concentrations, the gas-phase concentrations of phthalates can also be estimated and, subsequently, the contribution of each of these compartments to indoor phthalate exposures.

Numerical investigation of the coagulation mixing between dust and hygroscopic aerosol particles and its impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, I.-Chun; Chen, Jen-Ping; Lin, Yi-Chiu; Chung-Kuang Chou, Charles; Chen, Wei-Nai

2015-05-01

A statistical-numerical aerosol parameterization was incorporated into the Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system to study the coagulation mixing process focusing on a dust storm event that occurred over East Asia. Simulation results show that the coagulation mixing process tends to decrease aerosol mass, surface area, and number concentrations over the dust source areas. Over the downwind oceanic areas, aerosol concentrations generally increased due to enhanced sedimentation as particles became larger upon coagulation. The mixture process can reduce the overall single-scattering albedo by up to 10% as a result of enhanced core with shell absorption by dust and reduction in the number of scattering particles. The enhanced dry deposition speed also altered the vertical distribution. In addition, the ability of aerosol particles to serve as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) increased from around 107 m-3 to above 109 m-3 over downwind areas because a large amount of mineral dust particles became effective CCN with solute coating, except over the highly polluted areas where multiple collections of hygroscopic particles by dust in effect reduced CCN number. This CCN effect is much stronger for coagulation mixing than by the uptake of sulfuric acid gas on dust, although the nitric acid gas uptake was not investigated. The ability of dust particles to serve as ice nuclei may decrease or increase at low or high subzero temperatures, respectively, due to the switching from deposition nucleation to immersion freezing or haze freezing.

Asian Dust Particles Induce Macrophage Inflammatory Responses via Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Activation and Reactive Oxygen Species Production

PubMed Central

Higashisaka, Kazuma; Fujimura, Maho; Taira, Mayu; Yoshida, Tokuyuki; Tsunoda, Shin-ichi; Baba, Takashi; Yamaguchi, Nobuyasu; Nabeshi, Hiromi; Yoshikawa, Tomoaki; Nasu, Masao; Tsutsumi, Yasuo

2014-01-01

Asian dust is a springtime meteorological phenomenon that originates in the deserts of China and Mongolia. The dust is carried by prevailing winds across East Asia where it causes serious health problems. Most of the information available on the impact of Asian dust on human health is based on epidemiological investigations, so from a biological standpoint little is known of its effects. To clarify the effects of Asian dust on human health, it is essential to assess inflammatory responses to the dust and to evaluate the involvement of these responses in the pathogenesis or aggravation of disease. Here, we investigated the induction of inflammatory responses by Asian dust particles in macrophages. Treatment with Asian dust particles induced greater production of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) compared with treatment with soil dust. Furthermore, a soil dust sample containing only particles ≤10 μm in diameter provoked a greater inflammatory response than soil dust samples containing particles >10 μm. In addition, Asian dust particles-induced TNF-α production was dependent on endocytosis, the production of reactive oxygen species, and the activation of nuclear factor-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinases. Together, these results suggest that Asian dust particles induce inflammatory disease through the activation of macrophages. PMID:24987712

Modeling the Interaction of Mineral Dust with Solar Radiation: Spherical versus Non-spherical Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoshyaripour, A.; Vogel, B.; Vogel, H.

2017-12-01

Mineral dust, emitted from arid and semi-arid regions, is the most dominant atmospheric aerosol by mass. Beside detrimental effect on air quality, airborne dust also influences the atmospheric radiation by absorbing and scattering solar and terrestrial radiation. As a result, while the long-term radiative impacts of dust are important for climate, the short-term effects are significant for the photovoltaic energy production. Therefore, it is a vital requirement to accurately forecast the effects of dust on energy budget of the atmosphere and surface. To this end, a major issue is the fact that dust particles are non-spherical. Thus, the optical properties of such particles cannot be calculated precisely using the conventional methods like Mie theory that are often used in climate and numerical weather forecast models. In this study, T-Matrix method is employed, which is able to treat the non-sphericity of particles. Dust particles are assumed to be prolate spheroids with aspect ratio of 1.5 distributed in three lognormal modes. The wavelength-dependent refractive indices of dust are used in T-Matrix algorithm to calculate the extinction coefficient, single scattering albedo, asymmetry parameter and backscattering ratio at different wavelengths. These parameters are then implemented in ICON-ART model (ICOsahedral Nonhydrostatic model with Aerosols and Reactive Trace gases) to conduct a global simulation with 80 km horizontal resolution and 90 vertical levels. April 2014 is selected as the simulation period during which North African dust plumes reached central Europe and Germany. Results show that treatment of non-sphericity reduces the dust AOD in the range of 10 to 30%/. The impacts on diffuse and direct radiation at global, regional and local scales show strong dependency on the size distribution of the airborne dust. The implications for modeling and remote sensing the dust impacts on solar energy are also discussed.

Forecast errors in dust vertical distributions over Rome (Italy): Multiple particle size representation and cloud contributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kishcha, P.; Alpert, P.; Shtivelman, A.; Krichak, S. O.; Joseph, J. H.; Kallos, G.; Katsafados, P.; Spyrou, C.; Gobbi, G. P.; Barnaba, F.; Nickovic, S.; PéRez, C.; Baldasano, J. M.

2007-08-01

In this study, forecast errors in dust vertical distributions were analyzed. This was carried out by using quantitative comparisons between dust vertical profiles retrieved from lidar measurements over Rome, Italy, performed from 2001 to 2003, and those predicted by models. Three models were used: the four-particle-size Dust Regional Atmospheric Model (DREAM), the older one-particle-size version of the SKIRON model from the University of Athens (UOA), and the pre-2006 one-particle-size Tel Aviv University (TAU) model. SKIRON and DREAM are initialized on a daily basis using the dust concentration from the previous forecast cycle, while the TAU model initialization is based on the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer aerosol index (TOMS AI). The quantitative comparison shows that (1) the use of four-particle-size bins in the dust modeling instead of only one-particle-size bins improves dust forecasts; (2) cloud presence could contribute to noticeable dust forecast errors in SKIRON and DREAM; and (3) as far as the TAU model is concerned, its forecast errors were mainly caused by technical problems with TOMS measurements from the Earth Probe satellite. As a result, dust forecast errors in the TAU model could be significant even under cloudless conditions. The DREAM versus lidar quantitative comparisons at different altitudes show that the model predictions are more accurate in the middle part of dust layers than in the top and bottom parts of dust layers.

Dose equivalent on the Moon contributed from cosmic rays and their secondary particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayatsu, K.; Hareyama, Makoto; Hasebe, N.; Kobayashi, S.; Yamashita, N.

Estimation of radiation dose on and under the lunar surface is quite important for human activity on the Moon and in the future lunar bases. Radiation environment on the Moon is much different from that on the Earth. Galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles directly penetrate the lunar surface because of no atmosphere and no magnetic field around the Moon. Then, those generate many secondary particles such as gamma rays, neutrons and other charged particles by interaction with soils under the lunar surface. Therefore, the estimation of radiation dose from them on the surface and the underground of the Moon are essential for safety human activities. In this study the ambient dose equivalent in the ICRU sphere at the surface and various depths of the Moon is estimated based on the latest galactic cosmic ray spectrum and its generating secondary particles calculated by the Geant4 code. On the surface the most dominant contribution for the dose are not protons and heliums, but heavy components of galactic cosmic rays such as iron, while in the ground, secondary neutrons are the most dominant. In particular, the dose from neutrons becomes maximal at 50 - 100 g/cm2 of lunar soil depth, because fast neutrons with about 1.0 MeV are mostly produced at this depth and give a large dose. On the surface, the dose originated from GCR is quite sensitive for solar cycle activity, while that from secondary neutrons is not so sensitive. Inversely, under the surface, the dose from neutron is much sensitive for solar activity related to the flux of galactic cosmic rays. This difference should be considered to shield cosmic radiation for human activity on the Moon.

Evaluating a filtering and recirculating system to reduce dust drift in simulated sowing of dressed seed and abraded dust particle characteristics.

PubMed

Biocca, Marcello; Pochi, Daniele; Fanigliulo, Roberto; Gallo, Pietro; Pulcini, Patrizio; Marcovecchio, Francesca; Perrino, Cinzia

2017-06-01

The pneumatic precision drills used in maize sowing can release dust owing to abrasion of dressed seed; the drift of dust containing insecticide active ingredients is harmful to honey bees. Therefore, we developed a device for drills that uses partial recirculation and filtration of the air by means of an antipollen and an electrostatic filter. Tests were carried out by simulating the sowing of seed treated with imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin and fipronil. Dust released by the drill in different configurations was analysed to assess its mass and active ingredient concentration, size distribution and particle number concentration. In general, particles with a diameter smaller than 2.5 and 10 µm represent about 40 and 75% of the total dust mass respectively. The finest size fraction (<1 µm) contains a higher content of active ingredient. The prototype equipped with both antipollen and electrostatic filters always showed a reduction in dust emission greater than 90% in terms of both total mass and active ingredient amount, with a greater efficiency in the reduction in particles below 4 µm. This study presents an engineering solution addressing dust losses during sowing, contributes to the description of abrasion dust fractions and provides suggestions for further development of the prototype. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

In-situ composition analysis of dust particles originating from Europa and Ganymede in future missions and its scientific value

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sternovsky, Z.; Gruen, E.; Postberg, F.; Srama, R.; Kempf, S.; Horanyi, M.

2009-12-01

In the upcoming joint ESA/NASA mission two flagship spacecraft wills be launched to study the Jovian system. In the second phase of operation the spacecrafts will settle into orbits around Ganymede and Europa, respectively. Of primary interests are the characterization of the icy shells, the global surface composition and chemistry in order to understand geological evolution, confirm the presence of liquid water under the icy core and investigate the habitability of these interesting planetary objects. On their orbit around the moons, the spacecrafts will be bombarded by micron-sized particles originating from the surface. These dust particles are kicked-up to high altitudes by the continual micrometeoroid bombardment of the surface. This permanently present dust cloud enshrouding the moons has already been detected by the Galileo spacecraft. These particles are a direct link to the place of origin (surface) and their composition can be analyzed by existing instruments. The mass analysis is based on the time-of-flight mass analysis of the ions generated upon the impact of the dust on the instrument’s target surface. The high scientific value of this method was recently demonstrated by the analysis of particles originating from Enceladus’s plumes by the Cosmic Dust Analyzer onboard the Cassini spacecraft [Postberg et al., Nature 459, 1098, 2009]. This analyzing method is particularly sensitive to salts and other minerals as well as organic compounds embedded in the ice as the ionization of these is greatly enhanced. (Resent experiments showed that we are sensitive to organic compounds at least down to 0.001% mixing ratio). The small abundance of these elements are difficult to detect by other methods, yet they are considerable scientific significance as proof of interaction between the rocky core and the liquid water underneath the icy surface, for example. In this presentation we review capabilities of the existing instrument and the applicability of this

Detection of dust particles in the coma of Halley's Comet by the Foton detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anisimov, S.I.; Kariagin, V.P.; Kudriashov, V.A.

The first results of direct measurements of the characteristics of dust particles with mass m of greater than 10 to the -9th g by the Foton detector, carried on the VEGA 1 and VEGA 2 space vehicles, are reported. The nature of the changes in the dust flux along the trajectory of the space probe is reported. The mass distribution of the dust particles is also reported. 7 references.

Particle shape accounts for instrumental discrepancy in ice core dust size distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Folden Simonsen, Marius; Cremonesi, Llorenç; Baccolo, Giovanni; Bosch, Samuel; Delmonte, Barbara; Erhardt, Tobias; Kjær, Helle Astrid; Potenza, Marco; Svensson, Anders; Vallelonga, Paul

2018-05-01

The Klotz Abakus laser sensor and the Coulter counter are both used for measuring the size distribution of insoluble mineral dust particles in ice cores. While the Coulter counter measures particle volume accurately, the equivalent Abakus instrument measurement deviates substantially from the Coulter counter. We show that the difference between the Abakus and the Coulter counter measurements is mainly caused by the irregular shape of dust particles in ice core samples. The irregular shape means that a new calibration routine based on standard spheres is necessary for obtaining fully comparable data. This new calibration routine gives an increased accuracy to Abakus measurements, which may improve future ice core record intercomparisons. We derived an analytical model for extracting the aspect ratio of dust particles from the difference between Abakus and Coulter counter data. For verification, we measured the aspect ratio of the same samples directly using a single-particle extinction and scattering instrument. The results demonstrate that the model is accurate enough to discern between samples of aspect ratio 0.3 and 0.4 using only the comparison of Abakus and Coulter counter data.

Significant impacts of heterogeneous reactions on the chemical composition and mixing state of dust particles: A case study during dust events over northern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhe; Pan, Xiaole; Uno, Itsushi; Li, Jie; Wang, Zifa; Chen, Xueshun; Fu, Pingqing; Yang, Ting; Kobayashi, Hiroshi; Shimizu, Atsushi; Sugimoto, Nobuo; Yamamoto, Shigekazu

2017-06-01

The impact of heterogeneous reactions on the chemical components and mixing state of dust particles are investigated by observations and an air quality model over northern China between March 27, 2015 and April 2, 2015. Synergetic observations were conducted using a polarization optical particle counter (POPC), a depolarized two-wavelength Lidar and filter samples in Beijing. During this period, dust plume passed through Beijing on March 28, and flew back on March 29 because of synoptic weather changes. Mineral dust mixed with anthropogenic pollutants was simulated using the Nested Air Quality Prediction Modeling System (NAQPMS) to examine the role of heterogeneous processes on the dust. A comparison of observations shows that the NAQPMS successfully reproduces the time series of the vertical profile, particulate matter concentration, and chemical components of fine mode (diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) and coarse mode (2.5 μm < diameter ≤ 10 μm) particles. After considering the heterogeneous reactions, the simulated nitrate, ammonium, and sulfate are in better agreement with the observed values during this period. The modeling results with observations show that heterogeneous reactions are the major mechanisms producing nitrate reaching 19 μg/m3, and sulfate reaching 7 μg/m3, on coarse mode dust particles, which were almost 100% of the coarse mode nitrate and sulfate. The heterogeneous reactions are also important for fine mode secondary aerosols, for producing 17% of nitrate and 11% of sulfate on fine mode dust particles, with maximum mass concentrations of 6 μg/m3 and 4 μg/m3. In contrast, due to uptake of acid gases (e.g. HNO3 and SO2) by dust particles, the fine mode anthropogenic ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate decreased. As a result, the total fine mode nitrate decreased with a maximum of 14 μg/m3, while the total fine mode sulfate increased with a maximum of 2 μg/m3. Because of heterogeneous reactions, 15% of fine mode secondary inorganic aerosols and

Formation and Destruction Processes of Interstellar Dust: From Organic Molecules to carbonaceous Grains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salama, F.; Biennier, L.

2004-01-01

The study of the formation and destruction processes of cosmic dust is essential to understand and to quantify the budget of extraterrestrial organic molecules. interstellar dust presents a continuous size distribution from large molecules, radicals and ions to nanometer-sized particles to micron-sized grains. The lower end of the dust size distribution is thought to be responsible for the ubiquitous spectral features that are seen in emission in the IR (UIBs) and in absorption in the visible (DIBs). The higher end of the dust-size distribution is thought to be responsible for the continuum emission plateau that is seen in the IR and for the strong absorption seen in the interstellar UV extinction curve. All these spectral signatures are characteristic of cosmic organic materials that are ubiquitous and present in various forms from gas-phase molecules to solid-state grains. Although dust with all its components plays an important role in the evolution of interstellar chemistry and in the formation of organic molecules, little is known on the formation and destruction processes of dust. Recent space observations in the UV (HST) and in the IR (ISO) help place size constraints on the molecular component of carbonaceous IS dust and indicate that small (ie., subnanometer) PAHs cannot contribute significantly to the IS features in the UV and in the IR. Studies of large molecular and nano-sized IS dust analogs formed from PAH precursors have been performed in our laboratory under conditions that simulate diffuse ISM environments (the particles are cold -100 K vibrational energy, isolated in the gas phase and exposed to a high-energy discharge environment in a cold plasma). The species (molecules, molecular fragments, ions, nanoparticles, etc) formed in the pulsed discharge nozzle (PDN) plasma source are detected with a high-sensitivity cavity ring-down spectrometer (CRDS). We will present new experimental results that indicate that nanoparticles are generated in the

Dust Production and Particle Acceleration in Supernova 1987A Revealed with ALMA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Indebetouw, R.; Matsuura, M.; Dwek, E.; Zanardo, G.; Barlow, M. J.; Baes, M.; Bouchet, P.; Burrows, D. N.; Chevalier, R.; Clayton, G. C.;

Condensation of cosmic analog material in microgravity conditions - Preliminary analysis of a first set of flights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mancini, D.; Bussoletti, E.; Mennella, V.; Vittone, A. A.; Colangeli, L.; Mirra, C.; Stephens, J.; Nuth, J.; Lilleleht, L.; Furgeson, F.

1992-01-01

The first results of the STARDUST project, aimed at producing and analyzing cosmic-dust analog materials in microgravity conditions, are summarized. The discussion covers the purpose of the investigation, cosmic-dust formation and properties, previous simulations of cosmic-dust formation, the current approach, the microgravity experimental apparatus, and potential advantages of studying dust formation under microgravity conditions.

Evaluating Ice Nucleating Particle Concentrations From Prognostic Dust Minerals in an Earth System Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perlwitz, J. P.; Knopf, D. A.; Fridlind, A. M.; Miller, R. L.; Pérez García-Pando, C.; DeMott, P. J.

2016-12-01

The effect of aerosol particles on the radiative properties of clouds, the so-called, indirect effect of aerosols, is recognized as one of the largest sources of uncertainty in climate prediction. The distribution of water vapor, precipitation, and ice cloud formation are influenced by the atmospheric ice formation, thereby modulating cloud albedo and thus climate. It is well known that different particle types possess different ice formation propensities with mineral dust being a superior ice nucleating particle (INP) compared to soot particles. Furthermore, some dust mineral types are more proficient INP than others, depending on temperature and relative humidity.In recent work, we have presented an improved dust aerosol module in the NASA GISS Earth System ModelE2 with prognostic mineral composition of the dust aerosols. Thus, there are regional variations in dust composition. We evaluated the predicted mineral fractions of dust aerosols by comparing them to measurements from a compilation of about 60 published literature references. Additionally, the capability of the model to reproduce the elemental composition of the simulated dusthas been tested at Izana Observatory at Tenerife, Canary Islands, which is located off-shore of Africa and where frequent dust events are observed. We have been able to show that the new approach delivers a robust improvement of the predicted mineral fractions and elemental composition of dust.In the current study, we use three-dimensional dust mineral fields and thermodynamic conditions, which are simulated using GISS ModelE, to calculate offline the INP concentrations derived using different ice nucleation parameterizations that are currently discussed. We evaluate the calculated INP concentrations from the different parameterizations by comparing them to INP concentrations from field measurements.

The Impacts of Dust Storm Particles on Human Lung Cells - an Analysis at the Single Cell Level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardon-Dryer, K.; Mock, C.; Reyes, J.; Lahav, G.

2017-12-01

Aerosols particles (Natural and anthropogenic) are a key component of our atmosphere, their presence defines air quality levels and they can affect our health. Small particles penetrate into our lungs and this exposure can cause our lung cells to stress and in some cases leads to the death of the cells and to inflammation. During dust storm events there is an increase in particle concentration, many of them are breathable particles that can penetrate deep into our lungs. Exposure to dust particles can lead to respiratory problems, particularly for people with asthma. Therefore, during and after a dust storm event the number of people who are hospitalized with inflammation and respiratory problems increase. However, the exact mechanism that causes these health problems is still unclear. In this project, we are investigating the impacts that dust storm particles from different sources and of different concentrations (doses) have on human lung cells, performing a new and unique analysis at the single cell level. To accomplish this, each individual lung cell is continuously tracked after being exposed to dust particles. We monitor the behavior of the cell over time, identify the cells time of death and type of death (e.g. cell explosion). With this analysis, we can quantify cell death as a function of dust concertation (doses); to our surprise, an increase in cells death was not observed only as a function of an increase of dust concertation. In addition, we noticed that the way particles come in contact with cells, by sticking to or being engulfed by, and the interaction duration has an effect; cells that interact with dust particles for a longer period died earlier compared to cells with a shorter interaction period. These findings will help us to better understand the health related consequences of exposure to dust storm events and serve as a baseline for when evaluating other aerosol.

Ice Nucleating Particle Properties in the Saharan Air Layer Close to the Dust Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boose, Y.; Garcia, I. M.; Rodríguez, S.; Linke, C.; Schnaiter, M.; Nickovic, S.; Lohmann, U.; Kanji, Z. A.; Sierau, B.

2015-12-01

In August 2013 and 2014 measurements of ice nucleating particle (INP) concentrations, aerosol particle size distributions, chemistry and fluorescence were conducted at the Izaña Atmospheric Observatory located at 2373 m asl on Tenerife, west off the African shore. During summer, the observatory is frequently within the Saharan Air Layer and thus often exposed to dust. Absolute INP concentrations and activated fractions at T=-40 to -15°C and RHi=100-150 % were measured. In this study, we discuss the in-situ measured INP properties with respect to changes in the chemical composition, the biological content, the source regions as well as transport pathways and thus aging processes of the dust aerosol. For the first time, ice crystal residues were also analyzed with regard to biological content by means of their autofluorescence signal close to a major dust source region. Airborne dust samples were collected with a cyclone for additional offline analysis in the laboratory under similar conditions as in the field. Both, in-situ and offline dust samples were chemically characterized using single-particle mass spectrometry. The DREAM8 dust model extended with dust mineral fractions was run to simulate meteorological and dust aerosol conditions for ice nucleation. Results show that the background aerosol at Izaña was dominated by carbonaceous particles, which were hardly ice-active under the investigated conditions. When Saharan dust was present, INP concentrations increased by up to two orders of magnitude even at water subsaturated conditions at T≤-25°C. Differences in the ice-activated fraction were found between different dust periods which seem to be linked to variations in the aerosol chemical composition (dust mixed with changing fractions of sea salt and differences in the dust aerosol itself). Furthermore, two biomass burning events in 2014 were identified which led to very low INP concentrations under the investigated temperature and relative humidity

Cosmic Rays as a Factor of Biosphere Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miroshnichenko, L. I.

2014-11-01

There are no doubts that the Earth's space environment in the past inevitably exerted direct and/or indirect influence [1--4] on the conditions of terrestrial life and biospheric evolution. Well-known cosmic factors are usually streams of cosmic dust and gas, comets and asteroids, cosmic rays (energetic particles of galactic and/or solar origin), interplanetary plasma (solar wind), and electromagnetic radiation of different energies, wavelengths, or frequencies. Of great interest are radiation conditions and their variations, especially in the remote past (over the geological time scales). The Sun, the most important and indispensable condition for the existence of the Earth's biosphere, is also a potential source of dangerous emissions. In continuation of (and in addition to) our review paper [3], below we summarize the observational data and results of theoretical works that have been carried out and/or published mainly after 2012. These studies are actually in the frontier region between the Astrobiology and Space Weather. Our main attention is paid to cosmic rays (CR) of galactic and solar origin (GCR and SCR, respectively).

Physicochemical Characteristics of Dust Particles in HVOF Spraying and Occupational Hazards: Case Study in a Chinese Company

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Haihong; Li, Haijun; Li, Xinyu

2016-06-01

Dust particles generated in thermal spray process can cause serious health problems to the workers. Dust particles generated in high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spraying WC-Co coatings were characterized in terms of mass concentrations, particle size distribution, micro morphologies, and composition. Results show that the highest instantaneous exposure concentration of dust particles in the investigated thermal spray workshop is 140 mg/m3 and the time-weighted average concentration is 34.2 mg/m3, which are approximately 8 and 4 times higher than the occupational exposure limits in China, respectively. The large dust particles above 10 μm in size present a unique morphology of polygonal or irregular block of crushed powder, and smaller dust particles mainly exist in the form of irregular or flocculent agglomerates. Some heavy metals, such as chromium, cobalt, and nickel, are also found in the air of the workshop and their concentrations are higher than the limits. Potential occupational hazards of the dust particles in the thermal spray process are further analyzed based on their characteristics and the workers' exposure to the nanoparticles is assessed using a control banding tool.

Particle acceleration, transport and turbulence in cosmic and heliospheric physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matthaeus, W.

1992-01-01

In this progress report, the long term goals, recent scientific progress, and organizational activities are described. The scientific focus of this annual report is in three areas: first, the physics of particle acceleration and transport, including heliospheric modulation and transport, shock acceleration and galactic propagation and reacceleration of cosmic rays; second, the development of theories of the interaction of turbulence and large scale plasma and magnetic field structures, as in winds and shocks; third, the elucidation of the nature of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence processes and the role such turbulence processes might play in heliospheric, galactic, cosmic ray physics, and other space physics applications.

New Manganese Silicide Mineral Phase in an Interplanetary Dust Particle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nakamura-Messenger, K.; Keller, L. P.; Clemett, S. J.; Jones, J. H.; Palma, R. L.; Pepin, R. O.; Kloeck, W.; Zolensky, M. E.; Messenger, S.

2008-01-01

Comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup was identified as a source of an Earth-crossing dust stream with low Earth-encounter velocities, with peak anticipated fluxes during April in 2003 and 2004 [1]. In response to this prediction, NASA performed dedicated stratospheric dust collections using high altitude aircraft to target potential interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) from this comet stream in April 2003. Several IDPs from this collection have shown unusually low noble gas abundances [2] consistent with the predicted short space exposure ages of Grigg-Skjellerup dust particles [1]. High abundances of large D enrichments [3] and presolar grains [4] in IDPs from this collection are also consistent with an origin from the comet Grigg-Skjellerup. Here we report a new mineral from one of the cluster IDPs of the "Grigg-Skjellerup" collection, L2055. Our report focuses on an unusual manganese-iron-chromium silicide phase that, to our knowledge, has not been observed previously in nature. This unique phase may also shed light on the genesis of the enigmatic low-Fe,Mn-enriched (LIME) olivine that has been previously reported in IDPs and meteorites [5].

TEMPERATURE SPECTRA OF INTERSTELLAR DUST GRAINS HEATED BY COSMIC RAYS. I. TRANSLUCENT CLOUDS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kalvāns, Juris, E-mail: juris.kalvans@venta.lv

Heating of whole interstellar dust grains by cosmic-ray (CR) particles affects the gas–grain chemistry in molecular clouds by promoting molecule desorption, diffusion, and chemical reactions on grain surfaces. The frequency of such heating, f{sub T}, s{sup −1}, determines how often a certain temperature T{sub CR}, K, is reached for grains hit by CR particles. This study aims to provide astrochemists with a comprehensive and updated data set on CR-induced whole-grain heating. We present calculations of f{sub T} and T{sub CR} spectra for bare olivine grains with radius a of 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 μ m and such grains covered withmore » ice mantles of thickness 0.1 a and 0.3 a . Grain shape and structure effects are considered, as well as 30 CR elemental constituents with an updated energy spectrum corresponding to a translucent cloud with A{sub V} = 2 mag. Energy deposition by CRs in grain material was calculated with the srim program. We report full T{sub CR} spectra for all nine grain types and consider initial grain temperatures of 10 K and 20 K. We also provide frequencies for a range of minimum T{sub CR} values. The calculated data set can be simply and flexibly implemented in astrochemical models. The results show that, in the case of translucent clouds, the currently adopted rate for heating of whole grains to temperatures in excess of 70 K is underestimated by approximately two orders of magnitude in astrochemical numerical simulations. Additionally, grains are heated by CRs to modest temperatures (20–30 K) with intervals of a few years, which reduces the possibility of ice chemical explosions.« less

"CHON" particles: The interstellar component of cometary dust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lien, David J.

1998-01-01

Interstellar dust is characterized by strong absorption in the ultraviolet and the mid-IR. Current models of interstellar dust are based on three chemically distinct components: a form of carbon (usually graphite), a silicate, and a blend of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or other carbonaceous material. Previous work using effective medium theories to understand the optical properties of cometary dust suggested that an amalgam of materials could reproduce the observed interstellar and cometary dust features. Recently, Lawler and Brownlee (1992) re-analyzed the PIA and PUMA-1 data sets from the Giotto flyby of P/Halley and discovered that the so-called "CHON" particles were actually composed of a blend of carbon-bearing and silicon-bearing materials. Based on effective medium theories, the absorption spectrum of such a material would display the spectral features of each of the components - strong UV absorption from the carbonaceous component and strong absorption in the IR from the silicate component. To test this idea, vapor-deposited samples were created using two different deposition techniques: sputtering with an argon RF magnetron and deposition from an argon plasma torch. Two different compositions were tested: a blend of graphite and silica in a 7:1 ratio and an amalgam of materials whose approximate composition matches the "CHON"-silicate abundances for the uncompressed PIA data set of Lawler and Brownlee: graphite, iron oxide, magnesium oxide, ammonium sulfate, calcium carbonate, and silica in mass ratios of 6:4.3:4:2.2:1:9. The samples were finely ground and pressed into 2" diameter disks using a 40 ton press. In all, four different experiments were performed: one with each of the compositions (C:SiO and "CHON") in both the RF magnetron and the plasma torch chambers. The RF magnetron created a uniform dark thin film on the substrate surface, and the plasma torch created a coating of small (<100 micron) diameter grey particles. The spectra of all four

Quantitative 3D shape description of dust particles from treated seeds by means of X-ray micro-CT.

PubMed

Devarrewaere, Wouter; Foqué, Dieter; Heimbach, Udo; Cantre, Dennis; Nicolai, Bart; Nuyttens, David; Verboven, Pieter

2015-06-16

Crop seeds are often treated with pesticides before planting. Pesticide-laden dust particles can be abraded from the seed coating during planting and expelled into the environment, damaging nontarget organisms. Drift of these dust particles depends on their size, shape and density. In this work, we used X-ray micro-CT to examine the size, shape (sphericity) and porosity of dust particles from treated seeds of various crops. The dust properties quantified in this work were very variable in different crops. This variability may be a result of seed morphology, seed batch, treatment composition, treatment technology, seed cleaning or an interaction of these factors. The intraparticle porosity of seed treatment dust particles varied from 0.02 to 0.51 according to the crop and generally increased with particle size. Calculated settling velocities demonstrated that accounting for particle shape and porosity is important in drift studies. For example, the settling velocity of dust particles with an equivalent diameter of 200 μm may vary between 0.1 and 1.2 m s(-1), depending on their shape and density. Our analysis shows that in a wind velocity of 5 m s(-1), such particles ejected at 1 m height may travel between 4 and 50 m from the source before settling. Although micro-CT is a valuable tool to characterize dust particles, the current image processing methodology limits the number of particles that can be analyzed.

The dynamics of submicron-sized dust particles lost from Phobos

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horanyi, M.; Tatrallyay, M.; Juhasz, A.; Luhmann, J. G.

1991-01-01

The dynamics of submicron-sized dielectric particles lost from the Martian moon Phobos are studied in connection with the possible detection of dust by the Phobos 2 spacecraft. The motion of these small dust grains is influenced not only by gravity but also by solar radiation pressure and electromagnetic forces. The plasma environment of Mars is described by applying a hybrid gasdynamic-cometary model. Some of the submicron-sized grains ejected at speeds on the order of a few tens meters per second can stay in orbit around Mars for several months forming a nonuniform and time-dependent dust halo.

Visual phenomena induced by cosmic rays and accelerated particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tobias, C. A.; Budinger, T. F.; Leith, J. T.; Mamoon, A.; Chapman, P. K.

1972-01-01

Experiments, conducted at cyclotrons together with observations by Apollo astronauts, suggest with little doubt that cosmic nuclei interacting with the visual apparatus cause the phenomenon of light flashes seen on translunar and transearth coast over the past four Apollo missions. Other experiments with high and low energy neutrons and a helium ion beam suggest that slow protons and helium ions with a stopping power greater than 10 to the 8th power eV/gram sq cm can cause the phenomenon in the dark adapted eye. It was demonstrated that charged particles induced by neutrons and helium ions can stimulate the visual apparatus. Some approaches to understanding the long term mission effects of galactic cosmic nuclei interacting with man and his nervous system are outlined.

Particle Simulations on Plasma and Dust Environment near Lunar Vertical Holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyake, Y.; Funaki, Y.; Nishino, M. N.

2016-12-01

The Japanese lunar orbiter KAGUYA has revealed the existence of vertical holes on the Moon, which have spatial scales of tens of meters and are possible lava tube skylights. The hole structure has recently received particular attention, because the structure is regarded as evidence for past existence of underground lava flows. Furthermore, the holes have high potential as locations for constructing future lunar bases, because of fewer extra-lunar rays/particles and micrometeorites reaching the hole bottoms. In this sense, these holes are not only of significance in selenology, but are also interesting from the viewpoint of plasma environments. The dayside electrostatic environment near the lunar surface is governed by interactions among the solar wind plasma, photoelectrons, and the charged lunar surface, providing topologically complex boundaries to the plasma. Thus we applied three-dimensional, massively-parallelized, particle-in-cell simulations to the near-hole environment on the Moon. This year we have introduced a horizontal cavern opened at the vertical wall of the hole, assuming the presence of a subsurface lave tube. We will show some preliminary results on the surface potential and its nearly plasma environments. We also started to study the dynamics of submicron-sized charged dust grains around the distinctive landscape. We particularly focus on an effect of a stochastic charging process of such small dust grains. Because of their small surface areas, the dusts will get/lose one elementary charge infrequently, and thus charge amount owned by each dust should be a stochastic variable unlike a widely-known spacecraft charging process. We develop a numerical model of such a charging process, which will be embedded into the test particle analysis of the dust dynamics. We report some results from our simulations on the dust charging process and dynamics around the lunar hole.

Tin in a chondritic interplanetary dust particle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rietmeijer, Frans J. M.

1989-01-01

Submicron platey Sn-rich grains are present in chondritic porous interplanetary dust particle (IDP) W7029 A and it is the second occurrence of a tin mineral in a stratospheric micrometeorite. Selected Area Electron Diffraction data for the Sn-rich grains match with Sn2O3 and Sn3O4. The oxide(s) may have formed in the solar nebula when tin metal catalytically supported reduction of CO or during flash heating on atmospheric entry of the IDP. The presence of tin is consistent with enrichments for other volatile trace elements in chondritic IDPs and may signal an emerging trend toward nonchondritic volatile element abundances in chondritic IDPs. The observation confirms small-scale mineralogical heterogeneity in fine-grained chondritic porous interplanetary dust.

Water uptake of clay and desert dust aerosol particles at sub- and supersaturated water vapor conditions.

PubMed

Herich, Hanna; Tritscher, Torsten; Wiacek, Aldona; Gysel, Martin; Weingartner, Ernest; Lohmann, Ulrike; Baltensperger, Urs; Cziczo, Daniel J

2009-09-28

Airborne mineral dust particles serve as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), thereby influencing the formation and properties of warm clouds. It is therefore of atmospheric interest how dust aerosols with different mineralogy behave when exposed to high relative humidity (RH) or supersaturation (SS) with respect to liquid water. In this study the subsaturated hygroscopic growth and the supersaturated cloud condensation nucleus activity of pure clays and real desert dust aerosols were determined using a hygroscopicity tandem differential mobility analyzer (HTDMA) and a cloud condensation nuclei counter (CCNC), respectively. Five different illite, montmorillonite and kaolinite clay samples as well as three desert dust samples (Saharan dust (SD), Chinese dust (CD) and Arizona test dust (ATD)) were investigated. Aerosols were generated both with a wet and a dry disperser. The water uptake was parameterized via the hygroscopicity parameter kappa. The hygroscopicity of dry generated dust aerosols was found to be negligible when compared to processed atmospheric aerosols, with CCNC derived kappa values between 0.00 and 0.02 (the latter corresponds to a particle consisting of 96.7% by volume insoluble material and approximately 3.3% ammonium sulfate). Pure clay aerosols were generally found to be less hygroscopic than natural desert dust particles. The illite and montmorillonite samples had kappa approximately 0.003. The kaolinite samples were less hygroscopic and had kappa=0.001. SD (kappa=0.023) was found to be the most hygroscopic dry-generated desert dust followed by CD (kappa=0.007) and ATD (kappa=0.003). Wet-generated dust showed an increased water uptake when compared to dry-generated samples. This is considered to be an artifact introduced by redistribution of soluble material between the particles. Thus, the generation method is critically important when presenting such data. These results indicate any atmospheric processing of a fresh mineral dust particle which

Final Reports of the Stardust ISPE: Seven Probable Interstellar Dust Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Carlton; Sans Tresseras, Juan-Angel; Westphal, Andrew J.; Stroud, Rhonda M.; Bechtel, Hans A.; Brenker, Frank E.; Butterworth, Anna L.; Flynn, George J.; Frank, David R.; Gainsforth, Zack;

Atmospheric aging of dust ice nucleating particles - a combined laboratory and field approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boose, Yvonne; Rodríguez, Sergio; García, M. Isabel; Linke, Claudia; Schnaiter, Martin; Zipori, Assaf; Crawford, Ian; Lohmann, Ulrike; Kanji, Zamin A.; Sierau, Berko

2016-04-01

We present INP data measured in-situ at two mostly free tropospheric locations: the High Altitude Research Station Jungfraujoch (JFJ) in the Swiss Alps, located at 3580 m above sea level (asl) and the Izaña observatory on Tenerife, off the West African shore (2373 m asl). INP concentrations were measured online with the Portable Ice Nucleation Chamber, PINC, at the Jungfraujoch in the winters of 2012, 2013 and 2014 and at Izaña in the summers of 2013 and 2014. Each measurement period lasted between 2 to 6 weeks. During summer, Izaña is frequently within the Saharan Air Layer and thus often exposed to Saharan dust events. Saharan dust also reaches the Jungfraujoch mainly during spring. For offline ice nucleation analysis in the laboratory under similar thermodynamic conditions, airborne dust was collected a) at Izaña with a cyclone directly from the air and b) collected from the surface of the Aletsch glacier close to the JFJ after deposition. Supporting measurements of aerosol particle size distributions and fluorescence were conducted at both locations, as well as cloud water isotope analysis at the Jungfraujoch and aerosol chemistry at Izaña. For both locations the origin of the INPs was investigated with a focus on dust and biological particles using back trajectories and chemical signature. Results show that dust aerosol is the dominant INP type at both locations at a temperature of 241 K. In addition to Saharan dust, also more local, basaltic dust is found at the Jungfraujoch. Biological particles are not observed to play a role for ice nucleation in clouds during winter at Jungfraujoch but are enriched in INP compared to the total aerosol at Izaña also during dust events. The comparison of the laboratory and the field measurements at Izaña indicates a good reproducibility of the field data by the collected dust samples. Field and laboratory data of the dust samples from both locations show that the dust arriving at JFJ is less ice nucleation active

Generation rate and particle size distribution of wood dust by handheld sanding operation.

PubMed

Ojima, Jun

2016-11-29

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and Japan Society for Occupational Health (JSOH) classified wood dust as a human carcinogen. Former studies have suggested that sanding with a portable sander is one of the processes that are liable to cause highest exposure to wood dust. However, the wood dust by sanding operation has not been investigated sufficiently. In this study, the generation rate and the particle size distribution of the wood dust produced by handheld sanding operation were observed by laboratory experiments. Beech and cypress were taken as typical hard and soft wood specimen respectively, and sanded with a portable sander. Three grades of sand paper (coarse, medium, fine) were attached to the sander in turn to be tested. The quantity of the wood dust produced by the sander was measured by weighing the specimen before and after the sanding and then the generation rate of the dust was calculated. Soft wood generated more dust than hard wood due to the difference in abrasion durability. A coarse sand paper produced more dust than a fine sand paper. The particles of less than 1 μm diameter were scarcely observed in the wood dust. When the specimens were sanded with a fine sand paper, the mass median aerodynamic diameters of beech dust and cypress dust were 9.0 μm and 9.8 μm, respectively. Respirable wood dust is able to be controlled by general ventilation with more than 0.7-4.2 m 3 /min ventilation rate.

Generation rate and particle size distribution of wood dust by handheld sanding operation

PubMed Central

Ojima, Jun

2016-01-01

Objectives: The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and Japan Society for Occupational Health (JSOH) classified wood dust as a human carcinogen. Former studies have suggested that sanding with a portable sander is one of the processes that are liable to cause highest exposure to wood dust. However, the wood dust by sanding operation has not been investigated sufficiently. In this study, the generation rate and the particle size distribution of the wood dust produced by handheld sanding operation were observed by laboratory experiments. Methods: Beech and cypress were taken as typical hard and soft wood specimen respectively, and sanded with a portable sander. Three grades of sand paper (coarse, medium, fine) were attached to the sander in turn to be tested. The quantity of the wood dust produced by the sander was measured by weighing the specimen before and after the sanding and then the generation rate of the dust was calculated. Results: Soft wood generated more dust than hard wood due to the difference in abrasion durability. A coarse sand paper produced more dust than a fine sand paper. The particles of less than 1 μm diameter were scarcely observed in the wood dust. When the specimens were sanded with a fine sand paper, the mass median aerodynamic diameters of beech dust and cypress dust were 9.0 μm and 9.8 μm, respectively. Conclusions: Respirable wood dust is able to be controlled by general ventilation with more than 0.7-4.2 m3/min ventilation rate. PMID:27725491

On the sizes and observable effects of dust particles in polar mesospheric winter echoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Havnes, O.; Kassa, M.

2009-05-01

In the present paper, recent radar and heating experiments on the polar mesospheric winter echoes (PMWE) are analyzed with the radar overshoot model. The PMWE dust particles that influence the radar backscatter most likely have sizes around 3 nm. For dust to influence the electrons in the PMWE layers, it must be charged; therefore, we have discussed the charging of nanometer-sized particles and found that the photodetachment effect, where photons of energy less than the work function of the dust material can remove excess electrons, probably is dominant at sunlit conditions. For moderate and low electron densities, very few of the dust smaller than ˜3 nm will be charged. We suggest that the normal requirement that disturbed magnetospheric conditions with ionizing precipitation must be present to create observable PMWE is needed mainly to create sufficiently high electron densities to overcome the photodetachment effect and charge the PMWE dust particles. We have also suggested other possible effects of the photodetachment on the occurrence rate of the PMWE. We attribute the lack of PMWE-like radar scattering layers in the lower mesosphere during the summer not only to a lower level of turbulence than in winter but also to that dust particles are removed from these layers due to the upward wind draught in the summer mesospheric circulation system. It is likely that this last effect will completely shut off the PMWE-like radar layers in the lower parts of the mesosphere.

Resolving the Mass Production and Surface Structure of the Enceladus Dust Plume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kempf, Sascha; Southworth, Benjamin; Spitale, Joseph; Srama, Ralf; Schmidt, Jürgen; Postberg, Frank

2017-04-01

There are ongoing arguments with regards to the Enceldaus plume, both on the total mass of ice particles produced by the plume in kg/s, as well as the structure of plume ejection along the tiger stripes. Herein, results from Cassini's Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) and Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) are used in conjunction with large-scale plume simulations to resolve each of these issues. Additional results are provided on the short-term variability of the plume, and the relation of specifc surface deposition features to emissions along given areas of the tiger stripes. By adjusting their plume model to the dust flux measured by the Cassini dust detector during the close Enceladus flyby in 2005, Schmidt et al. (2008) obtained a total dust production rate in the plumes of about

Analysis of LEAM experiment response to charged particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perkins, D.

1976-01-01

The objectives of the Lunar Ejecta and Meteorites Experiment (LEAM) were to measure the long-term variations in cosmic dust influx rates and the extent and nature of the lunar ejecta. While analyzing these characteristics in the data, it was discovered that a majority of the events could not be associated with hypervelocity particle impacts of the type usually identified with cosmic dust, but could only be correlated with the lunar surface and local sun angle. The possibility that charged particles could be incident on the sensors led to an analysis of the electronics to determine if such signals could cause the large pulse height analysis (PHA) signals. A qualitative analysis of the PHA circuit showed that an alternative mode of operation existed if the input signal were composed of pulses with pulse durations very long compared to the durations for which it was designed. This alternative mode would give large PHA outputs even though the actual input amplitudes were small. This revelation led to the examination of the sensor and its response to charged particles to determine the type of signals that could be expected.

Exposure to galactic cosmic radiation and solar energetic particles.

PubMed

O'Sullivan, D

2007-01-01

Several investigations of the radiation field at aircraft altitudes have been undertaken during solar cycle 23 which occurred in the period 1993-2003. The radiation field is produced by the passage of galactic cosmic rays and their nuclear reaction products as well as solar energetic particles through the Earth's atmosphere. Galactic cosmic rays reach a maximum intensity when the sun is least active and are at minimum intensity during solar maximum period. During solar maximum an increased number of coronal mass ejections and solar flares produce high energy solar particles which can also penetrate down to aircraft altitudes. It is found that the very complicated field resulting from these processes varies with altitude, latitude and stage of solar cycle. By employing several active and passive detectors, the whole range of radiation types and energies were encompassed. In-flight data was obtained with the co-operation of many airlines and NASA. The EURADOS Aircraft Crew in-flight data base was used for comparison with the predictions of various computer codes. A brief outline of some recent studies of exposure to radiation in Earth orbit will conclude this contribution.

Numerical simulation of migration behavior of uranium ore dust particles in the human respiratory tract

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Yong-jun; Yin, An-song; Li, Zhi; Lei, Bo; Ding, De-xin

2017-04-01

There is a certain concentration of radioactive dust particles in the air of workplace of underground uranium mines. Some small diameter particles will pass through the masks and enter the respiratory tract which will cause radiation damage to the human body. In order to study deposition regularity of uranium dust in the human respiratory tract, in this paper, we firstly use the RNG turbulence model to simulate the gas flow field in the human respiratory tract Z0 ∼ Z3 level under different respiratory intensity. Then we use DPM discrete phase model to simulate the concentration, particle size distribution, deposition rate and deposition share of uranium dust particles after being filtered through the masks in the human respiratory tract Z0 to Z3 bronchus. According to the simulation results, we have got the following conclusions: the particles’ number concentration of uranium dust after being filtered through the mask in the human respiratory tract basically decreases with the increasing of particle size under different respiratory intensities on the environment of uranium mine. In addition, the intensity of respiration and the mass concentration of particles have an important influence on the deposition rate and the deposition of particles in the respiratory tract.

Exploring the wake of a dust particle by a continuously approaching test grain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jung, Hendrik, E-mail: hjung@physik.uni-kiel.de; Greiner, Franko; Asnaz, Oguz Han

2015-05-15

The structure of the ion wake behind a dust particle in the plasma sheath of an rf discharge is studied in a two-particle system. The wake formation leads to attractive forces between the negatively charged dust and can cause a reduction of the charge of a particle. By evaluating the dynamic response of the particle system to small external perturbations, these quantities can be measured. Plasma inherent etching processes are used to achieve a continuous mass loss and hence an increasing levitation height of the lower particle, so that the structure of the wake of the upper particle, which ismore » nearly unaffected by etching, can be probed. The results show a significant modification of the wake structure in the plasma sheath to one long potential tail.« less

Cosmic ray particle dosimetry and trajectory tracing. [cosmic ray track analysis for Apollo 17 BIOCORE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cruty, M. R.; Benton, E. V.; Turnbill, C. E.; Philpott, D. E.

1975-01-01

Five pocket mice (Perognathus longimembris) were flown on Apollo XVII, each with a solid-state (plastic) nuclear track detector implanted beneath its scalp. The subscalp detectors were sensitive to HZE cosmic ray particles with a LET greater than or approximately equal to 0.15 million electron volts per micrometer (MeV/micron). A critical aspect of the dosimetry of the experiment involved tracing individual particle trajectories through each mouse head from particle tracks registered in the individual subscalp detectors, thereby establishing a one-to-one correspondence between a trajectory location in the tissue and the presence or absence of a lesion. The other major aspect was the identification of each registered particle. An average of 16 particles with Z greater than or equal to 6 and 2.2 particles with Z greater than or equal to 20 were found per detector. The track density, 29 tracks/sq cm, when adjusted for detection volume, was in agreement with the photographic emulsion data from an area dosimeter located next to the flight package.

A New Method Using Single-Particle Mass Spectrometry Data to Distinguish Mineral Dust and Biological Aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Mashat, H.; Kristensen, L.; Sultana, C. M.; Prather, K. A.

2016-12-01

The ability to distinguish types of particles present within a cloud is important for determining accurate inputs to climate models. The chemical composition of particles within cloud liquid droplets and ice crystals can have a significant impact on the timing, location, and amount of precipitation that falls. Precipitation efficiency is increased by the presence of ice crystals in clouds, and both mineral dust and biological aerosols have been shown to be effective ice nucleating particles (INPs) in the atmosphere. A current challenge in aerosol science is distinguishing mineral dust and biological material in the analysis of real-time, ambient, single-particle mass spectral data. Single-particle mass spectrometers are capable of measuring the size-resolved chemical composition of individual atmospheric particles. However, there is no consistent analytical method for distinguishing dust and biological aerosols. Sampling and characterization of control samples (i.e. of known identity) of mineral dust and bacteria were performed by the Aerosol Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (ATOFMS) as part of the Fifth Ice Nucleation (FIN01) Workshop at the Aerosol Interaction and Dynamics in the Atmosphere (AIDA) facility in Karlsruhe, Germany. Using data collected by the ATOFMS of control samples, a new metric has been developed to classify single particles as dust or biological independent of spectral cluster analysis. This method, involving the use of a ratio of mass spectral peak areas for organic nitrogen and silicates, is easily reproducible and does not rely on extensive knowledge of particle chemistry or the ionization characteristics of mass spectrometers. This represents a step toward rapidly distinguishing particle types responsible for ice nucleation activity during real-time sampling in clouds. The ability to distinguish types of particles present within a cloud is important for determining accurate inputs to climate models. The chemical composition of particles

X-ray spectrometry of individual Asian dust-storm particles over the Japanese islands and the North Pacific Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okada, Kikuo; Naruse, Hiroshi; Tanaka, Toyoaki; Nemoto, Osamu; Iwasaka, Yasunobu; Wu, Pei-Ming; Ono, Akira; Duce, Robert A.; Uematsu, Mitsuo; Merrill, John T.; Arao, Kimio

Individual aerosol particles were collected during spring 1986 near the surface over the Japanese islands (Nagasaki and Nagoya) and the North Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. Asian dust-storm particles found in these samples were examined by use of an electron microscope equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDX). These dust-storm particles usually consisted of Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Ti and Fe, together with S and Cl. For the individual particles collected over Japan, changes in morphological features and in the amounts of elements before and after the dialysis (extraction) of water-soluble material were studied. The examination indicated that the dust particles were present as mixed particles (internal mixture of water-soluble and -insoluble material), wheras the the water-soluble material mainly contained Ca and S. Over the North Pacific Ocean, the dust-storm particles were present internally in sea-salt particles. It is suggested that the internal mixture of minerals and sea-salt is probably due to interaction within clouds. Formation of CaSO 4 on the dust particles was also suggested on the basis of quantitative results obtained by the use of the EDX.

A Novel System to Generate WTC Dust Particles for Inhalation Exposures

PubMed Central

Vaughan, Joshua M.; Garrett, Brittany; Prophete, Colette; Horton, Lori; Sisco, Maureen; Soukup, Joleen M.; Zelikoff, Judith; Ghio, Andrew; Peltier, Richard E.; Asgharian, Bahman; Chen, Lung-Chi; Cohen, Mitchell D.

2014-01-01

First Responders (FR) present at Ground Zero within the first 72-hr after the WTC (World Trade Center) collapse have progressively exhibited significant respiratory injury. The majority (>96%) of WTC dusts were >10 μm and no studies have examined potential health effects of this size fraction. This study sought to develop a system to generate and deliver supercoarse (10–53 μm) WTC particles to a rat model in a manner that mimicked FR exposure scenarios. A modified Fishing Line generator was integrated onto an intratracheal inhalation (ITIH) system that allowed for a bypassing of the nasal passages so as to mimic FR exposures. Dust concentrations were measured gravimetrically; particle size distribution was measured via elutriation. Results indicate that the system could produce dusts with 23 μm MMAD at levels up to ≥ 1200 mg/m3. To validate system utility, F344 rats were exposed for 2-hr to ≈100 mg WTC dust/m3. Exposed rats had significantly increased lung weight and levels of select tracer metals 1-hr post-exposure. Using this system, it is now possible to conduct relevant inhalation exposures to determine adverse WTC dusts impacts on the respiratory system. Furthermore, this novel integrated Fishing Line-ITIH system could potentially be used in the analyses of a wide spectrum of other dusts/pollutants of sizes previously untested or delivered to the lungs in ways that did not reflect realistic exposure scenarios. PMID:24220216

Limits on deeply penetrating particles in the 10(17) eV cosmic ray flux

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baltrusaitis, R. M.; Cassiday, G. L.; Cooper, R.; Elbert, J. W.; Gerhardy, J. W.; Loh, P. R.; Mizumoto, Y.; Sokolsky, P.; Sommers, P.; Steck, D.

1985-01-01

Deeply penetrating particles in the 10 to the 17th power eV cosmic ray flux were investigated. No such events were found in 8.2 x 10 to the 6th power sec of running time. Limits were set on the following: quark-matter in the primary cosmic ray flux; long-lived, weakly interacting particles produced in p-air collisions; the astrophysical neutrino flux. In particular, the neutrino flux limit at 10 to the 17th power eV implies that z, the red shift of maximum activity is 10 in the model of Hill and Schramm.

EXPLAINING TEV COSMIC-RAY ANISOTROPIES WITH NON-DIFFUSIVE COSMIC-RAY PROPAGATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harding, J. Patrick; Fryer, Chris L.; Mendel, Susan, E-mail: jpharding@lanl.gov, E-mail: fryer@lanl.gov, E-mail: smendel@lanl.gov

2016-05-10

Constraining the behavior of cosmic ray data observed at Earth requires a precise understanding of how the cosmic rays propagate in the interstellar medium. The interstellar medium is not homogeneous; although turbulent magnetic fields dominate over large scales, small coherent regions of magnetic field exist on scales relevant to particle propagation in the nearby Galaxy. Guided propagation through a coherent field is significantly different from random particle diffusion and could be the explanation of spatial anisotropies in the observed cosmic rays. We present a Monte Carlo code to propagate cosmic particle through realistic magnetic field structures. We discuss the detailsmore » of the model as well as some preliminary studies which indicate that coherent magnetic structures are important effects in local cosmic-ray propagation, increasing the flux of cosmic rays by over two orders of magnitude at anisotropic locations on the sky. The features induced by coherent magnetic structure could be the cause of the observed TeV cosmic-ray anisotropy.« less

Collection strategy, inner morphology, and size distribution of dust particles in ASDEX Upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balden, M.; Endstrasser, N.; Humrickhouse, P. W.; Rohde, V.; Rasinski, M.; von Toussaint, U.; Elgeti, S.; Neu, R.; the ASDEX Upgrade Team

2014-07-01

The dust collection and analysis strategy in ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) is described. During five consecutive operation campaigns (2007-2011), Si collectors were installed, which were supported by filtered vacuum sampling and collection with adhesive tapes in 2009. The outer and inner morphology (e.g. shape) and elemental composition of the collected particles were analysed by scanning electron microscopy. The majority of the ˜50 000 analysed particles on the Si collectors of campaign 2009 contain tungsten—the plasma-facing material in AUG—and show basically two different types of outer appearance: spheroids and irregularly shaped particles. By far most of the W-dominated spheroids consist of a solid W core, i.e. solidified W droplets. A part of these particles is coated with a low-Z material; a process that seems to happen presumably in the far scrape-off layer plasma. In addition, some conglomerates of B, C and W appear as spherical particles after their contact with plasma. By far most of the particles classified as B-, C- and W-dominated irregularly shaped particles consist of the same conglomerate with varying fraction of embedded W in the B-C matrix and some porosity, which can exceed 50%. The fragile structures of many conglomerates confirm the absence of intensive plasma contact. Both the ablation and mobilization of conglomerate material and the production of W droplets are proposed to be triggered by arcing. The size distribution of each dust particle class is best described by a log-normal distribution allowing an extrapolation of the dust volume and surface area. The maximum in this distribution is observed above the resolution limit of 0.28 µm only for the W-dominated spheroids, at around 1 µm. The amount of W-containing dust is extrapolated to be less than 300 mg on the horizontal areas of AUG.

Laboratory investigation of antenna signals from dust impacts on spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sternovsky, Zoltan; Collette, Andrew; Malaspina, David M.; Thayer, Frederick

2016-04-01

Electric field and plasma wave instruments act as dust detectors picking up voltage pulses induced by impacts of particulates on the spacecraft body. These signals enable the characterization of cosmic dust environments even with missions without dedicated dust instruments. For example, the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft performed the first detection of dust particles near Uranus, Neptune, and in the outer solar system [Gurnett et al., 1987, 1991, 1997]. The two STEREO spacecraft observed distinct signals at high rate that were interpreted as nano-sized particles originating from near the Sun and accelerated to high velocities by the solar wind [MeyerVernet et al, 2009a, Zaslavsky et al., 2012]. The MAVEN spacecraft is using the antennas onboard to characterize the dust environment of Mars [Andersson et al., 2014] and Solar Probe Plus will do the same in the inner heliosphere. The challenge, however, is the correct interpretation of the impact signals and calculating the mass of the dust particles. The uncertainties result from the incomplete understanding of the signal pickup mechanisms, and the variation of the signal amplitude with impact location, the ambient plasma environment, and impact speed. A comprehensive laboratory study of impact generated antenna signals has been performed recently using the IMPACT dust accelerator facility operated at the University of Colorado. Dust particles of micron and submicron sizes with velocities of tens of km/s are generated using a 3 MV electrostatic analyzer. A scaled down model spacecraft is exposed to the dust impacts and one or more antennas, connected to sensitive electronics, are used to detect the impact signals. The measurements showed that there are three clearly distinct signal pickup mechanisms due to spacecraft charging, antenna charging and antenna pickup sensing space charge from the expanding plasma cloud. All mechanisms vary with the spacecraft and antenna bias voltages and, furthermore, the latter two

The spectral properties of interplanetary dust particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sandford, Scott A.

1988-01-01

The observed spectral and mineralogical properties of interplanetary dust particles (IDP) allows the conclusion that: (1) the majority of IDP infrared spectra are dominated by olivine, pyroxene, or layer lattice silicate minerals, (2) to the first order the emission spectra of comets Halley and Kohoutek can be matched by mixtures of these IDP infrared types, implying that comets contain mixtures of these different crystalline silicates and may vary from comet to comet and perhaps even within a single comet, (3) do not expect to observe a single 20 micron feature in cometary spectra, (4) carbonaceous materials dominate the visible spectra properties of the IDPs even though the mass in these particles consists primarily of silicates, and (5) the particle characteristics summarized need to be properly accounted for in future cometary emission models.

The Diversity of Carbon in Cometary Refractory Dust Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wooden, D. H.

2018-01-01

When comparing the dark icy surfaces of outer solar system small bodies and the composition of carbonaceous chondrites derived from dark asteroids we find a significant discrepancy in the assessed amounts of elemental carbon: up to 80% amorphous carbon is used to model the dark surfaces of Kuiper Belt Objects and Centaurs whereas at most 5% of elemental carbon is found in carbonaceous chondrites. If we presume that regimes of comet nuclei formation are analogous to disk regimes where other outer solar system ice-rich bodies formed then we can turn to comet dust to gain insights into the diversity in the concentration and forms of carbon available in the outer disk. Comet dust offers important insights into the diversity in the amounts and forms of carbon that were incorporated into aggregate dust particles in the colder parts of the protoplanetary disk out of which comet nuclei accreted. Comet nuclei are amongst the most primitive bodies because they have remained cold and unequilibrated. Comet dust particles reveal the presence of forms of elemental carbon and of soluble and insoluble organic matter, and in a great diversity of concentrations from very little, e.g., Stardust samples of comet 81P/Wild 2, to 80% by volume for Ultra Carbonaceous Antarctic Micro Meteorites (UCAMMs). Cometary outbursts and/or jet activity also demonstrate variations in the concentration of carbon in the grains at different grain sizes within a single comet. We review the diversity of carbon-bearing dust grains in cometary samples, flyby measurements and deduced from remote-sensing to enrich the discussion about the diversity of carbonaceous matter available in the outer ice-rich disk at the time of comet nuclei formation.

Anomalies in cosmic rays: New particles versus charm?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balayan, G. L.; Khodjamirian, A. Y.; Oganessian, A. G.

1985-01-01

For a long time two anomalies are observed in cosmic rays at energies E approx. = 100 TeV: (1) the generation of long-flying cascades in the hadron calorimeter (the so-called Tien-Shan effect) and; (2) the enhancement of direct muon yield as compared with the accelerator energy region. The aim is to discuss the possibility that both anomalies have common origins arising from production and decays of the same particles. the main conclusions are the following: (1) direct muons cannot be generated by any new particles with mass exceeding 10+20 GeV; and (2) if both effects are originated from the charmed hadrons, then the needed charm hadroproduction cross section is unexpectedly large as compared with the quark-gluon model predictions.

Particle creation in (2+1) circular dust collapse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutti, Sashideep; Singh, T. P.

2007-09-01

We investigate the quantum particle creation during the circularly symmetric collapse of a 2+1 dust cloud, for the cases when the cosmological constant is either zero or negative. We derive the Ford-Parker formula for the 2+1 case, which can be used to compute the radiated quantum flux in the geometric optics approximation. It is shown that no particles are created when the collapse ends in a naked singularity, unlike in the 3+1 case. When the collapse ends in a Banados-Teitelboim-Zanelli black hole, we recover the expected Hawking radiation.

High negative charge of a dust particle in a hot cathode discharge.

PubMed

Arnas, C; Mikikian, M; Doveil, F

1999-12-01

Dust particle levitation experiments in a plasma produced by a hot filament discharge, operating at low argon pressure, are presented. The basic characteristics of a dust grain trapped in a plate sheath edge in these experimental conditions are reported. Taking into account the sheath potential profiles measured with a differential emissive probe diagnostic, the forces applied to an isolated dust grain can be determined. Two different experimental methods yield approximately the same value for the dust charge. The observed high negative charge is mainly due to the contribution of the primary electrons emitted by the filaments as predicted by a simple model.

Optical properties of non-spherical desert dust particles in the terrestrial infrared - An asymptotic approximation approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klüser, Lars; Di Biagio, Claudia; Kleiber, Paul D.; Formenti, Paola; Grassian, Vicki H.

2016-07-01

Optical properties (extinction efficiency, single scattering albedo, asymmetry parameter and scattering phase function) of five different desert dust minerals have been calculated with an asymptotic approximation approach (AAA) for non-spherical particles. The AAA method combines Rayleigh-limit approximations with an asymptotic geometric optics solution in a simple and straightforward formulation. The simulated extinction spectra have been compared with classical Lorenz-Mie calculations as well as with laboratory measurements of dust extinction. This comparison has been done for single minerals and with bulk dust samples collected from desert environments. It is shown that the non-spherical asymptotic approximation improves the spectral extinction pattern, including position of the extinction peaks, compared to the Lorenz-Mie calculations for spherical particles. Squared correlation coefficients from the asymptotic approach range from 0.84 to 0.96 for the mineral components whereas the corresponding numbers for Lorenz-Mie simulations range from 0.54 to 0.85. Moreover the blue shift typically found in Lorenz-Mie results is not present in the AAA simulations. The comparison of spectra simulated with the AAA for different shape assumptions suggests that the differences mainly stem from the assumption of the particle shape and not from the formulation of the method itself. It has been shown that the choice of particle shape strongly impacts the quality of the simulations. Additionally, the comparison of simulated extinction spectra with bulk dust measurements indicates that within airborne dust the composition may be inhomogeneous over the range of dust particle sizes, making the calculation of reliable radiative properties of desert dust even more complex.

Ultrafine-grained mineralogy and matrix chemistry of olivine-rich chondritic interplanetary dust particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rietmeijer, F. J. M.

1989-01-01

Olivine-rich chondritic interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) are an important subset of fluffy chondritic IDPs collected in the earth's stratosphere. Particles in this subset are characterized by a matrix of nonporous, ultrafine-grained granular units. Euhedral single crystals, crystals fragments, and platey single crystals occur dispersed in the matrix. Analytical electron microscopy of granular units reveals predominant magnesium-rich olivines and FeNi-sulfides embedded in amorphous carbonaceous matrix material. The variable ratio of ultrafine-grained minerals vs. carbonaceous matrix material in granular units support variable C/Si ratios, and some fraction of sulfur is associated with carbonaceous matrix material. The high Mg/(Mg+Fe) ratios in granular units is similar to this distribution in P/Comet Halley dust. The chondritic composition of fine-grained, polycrystalline IDPs gradually breaks down into nonchondritic, and ultimately, single mineral compositions as a function of decreased particle mass. The relationship between particle mass and composition in the matrix of olivine-rich chondritic IDPs is comparable with the relationship inferred for P/Comet Halley dust.

The origin of low mass particles within and beyond the dust coma envelopes of Comet Halley

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simpson, J. A.; Rabinowitz, D.; Tuzzolino, A. J.; Ksanfomality, L. V.; Sagdeev, R. Z.

1987-01-01

Measurements from the Dust Counter and Mass Analyzer (DUCMA) instruments on VEGA-1 and -2 revealed unexpected fluxes of low mass (up to 10 to the minus 13th power g) dust particles at very great distances from the nucleus (300,000 to 600,000 km). These particles are detected in clusters (10 sec duration), preceded and followed by relatively long time intervals during which no dust is detected. This cluster phenomenon also occurs inside the envelope boundaries. Clusters of low mass particles are intermixed with the overall dust distribution throughout the coma. The clusters account for many of the short-term small-scale intensity enhancements previously ascribed to microjets in the coma. The origin of these clusters appears to be emission from the nucleus of large conglomerates which disintegrate in the coma to yield clusters of discrete, small particles continuing outward to the distant coma.

Pyrogenic effect of respirable road dust particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayawardena, Umesh; Tollemark, Linda; Tagesson, Christer; Leanderson, Per

2009-02-01

Because pyrogenic (fever-inducing) compounds on ambient particles may play an important role for particle toxicity, simple methods to measure pyrogens on particles are needed. Here we have used a modified in vitro pyrogen test (IPT) to study the release of interleukin 1β (IL-1β) in whole human blood exposed to respirable road-dust particles (RRDP). Road dusts were collected from the roadside at six different streets in three Swedish cities and particles with a diameter less than 10 μm (RRDP) were prepared by a water sedimentation procedure followed by lyophilisation. RRDP (200 μl of 1 - 106 ng/ml) were mixed with 50 μl whole blood and incubated at 37 °C overnight before IL-1β was analysed with chemiluminescence ELISA in 384-well plates. Endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide from Salmonella minnesota), zymosan B and Curdlan (P-1,3-glucan) were used as positive controls. All RRDP samples had a pyrogenic effect and the most active sample produced 1.6 times more IL-1β than the least active. This formation was of the same magnitude as in samples with 10 ng LPS/ml and was larger than that evoked by zymosan B and Curdlan (by mass basis). The method was sensitive enough to determine formation of IL-1β in mixtures with 10 ng RRDP/ml or 0.01 ng LPS/ml. The endotoxin inhibitor, polymyxin B (10 μg/ml), strongly reduced the RRDP-induced formation of IL-1β at 1μg RRDP/ml (around 80 % inhibition), but had only marginal or no effects at higher RRDP-concentrations (10 and 100 μg /ml). In summary, all RRDP tested had a clear pyrogen effect in this in vitro model. Endotoxin on the particles but also other factors contributed to the pyrogenic effect. As opposed to the limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) assay (which measures endotoxin alone), IPT measures a broad range of pyrogens that may be present on particulate matter. The IPT method thus affords a simple, sensitive and quantitative determination of the total pyrogenic potential of ambient particles.

Terrestrial in situ sampling of dust devils (relative particle loads and vertical grain size distributions) as an equivalent for martian dust devils.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raack, J.; Dennis, R.; Balme, M. R.; Taj-Eddine, K.; Ori, G. G.

2017-12-01

Dust devils are small vertical convective vortices which occur on Earth and Mars [1] but their internal structure is almost unknown. Here we report on in situ samples of two active dust devils in the Sahara Desert in southern Morocco [2]. For the sampling we used a 4 m high aluminium pipe with sampling areas made of removable adhesive tape. We took samples between 0.1-4 m with a sampling interval of 0.5 m and between 0.5-2 m with an interval of 0.25 m, respectively. The maximum diameter of all particles of the different sampling heights were then measured using an optical microscope to gain vertical grain size distributions and relative particle loads. Our measurements imply that both dust devils have a general comparable internal structure despite their different strengths and dimensions which indicates that the dust devils probably represents the surficial grain size distribution they move over. The particle sizes within the dust devils decrease nearly exponential with height which is comparable to results by [3]. Furthermore, our results show that about 80-90 % of the total particle load were lifted only within the first meter, which is a direct evidence for the existence of a sand skirt. If we assume that grains with a diameter <31 μm can go into suspension [4], our results show that only less than 0.1 wt% can be entrained into the atmosphere. Although this amount seems very low, these values represent between 60 and 70 % of all lifted particles due to the small grain sizes and their low weight. On Mars, the amount of lifted particles will be general higher as the dust coverage is larger [5], although the atmosphere can only suspend smaller grain sizes ( <20 μm) [6] compared to Earth. During our field campaign we observed numerous larger dust devils each day which were up to several hundred meters tall and had diameters of several tens of meters. This implies a much higher input of fine grained material into the atmosphere (which will have an influence on the

Integrating laboratory and field data to quantify the immersion freezing ice nucleation activity of mineral dust particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeMott, P. J.; Prenni, A. J.; McMeeking, G. R.; Sullivan, R. C.; Petters, M. D.; Tobo, Y.; Niemand, M.; Möhler, O.; Snider, J. R.; Wang, Z.; Kreidenweis, S. M.

2014-06-01

Data from both laboratory studies and atmospheric measurements are used to develop a simple parametric description for the immersion freezing activity of natural mineral dust particles. Measurements made with the Colorado State University (CSU) continuous flow diffusion chamber (CFDC) when processing mineral dust aerosols at a nominal 105% relative humidity with respect to water (RHw) are taken to approximate the immersion freezing nucleation activity of particles. Ice active frozen fractions vs. temperature for dusts representative of Saharan and Asian desert sources were consistent with similar measurements in atmospheric dust plumes for a limited set of comparisons available. The parameterization developed follows the form of one suggested previously for atmospheric particles of non-specific composition in quantifying ice nucleating particle concentrations as functions of temperature and the total number concentration of particles larger than 0.5 μm diameter. Such an approach does not explicitly account for surface area and time dependencies for ice nucleation, but sufficiently encapsulates the activation properties for potential use in regional and global modeling simulations, and possible application in developing remote sensing retrievals for ice nucleating particles. A correction factor is introduced to account for the apparent underestimate (by approximately 3, on average) of the immersion freezing fraction of mineral dust particles for CSU CFDC data processed at an RHw of 105% vs. maximum fractions active at higher RHw. Instrumental factors that affect activation behavior vs. RHw in CFDC instruments remain to be fully explored in future studies. Nevertheless, the use of this correction factor is supported by comparison to ice activation data obtained for the same aerosols from Aerosol Interactions and Dynamics of the Atmosphere (AIDA) expansion chamber cloud parcel experiments. Further comparison of the new parameterization to the immersion freezing

Integrating laboratory and field data to quantify the immersion freezing ice nucleation activity of mineral dust particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeMott, P. J.; Prenni, A. J.; McMeeking, G. R.; Sullivan, R. C.; Petters, M. D.; Tobo, Y.; Niemand, M.; Möhler, O.; Snider, J. R.; Wang, Z.; Kreidenweis, S. M.

2015-01-01

Data from both laboratory studies and atmospheric measurements are used to develop an empirical parameterization for the immersion freezing activity of natural mineral dust particles. Measurements made with the Colorado State University (CSU) continuous flow diffusion chamber (CFDC) when processing mineral dust aerosols at a nominal 105% relative humidity with respect to water (RHw) are taken as a measure of the immersion freezing nucleation activity of particles. Ice active frozen fractions vs. temperature for dusts representative of Saharan and Asian desert sources were consistent with similar measurements in atmospheric dust plumes for a limited set of comparisons available. The parameterization developed follows the form of one suggested previously for atmospheric particles of non-specific composition in quantifying ice nucleating particle concentrations as functions of temperature and the total number concentration of particles larger than 0.5 μm diameter. Such an approach does not explicitly account for surface area and time dependencies for ice nucleation, but sufficiently encapsulates the activation properties for potential use in regional and global modeling simulations, and possible application in developing remote sensing retrievals for ice nucleating particles. A calibration factor is introduced to account for the apparent underestimate (by approximately 3, on average) of the immersion freezing fraction of mineral dust particles for CSU CFDC data processed at an RHw of 105% vs. maximum fractions active at higher RHw. Instrumental factors that affect activation behavior vs. RHw in CFDC instruments remain to be fully explored in future studies. Nevertheless, the use of this calibration factor is supported by comparison to ice activation data obtained for the same aerosols from Aerosol Interactions and Dynamics of the Atmosphere (AIDA) expansion chamber cloud parcel experiments. Further comparison of the new parameterization, including calibration

Effective Dose Equivalent due to Cosmic Ray Particles and Their Secondary Particles on the Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayatsu, Kanako; Hareyama, Makoto; Kobayashi, Shingo; Karouji, Yuzuru; Sakurai, K.; Sihver, Lembit; Hasebe, N.

Estimation of radiation dose on and under the lunar surface is quite important for human activity on the Moon and for the future lunar bases construction. Radiation environment on the Moon is much different from that on the Earth. Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) and solar energetic particles (SEPs) directly penetrate the lunar surface because of no atmosphere and no magnetic field around the Moon. Then, they generate many secondary particles such as neutrons, gamma rays and other charged particles by nuclear interactions with soils and regolith breccias under the lunar surface. Therefore, the estimation of radiation dose from them on the surface and the underground of the Moon are essential for safety human activities. In this study, the effective dose equivalents at the surface and various depths of the Moon were estimated using by the latest cosmic rays observation and developed calculation code. The largest contribution to the dose on the surface is primary charged particles in GCRs and SEPs, while in the ground, secondary neutrons are the most dominant. In particular, the dose from neutrons becomes maximal at 70-80 g/cm2 in depth of lunar soil, because fast neutrons with about 1.0 MeV are mostly produced at this depth and give the largest dose. On the lunar surface, the doses originated from large SEPs are very hazardous. We estimated the effective dose equivalents due to such large SEPs and the effects of aluminum shield for the large flare on the human body. In the presentation, we summarize and discuss the improved calculation results of radiation doses due to GCR particles and their secondary particles in the lunar subsurface. These results will provide useful data for the future exploration of the Moon.

HIGH-ENERGY ELECTRON IRRADIATION OF INTERSTELLAR CARBONACEOUS DUST ANALOGS: COSMIC-RAY EFFECTS ON THE CARRIERS OF THE 3.4 μ m ABSORPTION BAND

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maté, Belén; Molpeceres, Germán; Jiménez-Redondo, Miguel

2016-11-01

The effects of cosmic rays on the carriers of the interstellar 3.4 μ m absorption band have been investigated in the laboratory. This band is attributed to stretching vibrations of CH{sub 3} and CH{sub 2} in carbonaceous dust. It is widely observed in the diffuse interstellar medium, but disappears in dense clouds. Destruction of CH{sub 3} and CH{sub 2} by cosmic rays could become relevant in dense clouds, shielded from the external ultraviolet field. For the simulations, samples of hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) have been irradiated with 5 keV electrons. The decay of the band intensity versus electron fluence reflectsmore » a-C:H dehydrogenation, which is well described by a model assuming that H{sub 2} molecules, formed by the recombination of H atoms liberated through CH bond breaking, diffuse out of the sample. The CH bond destruction rates derived from the present experiments are in good accordance with those from previous ion irradiation experiments of HAC. The experimental simplicity of electron bombardment has allowed the use of higher-energy doses than in the ion experiments. The effects of cosmic rays on the aliphatic components of cosmic dust are found to be small. The estimated cosmic-ray destruction times for the 3.4 μ m band carriers lie in the 10{sup 8} yr range and cannot account for the disappearance of this band in dense clouds, which have characteristic lifetimes of 3 × 10{sup 7} yr. The results invite a more detailed investigation of the mechanisms of CH bond formation and breaking in the intermediate region between diffuse and dense clouds.« less

Particle Removal by Electrostatic and Dielectrophoretic Forces for Dust Control During Lunar Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calle, C. I.; Buhler, C. R.; McFall, J. L.; Snyder, S. J.

2009-01-01

Particle removal during lunar exploration activities is of prime importance for the success of robotic and human exploration of the moon. We report on our efforts to use electrostatic and dielectrophoretic forces to develop a dust removal technology that prevents the accumulation of dust on solar panels and removes dust adhering to those surfaces. Testing of several prototypes showed solar shield output above 90% of the initial potentials after dust clearing.

Wave-Particle Dynamics of Wave Breaking in the Self-Excited Dust Acoustic Wave

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teng, Lee-Wen; Chang, Mei-Chu; Tseng, Yu-Ping; I, Lin

2009-12-01

The wave-particle microdynamics in the breaking of the self-excited dust acoustic wave growing in a dusty plasma liquid is investigated through directly tracking dust micromotion. It is found that the nonlinear wave growth and steepening stop as the mean oscillating amplitude of dust displacement reaches about 1/k (k is the wave number), where the vertical neighboring dust trajectories start to crossover and the resonant wave heating with uncertain crest trapping onsets. The dephased dust oscillations cause the abrupt dropping and broadening of the wave crest after breaking, accompanied by the transition from the liquid phase with coherent dust oscillation to the gas phase with chaotic dust oscillation. Corkscrew-shaped phase-space distributions measured at the fixed phases of the wave oscillation cycle clearly indicate how dusts move in and constitute the evolving waveform through dust-wave interaction.

Observations of ultraheavy cosmic ray particles at 10 GV cutoff rigidity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yanagimachi, T.; Hisano, K.; Ito, K.; Kobayashi, S.; Doke, T.; Hamasaki, R.; Hayashi, T.; Yakenaka, T.; Nagata, K.

1985-01-01

Ultraheavy cosmic ray particles with Z 45 and Fe were observed in two balloon flights at a mean geomagnetic cutoff rigidity of 10 GV. Fluxes of these particles at the top of the atmosphere are presented. A ratio of (Z 45)/(Fe) is compared with other experimental results. The ratio decreases with increasing energy in the energy range from 1 to 10 GeV/amu. A possibility is presented to explain the variation of the ratio with energy.

A novel system to generate WTC dust particles for inhalation exposures.

PubMed

Vaughan, Joshua M; Garrett, Brittany J; Prophete, Colette; Horton, Lori; Sisco, Maureen; Soukup, Joleen M; Zelikoff, Judith T; Ghio, Andrew; Peltier, Richard E; Asgharian, Bahman; Chen, Lung-Chi; Cohen, Mitchell D

2014-01-01

First responders (FRs) present at Ground Zero within the critical first 72 h after the World Trade Center (WTC) collapse have progressively exhibited significant respiratory injury. The majority (>96%) of WTC dusts were >10 μm and no studies have examined potential health effects of this size fraction. This study sought to develop a system to generate and deliver supercoarse (10-53 μm) WTC particles to a rat model in a manner that mimicked FR exposure scenarios. A modified Fishing Line generator was integrated onto an intratracheal inhalation (ITIH) system that allowed for a bypassing of the nasal passages so as to mimic FR exposures. Dust concentrations were measured gravimetrically; particle size distribution was measured via elutriation. Results indicate that the system could produce dusts with 23 μm mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) at levels up to ≥1200 mg/m(3). To validate system utility, F344 rats were exposed for 2 h to ≈100 mg WTC dust/m(3). Exposed rats had significantly increased lung weight and levels of select tracer metals 1 h after exposure. Using this system, it is now possible to conduct relevant inhalation exposures to determine adverse WTC dusts impacts on the respiratory system. Furthermore, this novel integrated Fishing Line-ITIH system could potentially be used in the analyses of a wide spectrum of other dusts/pollutants of sizes previously untested or delivered to the lungs in ways that did not reflect realistic exposure scenarios.

In-situ detection of micron-sized dust particles in near-Earth space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gruen, E.; Zook, H. A.

1985-01-01

In situ detectors for micron sized dust particles based on the measurement of impact ionization have been flown on several space missions (Pioneer 8/9, HEOS-2 and Helios 1/2). Previous measurements of small dust particles in near-Earth space are reviewed. An instrument is proposed for the measurement of micron sized meteoroids and space debris such as solid rocket exhaust particles from on board an Earth orbiting satellite. The instrument will measure the mass, speed, flight direction and electrical charge of individually impacting debris and meteoritic particles. It is a multicoincidence detector of 1000 sq cm sensitive area and measures particle masses in the range from 10 to the -14th power g to 10 to the -8th power g at an impact speed of 10 km/s. The instrument is lightweight (5 kg), consumes little power (4 watts), and requires a data sampling rate of about 100 bits per second.

Assessment of the influence of traffic-related particles in urban dust using sequential selective extraction and oral bioaccessibility tests.

PubMed

Patinha, C; Durães, N; Sousa, P; Dias, A C; Reis, A P; Noack, Y; Ferreira da Silva, E

2015-08-01

Urban dust is a heterogeneous mix, where traffic-related particles can combine with soil mineral compounds, forming a unique and site-specific material. These traffic-related particles are usually enriched in potentially harmful elements, enhancing the health risk for population by inhalation or ingestion. Urban dust samples from Estarreja city and traffic-related particles (brake dust and white traffic paint) were studied to understand the relative contribution of the traffic particles in the geochemical behaviour of urban dust and to evaluate the long-term impacts of the metals on an urban environment, as well as the risk to the populations. It was possible to distinguish two groups of urban dust samples according to Cu behaviour: (1) one group with low amounts of fine particles (<38 µm), low contents of organic material, high percentage of Cu in soluble phases, and low Cu bioaccessible fraction (Bf) values. This group showed similar chemical behaviour with the brake dust samples of low- to mid-range car brands (with more than 10 years old), composed by coarser wear particles; and (2) another group with greater amounts of fine particles (<38 µm), with low percentage of Cu associated with soluble phases, and with greater Cu Bf values. This group behaved similar to those found for brake dust of mid- to high-range car brands (with less than 10 years old). The results obtained showed that there is no direct correlation between the geoavailability of metals estimated by sequential selective chemical extraction (SSCE) and the in vitro oral bioaccessibility (UBM) test. Thus, oral bioaccessibility of urban dust is site specific. Geoavailability was greatly dependent on particle size, where the bioaccessibility tended to increase with a reduction in particle diameter. As anthropogenic particles showed high metal concentration and a smaller size than mineral particles, urban dusts are of major concern to the populations' health, since fine particles are easily re

Water uptake of clay and desert dust aerosol particles at sub- and supersaturated water vapor conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Herich, Hanna; Tritscher, Torsten; Wiacek, Aldona

2009-11-01

Airborne mineral dust particles serve as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), thereby influencing the formation and properties of warm clouds. It is therefore of particular interest how dust aerosols with different mineralogy behave when exposed to high relative humidity (RH) or supersaturation with respect to liquid water similar to atmospheric conditions. In this study the sub-saturated hygroscopic growth and the supersaturated cloud condensation nucleus activity of pure clays and real desert dust aerosols was determined using a hygroscopicity tandem differential mobility analyzer (HTDMA) and a cloud condensation nuclei counter (CCNC), respectively. Five different illite, montmorillonite and kaolinite clay samples as wellmore » as three desert dust samples (Saharan dust (SD), Chinese dust (CD) and Arizona test dust (ATD)) were used. Aerosols were generated both with a wet and a dry disperser and the water uptake was parameterized via the hygroscopicity parameter, κ. The hygroscopicity of dry generated dust aerosols was found to be negligible when compared to processed atmospheric aerosols, with CCNC derived κ values between 0.00 and 0.02. The latter value can be idealized as a particle consisting of 96.7% (by volume) insoluble material and ~3.3% ammonium sulfate. Pure clay aerosols were found to be generally less hygroscopic than real desert dust particles. All illite and montmorillonite samples had κ~0.003, kaolinites were least hygroscopic and had κ=0.001. SD (κ=0.023) was found to be the most hygroscopic dry-generated desert dust followed by CD (κ=0.007) and ATD (κ=0.003). Wet-generated dust showed an increased water uptake when compared to dry-generated samples. This is considered to be an artifact introduced by redistribution of soluble material between the particles while immersed in an aqueous medium during atomization, thus indicating that specification of the generation method is critically important when presenting such data. Any atmospheric

Explaining TeV cosmic-ray anisotropies with non-diffusive cosmic-ray propagation

DOE PAGES

Harding, James Patrick; Fryer, Chris Lee; Mendel, Susan Marie

2016-05-11

Constraining the behavior of cosmic ray data observed at Earth requires a precise understanding of how the cosmic rays propagate in the interstellar medium. The interstellar medium is not homogeneous; although turbulent magnetic fields dominate over large scales, small coherent regions of magnetic field exist on scales relevant to particle propagation in the nearby Galaxy. Guided propagation through a coherent field is significantly different from random particle diffusion and could be the explanation of spatial anisotropies in the observed cosmic rays. We present a Monte Carlo code to propagate cosmic particle through realistic magnetic field structures. We discuss the detailsmore » of the model as well as some preliminary studies which indicate that coherent magnetic structures are important effects in local cosmic-ray propagation, increasing the flux of cosmic rays by over two orders of magnitude at anisotropic locations on the sky. Furthermore, the features induced by coherent magnetic structure could be the cause of the observed TeV cosmic-ray anisotropy.« less

A smoothed particle hydrodynamics model for electrostatic transport of charged lunar dust on the moon surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Zirui; Liu, G. R.

2018-02-01

The behavior of lunar dust on the Moon surface is quite complicated compared to that on the Earth surface due to the small lunar gravity and the significant influence of the complicated electrostatic filed in the Universe. Understanding such behavior is critical for the exploration of the Moon. This work develops a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) model with the elastic-perfectly plastic constitutive equation and Drucker-Prager yield criterion to simulate the electrostatic transporting of multiple charged lunar dust particles. The initial electric field is generated based on the particle-in-cell method and then is superposed with the additional electric field from the charged dust particles to obtain the resultant electric field in the following process. Simulations of cohesive soil's natural failure and electrostatic transport of charged soil under the given electric force and gravity were carried out using the SPH model. Results obtained in this paper show that the negatively charged dust particles levitate and transport to the shadow area with a higher potential from the light area with a lower potential. The motion of soil particles finally comes to a stable state. The numerical result for final distribution of soil particles and potential profile above planar surface by the SPH method matches well with the experimental result, and the SPH solution looks sound in the maximum levitation height prediction of lunar dust under an uniform electric field compared to theoretical solution, which prove that SPH is a reliable method in describing the behavior of soil particles under a complicated electric field and small gravity field with the consideration of interactions among soil particles.

Effects of particle drifts on the solar modulation of galactic cosmic rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jokipii, J. R.; Levy, E. H.

1977-01-01

Gradient and curvature drifts in an Archimedean-spiral magnetic field are shown to produce a significant effect on the modulation of galactic cosmic rays by the solar wind. The net modulation, heliocentric radial gradient, and average energy change of particles which reach the inner solar system are significantly reduced. The effects of drifts are due to the fact that cosmic rays for which the drift velocity is comparable to the wind velocity or larger, have more rapid access to the inner solar system than in the absence of drifts.

Neutral particle background in cosmic ray telescopes composed of silicon solid state detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mewaldt, R. A.; Stone, E. C.; Vogt, R. E.

1977-01-01

The energy loss-spectrum of secondary charged particles produced by the interaction of gamma-rays and energetic neutrons in silicon solid state detectors has been measured with a satellite-borne cosmic ray telescope. In the satellite measurements presented here two distinct neutral background effects are identified: secondary protons and alpha particles with energies of about 2 to 100 MeV produced by neutron interactions, and secondary electrons with energies of about 0.2 to 10 MeV produced by X-ray interactions. The implications of this neutral background for satellite measurements of low energy cosmic rays are discussed, and suggestions are given for applying these results to other detector systems in order to estimate background contamination and optimize detector system design.

The influence of mineral dust particles on the energy output of photovoltaic cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roesch, C.; Eltahir, E. A. B.; Al-awwad, Z.; Alqatari, S.; Cziczo, D. J.; Roesch, M.

2016-12-01

The city of Al Khafji in Saudi Arabia plans to provide a regular supply of desalinated water from the Persian Gulf while simultaneously cutting back on the usage of fossil fuels. The power for the high energy-consuming reverse osmosis (RO) process will be derived from photovoltaic (PV) cells as a cleaner and resource-conserving means of energy production. Numerous sun hours (yearly 3000) makes the Persian Gulf region's geographical location appropriate for applying PV techniques at this scale. A major concern for PV power generation is mineral dust from desert regions accumulating on surfaces and thereby reducing the energy output. This study aims to show the impact of dust particles on the PV energy reduction by examining dust samples from various Persian Gulf regions. Bulk samples were collected at the surface. The experimental setup involved a sealed container with a solar panel unit (SPU), including an adjustable mounting plate, solar cells (amorphous and monocrystalline), and a pyranometer (SMP3, Kipp & Zonen Inc.). A Tungsten Halogen lamp was used as the light source. Dust particles were aerosolized with a shaker (Multi-Wrist shaker, Lab line). Different techniques were applied to characterize each sample: the particle size distributions were measured using an Optical Particle Sizer (OPS, TSI Inc.), the chemical composition was analyzed using the Particle Analysis by Mass Spectrometry (PALMS) instrument, and Transmission Electron Microscope Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (TEM-EDX) was used to define morphology, size and structure. Preliminary results show that the energy output is affected by aerosol morphology (monodisperse, polydisperse), composition and solar cell type.

Cosmic Rays as a Factor of Biospheric Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miroshnichenko, L. I.

2014-10-01

There are no doubts that the Earth's space environment in the past inevitably has exerted direct and/or indirect influence [1-4] on the conditions of terrestrial life and biospheric evolution. Well-known space factors are usually the fluxes of cosmic dust and gas, comets and asteroids, cosmic rays (energetic particles of galactic and/or solar origin), interplanetary plasma (solar wind) and electromagnetic radiation of different energies, wave lengths, or frequencies. Of great interest are radiation conditions and their variations, especially in the remote past (over the geological time scales). The Sun, the most important and indispensable condition for the existence of the Earth's biosphere, is also a potential source of dangerous emissions. In continuation of (and in addition to) our review paper [3], below we summarize the observational data and results of theoretical works that have been carried out and/or published mainly after 2012. These studies are actually in the frontier region between the Astrobiology and Space Weather. Our main attention is paid to cosmic rays (CR) of galactic and solar origin (GCR and SCR, respectively).

Laboratory Measurements of Optical Properties of Micron Size Individual Dust Grains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbas, M. M.; Craven, P. D.; Spann, J. F.; Tankosic, D.; LeClair, A.; Witherow, W. K.; Camata, R.; Gerakines, P.

2003-01-01

A laboratory program is being developed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center for experimental determination of the optical and physical properties individual dust grains in simulated astrophysical environments. The experimental setup is based on an electrodynamic balance that permits levitation of single 0.1 - 10 micron radii dust grains in a cavity evacuated to pressures of approx. 10(exp -6) torr. The experimental apparatus is equipped with observational ports for measurements in the UV, visible, and infrared spectral regions. A cryogenic facility for cooling the particles to temperature of approx. 10-50K is being installed. The current and the planned measurements include: dust charging processes, photoelectric emissions and yields with UV irradiation, radiation pressure measurements, infrared absorption and scattering properties, and condensation processes, involving the analogs of cosmic dust grains. Selected results based on photoemissions, radiation pressure, and other laboratory measurements will be presented.

Interplanetary dust - Trace element analysis of individual particles by neutron activation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ganapathy, R.; Brownlee, D. E.

1979-01-01

Although micrometeorites of cometary origin are thought to be the dominant component of interplanetary dust, it has never been possible to positively identify such micrometer-sized particles. Two such particles have been identified as definitely micrometeorites since their abundances of volatile and nonvolatile trace elements closely match those of primitive solar system material.

Wave-Particle Dynamics of Wave Breaking in the Self-Excited Dust Acoustic Wave

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Teng, L.-W.; Chang, M.-C.; Tseng, Y.-P.

2009-12-11

The wave-particle microdynamics in the breaking of the self-excited dust acoustic wave growing in a dusty plasma liquid is investigated through directly tracking dust micromotion. It is found that the nonlinear wave growth and steepening stop as the mean oscillating amplitude of dust displacement reaches about 1/k (k is the wave number), where the vertical neighboring dust trajectories start to crossover and the resonant wave heating with uncertain crest trapping onsets. The dephased dust oscillations cause the abrupt dropping and broadening of the wave crest after breaking, accompanied by the transition from the liquid phase with coherent dust oscillation tomore » the gas phase with chaotic dust oscillation. Corkscrew-shaped phase-space distributions measured at the fixed phases of the wave oscillation cycle clearly indicate how dusts move in and constitute the evolving waveform through dust-wave interaction.« less

Size and elemental composition of dry-deposited particles during a severe dust storm at a coastal site of Eastern China.

PubMed

Niu, Hongya; Zhang, Daizhou; Hu, Wei; Shi, Jinhui; Li, Ruipeng; Gao, Huiwang; Pian, Wei; Hu, Min

2016-02-01

Dry-deposited particles were collected during the passage of an extremely strong dust storm in March, 2010 at a coastal site in Qingdao (36.15 °N, 120.49 °E), a city located in Eastern China. The size, morphology, and elemental composition of the particles were quantified with a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray instrument (SEM-EDX). The particles appeared in various shapes, and their size mainly varied from 0.4 to 10 μm, with the mean diameters of 0.5, 1.5, and 1.0 μm before, during, and after the dust storm, respectively. The critical size of the mineral particles settling on the surface in the current case was about 0.3-0.4 μm before the dust storm and about 0.5-0.7 μm during the dust storm. Particles that appeared in high concentration but were smaller than the critical size deposited onto the surface at a small number flux. The elements Al, Si and Mg were frequently detected in all samples, indicating the dominance of mineral particles. The frequency of Al in particles collected before the dust storm was significantly lower than for those collected during and after the dust storm. The frequencies of Cl and Fe did not show obvious changes, while those of S, K and Ca decreased after the dust arrival. These results indicate that the dust particles deposited onto the surface were less influenced by anthropogenic pollutants in terms of particle number. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Light Scattering by Wavelength-Sized Particles "Dusted" with Subwavelength-Sized Grains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mishchenko, Michael I.; Dlugach, Janna M.; Mackowski, Daniel W.

2011-01-01

The numerically exact superposition T-matrix method is used to compute the scattering cross sections and the Stokes scattering matrix for polydisperse spherical particles covered with a large number of much smaller grains. We show that the optical effect of the presence of microscopic dust on the surfaces of wavelength-sized, weakly absorbing particles is much less significant than that of a major overall asphericity of the particle shape.

Space Weathering Products Found on the Surfaces of the Itokawa Dust Particles: A Summary of the Initial Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noguchi, T.; Kimura, M.; Hashimoto, T.; Konno, M.; Nakamura, T.; Ogami, T.; Ishida, H.; Sagae, R.; Tsujimoto, S.; Tsuchiyama, A,;

The DNA of Bacteria of the World Ocean and the Earth in Cosmic Dust at the International Space Station

PubMed Central

Grebennikova, T. V.; Syroeshkin, A. V.; Shubralova, E. V.; Eliseeva, O. V.; Kostina, L. V.; Kulikova, N. Y.; Latyshev, O. E.; Morozova, M. A.; Yuzhakov, A. G.; Chichaeva, M. A.; Tsygankov, O. S.

2018-01-01

Cosmic dust samples from the surface of the illuminator of the International Space Station (ISS) were collected by a crew member during his spacewalk. The sampler with tampon in a vacuum container was delivered to the Earth. Washouts from the tampon's material and the tampon itself were analyzed for the presence of bacterial DNA by the method of nested PCR with primers specific to DNA of the genus Mycobacteria, DNA of the strains of capsular bacteria Bacillus, and DNA encoding 16S ribosomal RNA. The results of amplification followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis indicated the presence of the bacteria of the genus Mycobacteria and the extreme bacterium of the genus Delftia in the samples of cosmic dust. It was shown that the DNA sequence of one of the bacteria of the genus Mycobacteria was genetically similar to that previously observed in superficial micro layer at the Barents and Kara seas' coastal zones. The presence of the wild land and marine bacteria DNA on the ISS suggests their possible transfer from the stratosphere into the ionosphere with the ascending branch of the global electric circuit. Alternatively, the wild land and marine bacteria as well as the ISS bacteria may all have an ultimate space origin. PMID:29849510

The DNA of Bacteria of the World Ocean and the Earth in Cosmic Dust at the International Space Station.

PubMed

Grebennikova, T V; Syroeshkin, A V; Shubralova, E V; Eliseeva, O V; Kostina, L V; Kulikova, N Y; Latyshev, O E; Morozova, M A; Yuzhakov, A G; Zlatskiy, I A; Chichaeva, M A; Tsygankov, O S

2018-01-01

Cosmic dust samples from the surface of the illuminator of the International Space Station (ISS) were collected by a crew member during his spacewalk. The sampler with tampon in a vacuum container was delivered to the Earth. Washouts from the tampon's material and the tampon itself were analyzed for the presence of bacterial DNA by the method of nested PCR with primers specific to DNA of the genus Mycobacteria , DNA of the strains of capsular bacteria Bacillus , and DNA encoding 16S ribosomal RNA. The results of amplification followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis indicated the presence of the bacteria of the genus Mycobacteria and the extreme bacterium of the genus Delftia in the samples of cosmic dust. It was shown that the DNA sequence of one of the bacteria of the genus Mycobacteria was genetically similar to that previously observed in superficial micro layer at the Barents and Kara seas' coastal zones. The presence of the wild land and marine bacteria DNA on the ISS suggests their possible transfer from the stratosphere into the ionosphere with the ascending branch of the global electric circuit. Alternatively, the wild land and marine bacteria as well as the ISS bacteria may all have an ultimate space origin.

Characteristics of tyre dust in polluted air: Studies by single particle mass spectrometry (ATOFMS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dall'Osto, Manuel; Beddows, David C. S.; Gietl, Johanna K.; Olatunbosun, Oluremi A.; Yang, Xiaoguang; Harrison, Roy M.

2014-09-01

There is a paucity of quantitative knowledge on the contributions of non-exhaust (abrasion and re-suspension) sources to traffic emissions. Abrasive emissions can be broadly categorised as tyre wear, brake wear and road dust/road surface wear. Current research often considers road dust and tyre dust as externally mixed particles, the former mainly composed of mineral matter and the latter solely composed of mainly organic matter and some trace elements. The aim of this work was to characterise tyre wear from both laboratory and field studies by using Aerosol Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (ATOFMS). Real-time single particle chemical composition was obtained from a set of rubber tyres rotating on a metal surface. Bimodal particle number size distributions peaking at 35 nm and 85 nm were obtained from SMPS/APS measurements over the range 6-20,000 nm. ATOFMS mass spectra of tyre wear in the particle size range 200-3000 nm diameter show peaks due to exo-sulphur compounds, nitrate, Zn and ions of high molecular weight (m/z > 100) attributed to organic polymers. Two large ATOFMS datasets collected from a number of outdoor studies were examined. The former was constituted of 48 road dust samples collected on the roads of London. The latter consisted of ATOFMS ambient air field studies from Europe, overall composed of more than 2,000,000 single particle mass spectra. The majority (95%) of tyre wear particles present in the road dust samples and atmospheric samples are internally mixed with metals (Li, Na, Ca, Fe, Ti), as well as phosphate. It is concluded that the interaction of tyres with the road surface creates particles internally mixed from two sources: tyre rubber and road surface materials. Measurements of the tyre rubber component alone may underestimate the contribution of tyre wear to concentrations of airborne particulate matter. The results presented are especially relevant for urban aerosol source apportionment and PM2.5 exposure assessment.

Cometary Evolution: Clues on Physical Properties from Chondritic Interplanetary Dust Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rietmeijer, Frans J. M.; Mackinnon, Ian D. R.

1989-01-01

interplanetary dust particles (IDPS) as a guide to the likely constitution of mature comets traversing the inner Solar System. While there is, as yet, no direct proof that a specific sub-group or type of chondritic IDP is derived from a specific comet, it is clear that these particles are extraterrestrial in origin and that a certain portion of the interplanetary flux received by the Earth is cometary in origin. Two chondritic porous (CP) MPs, sample numbers W7010A2 and W7029Cl, from the Johnson Space Center Cosmic Dust Collection have been selected for this study of putative cometary physical parameters. This particular type of particle is considered a likely candidate for a cometary origin on the basis of mineralogy, bulk composition and morphology. While many IDPs have been subjected to intensive study over the past decade, we can develop a physical parameter model on only these two CP IDPs because few others have been studied in sufficient detail.

Cometary Evolution: Clues on Physical Properties from Chondritic Interplanetary Dust Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reitmeijer, Frans J. M.; Mackinnon, Ian D. R.

1997-01-01

chondritic interplanetary dust particles (IDPS) as a guide to the likely constitution of mature comets traversing the inner Solar System. While there is, as yet, no direct proof that a specific sub-group or type of chondritic IDP is derived from a specific comet, it is clear that these particles are extraterrestrial in origin and that a certain portion of the interplanetary flux received by the Earth is cometary in origin. Two chondritic porous (CP) IDPS, sample numbers W701OA2 and W7029CI, from the Johnson Space Center Cosmic Dust Collection have been selected for this study of putative cometary physical parameters. This particular type of particle is considered a likely candidate for a cometary origin on the basis of mineralogy, bulk composition and morphology. While many IDPs have been subjected to intensive study over the past decade, we can develop a physical parameter model on only these two CP IDPs because few others have been studied in sufficient detail.

Using NASA EOS in the Arabian and Saharan Deserts to Examine Dust Particle Size and Spectral Signature of Aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brenton, J. C.; Keeton, T.; Barrick, B.; Cowart, K.; Cooksey, K.; Florence, V.; Herdy, C.; Luvall, J. C.; Vasquez, S.

2012-12-01

Exposure to high concentrations of airborne particulate matter can have adverse effects on the human respiratory system. Ground-based studies conducted in Iraq have revealed the presence of potential human pathogens in airborne dust. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), airborne particulate matter below 2.5μm (PM2.5) can cause long-term damage to the human respiratory system. Given the relatively high incidence of new-onset respiratory disorders experienced by US service members deployed to Iraq, this research offers a new glimpse into how satellite remote sensing can be applied to questions related to human health. NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) can be used to determine spectral characteristics of dust particles, the depth of dust plumes, as well as dust particle sizes. Comparing dust particle size from the Sahara and Arabian Deserts gives insight into the composition and atmospheric transport characteristics of dust from each desert. With the use of NASA SeaWiFS DeepBlue Aerosol, dust particle sizes were estimated using Angström exponent. Brightness Temperature Difference (BTD) equation was used to determine the distribution of particle sizes, the area of the dust storm, and whether silicate minerals were present in the dust. The Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on Terra satellite was utilized in calculating BTD. Minimal research has been conducted on the spectral characteristics of airborne dust in the Arabian and Sahara Deserts. Mineral composition of a dust storm that occurred 17 April 2008 near Baghdad was determined using imaging spectrometer data from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Spectral Library and EO-1 Hyperion data. Mineralogy of this dust storm was subsequently compared to that of a dust storm that occurred over the Bodélé Depression in the Sahara Desert on 7 June 2003.

Integrating laboratory and field data to quantify the immersion freezing ice nucleation activity of mineral dust particles

DOE PAGES

DeMott, P. J.; Prenni, A. J.; McMeeking, G. R.; ...

2014-06-27

Data from both laboratory studies and atmospheric measurements are used to develop a simple parametric description for the immersion freezing activity of natural mineral dust particles. Measurements made with the Colorado State University (CSU) continuous flow diffusion chamber (CFDC) when processing mineral dust aerosols at a nominal 105% relative humidity with respect to water (RH w) are taken to approximate the immersion freezing nucleation activity of particles. Ice active frozen fractions vs. temperature for dusts representative of Saharan and Asian desert sources were consistent with similar measurements in atmospheric dust plumes for a limited set of comparisons available. The parameterizationmore » developed follows the form of one suggested previously for atmospheric particles of non-specific composition in quantifying ice nucleating particle concentrations as functions of temperature and the total number concentration of particles larger than 0.5 μm diameter. Such an approach does not explicitly account for surface area and time dependencies for ice nucleation, but sufficiently encapsulates the activation properties for potential use in regional and global modeling simulations, and possible application in developing remote sensing retrievals for ice nucleating particles. A correction factor is introduced to account for the apparent underestimate (by approximately 3, on average) of the immersion freezing fraction of mineral dust particles for CSU CFDC data processed at an RH w of 105% vs. maximum fractions active at higher RH w. Instrumental factors that affect activation behavior vs. RH w in CFDC instruments remain to be fully explored in future studies. Nevertheless, the use of this correction factor is supported by comparison to ice activation data obtained for the same aerosols from Aerosol Interactions and Dynamics of the Atmosphere (AIDA) expansion chamber cloud parcel experiments. Further comparison of the new parameterization to the immersion

Integrating laboratory and field data to quantify the immersion freezing ice nucleation activity of mineral dust particles

DOE PAGES

DeMott, P. J.; Prenni, A. J.; McMeeking, G. R.; ...

2015-01-13

Data from both laboratory studies and atmospheric measurements are used to develop an empirical parameterization for the immersion freezing activity of natural mineral dust particles. Measurements made with the Colorado State University (CSU) continuous flow diffusion chamber (CFDC) when processing mineral dust aerosols at a nominal 105% relative humidity with respect to water (RH w) are taken as a measure of the immersion freezing nucleation activity of particles. Ice active frozen fractions vs. temperature for dusts representative of Saharan and Asian desert sources were consistent with similar measurements in atmospheric dust plumes for a limited set of comparisons available. Themore » parameterization developed follows the form of one suggested previously for atmospheric particles of non-specific composition in quantifying ice nucleating particle concentrations as functions of temperature and the total number concentration of particles larger than 0.5 μm diameter. Such an approach does not explicitly account for surface area and time dependencies for ice nucleation, but sufficiently encapsulates the activation properties for potential use in regional and global modeling simulations, and possible application in developing remote sensing retrievals for ice nucleating particles. A calibration factor is introduced to account for the apparent underestimate (by approximately 3, on average) of the immersion freezing fraction of mineral dust particles for CSU CFDC data processed at an RH w of 105% vs. maximum fractions active at higher RH w. Instrumental factors that affect activation behavior vs. RH w in CFDC instruments remain to be fully explored in future studies. Nevertheless, the use of this calibration factor is supported by comparison to ice activation data obtained for the same aerosols from Aerosol Interactions and Dynamics of the Atmosphere (AIDA) expansion chamber cloud parcel experiments. Further comparison of the new parameterization, including

Online Characterisation of Mineral Dust Aerosol by Single Particle Mass Spectrometry: Mineralogical Signatures of Potential Source Areas in North Africa.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsden, N. A.; Allan, J. D.; Flynn, M.; Ullrich, R.; Moehler, O.; Coe, H.

2017-12-01

The mineralogy of individual dust particles is important for atmospheric processes because mineralogy influences optical properties, their potential to act as ice nucleating particles (INP) and geochemical cycling of elements to the ocean. Bulk mineralogy of transported mineral dust has been shown to be a reflection of the source area and size fractionation during transport. Online characterisation of single particle mineralogy is highly desirable as the composition of individual particles can be reported at a temporal resolution that is relevant to atmospheric processes. Single particle mass spectrometry (SPMS) has indentified and characterised the composition of ambient dust particles but is hampered by matrix effects that result in a non-quantatative measurement of composition. The work presented describes a comparison of mass spectral characteristics of sub 2.5μm particle fractions generated from; i) nominally pure samples from the clay mineral society (CMS), ii) soil samples collected from potential source areas in North Africa and iii) ambient measurement of transported African dust made at the Cape Verde Islands. Using a novel approach to analyse the mass spectra, the distinct characteristics of the various dust samples are obtained from the online measurements. Using this technique it was observed that dust generated from sources on the North West Margin of the Sahara Desert have distinct characteristics of illite in contrast to the kaolinitic characteristics of dust generated from sources in the Sahel. These methods offer great potential for describing the hourly variation in the source and mineralogy of transported mineral dust and the online differentiation of mineral phase in multi-mineralic dust samples.

Mechanical and electrostatic experiments with dust particles collected in the inner coma of comet 67P by COSIMA onboard Rosetta.

PubMed

Hilchenbach, Martin; Fischer, Henning; Langevin, Yves; Merouane, Sihane; Paquette, John; Rynö, Jouni; Stenzel, Oliver; Briois, Christelle; Kissel, Jochen; Koch, Andreas; Schulz, Rita; Silen, Johan; Altobelli, Nicolas; Baklouti, Donia; Bardyn, Anais; Cottin, Herve; Engrand, Cecile; Fray, Nicolas; Haerendel, Gerhard; Henkel, Hartmut; Höfner, Herwig; Hornung, Klaus; Lehto, Harry; Mellado, Eva Maria; Modica, Paola; Le Roy, Lena; Siljeström, Sandra; Steiger, Wolfgang; Thirkell, Laurent; Thomas, Roger; Torkar, Klaus; Varmuza, Kurt; Zaprudin, Boris

2017-07-13

The in situ cometary dust particle instrument COSIMA (COmetary Secondary Ion Mass Analyser) onboard ESA's Rosetta mission has collected about 31 000 dust particles in the inner coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko since August 2014. The particles are identified by optical microscope imaging and analysed by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. After dust particle collection by low speed impact on metal targets, the collected particle morphology points towards four families of cometary dust particles. COSIMA is an in situ laboratory that operates remotely controlled next to the comet nucleus. The particles can be further manipulated within the instrument by mechanical and electrostatic means after their collection by impact. The particles are stored above 0°C in the instrument and the experiments are carried out on the refractory, ice-free matter of the captured cometary dust particles. An interesting particle morphology class, the compact particles, is not fragmented on impact. One of these particles was mechanically pressed and thereby crushed into large fragments. The particles are good electrical insulators and transform into rubble pile agglomerates by the application of an energetic indium ion beam during the secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis.This article is part of the themed issue 'Cometary science after Rosetta'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Cosmic Rays: "A Thin Rain of Charged Particles."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedlander, Michael

1990-01-01

Discussed are balloons and electroscopes, understanding cosmic rays, cosmic ray paths, isotopes and cosmic-ray travel, sources of cosmic rays, and accelerating cosmic rays. Some of the history of the discovery and study of cosmic rays is presented. (CW)

Observation of Asian Mineral Dust Particles in Japan by a Single-Particle Mass Spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, J.; Takahashi, K.; Matsumi, Y.; Sugimoto, N.; Matsui, I.; Shimizu, A.

2005-12-01

The Asian mineral dust (Kosa) particles, emitted from the desert area of inland China, are characteristic of East Asian aerosols. The Kosa particles are important as regional carriers of various materials, especially in spring when the stormy dusts are transported to Japan and Pacific Ocean. In this study, the chemical mixing state of each atmospheric aerosol was measured individually by a laser-based time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) to discuss chemical changes of Kosa particles during the transport. Observation was conducted at Tsukuba (36.05°N, 140.12°E) in April and May 2004. The LIDAR measurement was also carried out to determine the Kosa events. To classify the source of the air mass, the NOAA-HYSPLIT backward trajectory was applied. For the TOFMS instrument, particles with μm and sub-μm diameters were detected. The polarity of ion detection was altered every minute. During 30 days, the numbers of logged mass spectra (MS) were 5993 and 4382 for positive and negative ions, respectively. When the MS of ambient aerosols were compared with that of the standard Kosa sample, sulfate- and nitrate-mixed Kosa particles were found. To explore the mixing state of particles further, classification of the particles by the ART-2a algorithm was adopted. NO2-, NO3-, HSO4-, SiO2-, SiO3-, Cl- and NaCl2- were focused. Finally, particles were classified to 4 categories as A: sulfate and sulfate-rich mineral; B: sulfate-poor mineral; C: sea salt; D: unidentified. The relative fractions of A were 30 % and 1 % for a Kosa event and a maritime air mass, respectively. Note that the air mass for Kosa event case passed over the coast region of China, where SOx emission was intensive. It was reasonable that sulfate was internally mixed with Kosa particles and transported to Japan. Consequently, it was confirmed experimentally that Kosa particles are important as carriers of pollutants in the rim region of Pacific Ocean. Comparison with the observation in 2005 is also shown.

Time of flight mass spectra of ions in plasmas produced by hypervelocity impacts of organic and mineralogical microparticles on a cosmic dust analyser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldsworthy, B. J.; Burchell, M. J.; Cole, M. J.; Armes, S. P.; Khan, M. A.; Lascelles, S. F.; Green, S. F.; McDonnell, J. A. M.; Srama, R.; Bigger, S. W.

2003-10-01

The ionic plasma produced by a hypervelocity particle impact can be analysed to determine compositional information for the original particle by using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Such methods have been adopted on interplanetary dust detectors to perform in-situ analyses of encountered grains, for example, the Cassini Cosmic Dust Analyser (CDA). In order to more fully understand the data returned by such instruments, it is necessary to study their response to impacts in the laboratory. Accordingly, data are shown here for the mass spectra of ionic plasmas, produced through the acceleration of microparticles via a 2 MV van de Graaff accelerator and their impact on a dimensionally correct CDA model with a rhodium target. The microparticle dusts examined have three different chemical compositions: metal (iron), organic (polypyrrole and polystyrene latex) and mineral (aluminosilicate clay). These microparticles have mean diameters in the range 0.1 to 1.6 mu m and their velocities range from 1-50 km s-1. They thus cover a wide range of compositions, sizes and speeds expected for dust particles encountered by spacecraft in the Solar System. The advent of new low-density, microparticles with highly controllable attributes (composition, size) has enabled a number of new investigations in this area. The key is the use of a conducting polymer, either as the particle itself or as a thin overlayer on organic (or inorganic) core particles. This conductive coating permits efficient electrostatic charging and acceleration. Here, we examine how the projectile's chemical composition influences the ionic plasma produced after the hypervelocity impact. This study thus extends our understanding of impact plasma formation and detection. The ionization yield normalized to particle mass was found to depend on impact speed to the power (3.4 +/- 0.1) for iron and (2.9 +/- 0.1) for polypyrrole coated polystyrene and aluminosilicate clay. The ioization signal rise time was found to

The cosmic native iron in Upper Jurassic to Miocene deep-sea deposits of the western North Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murdmaa, Ivar; Pechersky, Diamar; Nurgaliev, Danis; Gilmanova, Di; Sloistov, Sergey

2014-05-01

Thermomagnetic analysis of 335 rock samples from DSDP sites 386, 387 (Leg 43) and 391 A, C (Leg 44) drilled in the western North Atlantic revealed distribution patterns of native Fe particles in Upper Jurassic to Miocene deep-sea deposits. Native iron occurs in deep-sea rocks as individual particles from tens of nm to 100 µm in size. The native Fe is identified throughout the sections recovered. Its concentration ranges from nx10-6% to 5x10-3%, but zero values persist to occur in each lithostratigraphic unit studied. The bimodal distribution of the native iron concentration with a zero mode is typical for the cosmic dust in sedimentary rocks, because of its slow flux to the Earth surface, as compared to sedimentation fluxes. Ni admixture in native Fe also demonstrates bimodal distribution with the zero mode (pure Fe) and a mode 5 - 6% that corresponds to average Ni content in the cosmic dust and meteorites. Concentration of native Fe does not depend on rock types and geological age. Relatively high mean native Fe concentrations (less zero values) occur in Lower Cretaceous laminated limestones (sites 387, 391) interpreted as contourites and in Oligocene volcaniclastic turbidites of the Bermuda Rise foot (Site 386), whereas minimum values are measured in Miocene mass flow deposits (Site 391). We suggest that concentration of native Fe increases in deposits of pulsating sedimentation (turbidites, laminated contourites) due to numerous short hiatuses and slow sedimentation events in between instantaneous turbidite or contourite deposition pulses. Extreme values possibly indicate cosmic dust flux anomalies. The study was partially supported by RFBR, research project No. 14-05-00744a.

Comparison of Morphologies of Apollo 17 Dust Particles with Lunar Simulant, JSC-1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Yang; Taylor, Lawrence A.; Hill, Eddy; Kihm, Kenneth D.; Day, James D. M.

2005-01-01

Lunar dust (< 20 microns) makes up approx.20 wt.% of the lunar soil. Because of the abrasive and adhering nature of lunar soil, a detailed knowledge of the morphology (size, shape and abundance) of lunar dust is important for dust mitigation on the Moon. This represents a critical step towards the establishment of long-term human presence on the Moon (Taylor et al. 2005). Machinery design for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) on the Moon also requires detailed information on dust morphology and general physical/chemical characteristics. Here, we report a morphological study of Apollo 17 dust sample 70051 and compare it to lunar soil stimulant, JSC-1. W e have obtained SEM images of dust grains from sample 70051 soil (Fig. 1). The dust grains imaged are composed of fragments of minerals, rocks, agglutinates and glass. Most particles consist largely of agglutinitic impact glass with their typical vesicular textures (fine bubbles). All grains show sub-angular to angular shapes, commonly with sharp edges, common for crushed glass fragments. There are mainly four textures: (1) ropey-textured pieces (typical for agglutinates), (2) angular shards, (3) blocky bits, and (4) Swiss-cheese grains. This last type with its high concentration of submicron bubbles, occurs on all scales. Submicron cracks are also present in most grains. Dust-sized grains of lunar soil simulant, JSC-1, were also studied. JSC-1 is a basaltic tuff with relatively high glass content (approx.50%; McKay et al. 1994). It was initially chosen in the early 90s to approximate the geotechnical properties of the average lunar soil (Klosky et al. 1996). JSC-1 dust grains also show angular blocky and shard textures (Fig. 2), similar to those of lunar dust. However, the JSC-1 grains lack the Swiss-cheese textured particles, as well as submicron cracks and bubbles in most grains.

Cosmic Ornament of Gas and Dust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] 4-Panel Version Figure 1 [figure removed for brevity, see original site] [figure removed for brevity, see original site] [figure removed for brevity, see original site] Silicon Gas Figure 2 Argon Figure 3 Dust Collection Figure 4

This beautiful bulb might look like a Christmas ornament but it is the blown-out remains of a stellar explosion, or supernova. Called Cassiopeia A, this supernova remnant is located about 10,000 light-years away in our own Milky Way galaxy. The remains are shown here in an infrared composite from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Silicon gas is blue and argon gas is green, while red represents about 10,000 Earth masses worth of dust. Yellow shows areas where red and green overlap.

The fact that these two features line up (as seen in yellow in the combined view) tells astronomers that the dust, together with the gas, was created in the explosion. This is the best evidence yet that supernovae are a significant source of dust in the early universe something that was postulated before, but not proven. Dust in our young universe is important because it eventually made its way into future stars, planets and even people.

In figure 1, the upper left panel is a composite made up of three infrared views shown in the remaining panels. The bottom left view (figure 3) shows argon gas (green) that was synthesized as it was ejected from the star. The upper right panel (figure 2) shows silicon gas (blue) deep in the interior of the remnant. This cooler gas, called the unshocked ejecta, was also synthesized in the supernova blast. The bottom right view (figure 4) shows a collection of dust (red), including proto-silicates, silicate dioxide and iron oxide.

The data for these images were taken by Spitzer's infrared spectrograph, which splits light apart to reveal the fingerprints of molecules and elements. In total, Spitzer collected separate 'spectra' at more than 1,700 positions across

Quantification of Spore-forming Bacteria Carried by Dust Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Ying; Cholakian, Tanya; Gao, Wenming; Osman, Shariff; Barengoltz, Jack

2006-01-01

In order to establish a biological contamination transport model for predicting the cross contamination risk during spacecraft assembly and upon landing on Mars, it is important to understand the relationship between spore-forming bacteria and their carrier particles. We conducted air and surface sampling in indoor, outdoor, and cleanroom environments to determine the ratio of spore forming bacteria to their dust particle carriers of different sizes. The number of spore forming bacteria was determined from various size groups of particles in a given environment. Our data also confirms the existence of multiple spores on a single particle and spore clumps. This study will help in developing a better bio-contamination transport model, which in turn will help in determining forward contamination risks for future missions.

Characterisation of atmospheric deposited particles during a dust storm in urban areas of Eastern Australia.

PubMed

Gunawardena, Janaka; Ziyath, Abdul M; Bostrom, Thor E; Bekessy, Lambert K; Ayoko, Godwin A; Egodawatta, Prasanna; Goonetilleke, Ashantha

2013-09-01

The characteristics of dust particles deposited during the 2009 dust storm in the Gold Coast and Brisbane regions of Australia are discussed in this paper. The study outcomes provide important knowledge in relation to the potential impacts of dust storm related pollution on ecosystem health in the context that the frequency of dust storms is predicted to increase due to anthropogenic desert surface modifications and climate change impacts. The investigated dust storm contributed a large fraction of fine particles to the environment with an increased amount of total suspended solids, compared to dry deposition under ambient conditions. Although the dust storm passed over forested areas, the organic carbon content in the dust was relatively low. The primary metals present in the dust storm deposition were aluminium, iron and manganese, which are common soil minerals in Australia. The dust storm deposition did not contain significant loads of nickel, cadmium, copper and lead, which are commonly present in the urban environment. Furthermore, the comparison between the ambient and dust storm chromium and zinc loads suggested that these metals were contributed to the dust storm by local anthropogenic sources. The potential ecosystem health impacts of the 2009 dust storm include, increased fine solids deposition on ground surfaces resulting in an enhanced capacity to adsorb toxic pollutants as well as increased aluminium, iron and manganese loads. In contrast, the ecosystem health impacts related to organic carbon and other metals from dust storm atmospheric deposition are not considered to be significant. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gene Expression Profiling of Lung Tissue of Rats Exposed to Lunar Dust Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Ye; Feiveson, Alan H.; Lam, Chiu-Wing; Kidane, Yared H.; Ploutz-Snyder Robert; Yeshitla, Samrawit; Zalesak, Selina M.; Scully, Robert R.; Wu, Honglu; James, John T.

2014-01-01

The purpose of the study is to analyze the dynamics of global gene expression changes in the lung tissue of rats exposed to lunar dust particles. Multiple pathways and transcription factors were identified using the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis tool, showing the potential networks of these signaling regulations involved in lunar dust-induced prolonged proflammatory response and toxicity. The data presented in this study, for the first time, explores the molecular mechanisms of lunar dust induced toxicity. This work contributes not only to the risk assessment for future space exploration, but also to the understanding of the dust-induced toxicity to humans on earth.

The solar wind structures associated with cosmic ray decreases and particle acceleration in 1978-1982

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cane, H. V.; Richardson, I. G.; Vonrosenvinge, T. T.

1992-01-01

The time histories of particles in the energy range 1 MeV to 1 GeV at times of all greater than 3 percent cosmic ray decreases in the years 1978 to 1982 are studied. Essentially all 59 of the decreases commenced at or before the passages of interplanetary shocks, the majority of which accelerated energetic particles. We use the intensity-time profiles of the energetic particles to separate the cosmic ray decreases into four classes which we subsequently associate with four types of solar wind structures. Decreases in class 1 (15 events) and class 2 (26 events) can be associated with shocks which are driven by energetic coronal mass ejections. For class 1 events the ejecta is detected at 1 AU whereas this is not the case for class 2 events. The shock must therefore play a dominant role in producing the depression of cosmic rays in class 2 events. In all class 1 and 2 events (which comprise 69 percent of the total) the departure time of the ejection from the sun (and hence the location) can be determined from the rapid onset of energetic particles several days before the shock passage at Earth. The class 1 events originate from within 50 deg of central meridian. Class 3 events (10 decreases) can be attributed to less energetic ejections which are directed towards the Earth. In these events the ejecta is more important than the shock in causing a depression in the cosmic ray intensity. The remaining events (14 percent of the total) can be attributed to corotating streams which have ejecta material embedded in them.

Formation of Non-symmetric Fractals During the First Stage of Pre-planetesimal Dust Growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kempf, S.; Blum, J.; Wurm, G.

It is a generally accepted view that the genesis of a planetary system coincide s with the formation of sun-like young stellar objects surrounded by gaseous disc s. The building blocks of the planetesimals are micron-sized solid particles (the so-called dust) embedded in the gas of the disc. The relevant process for formi ng larger aggregates is the growth due to collisional sticking. For particles to c ollide and stick, a relative velocity component between the grains must be present. In the onset of dust growth, Brownian motion dominates other relative-velocity sources . However, numerically determined time scales of the pure Brownian dust growth are much too large for explaining the formation of planets within the lifetime of a proto-planetary di sc. In order to verify the validity of the theoretical models, the Cosmic Dust Aggr egation Experiment CODAG was developed. It allows to observe the growth of micron-sized dust analogs under astrophysical realistic conditions. Surprisingly, the experi ments showed that at least in the onset of the dust growth needle-like fractal aggreg ates rather than symmetric fractals are formed. Here we discuss the implication of this experimental finding for the pre-planetesimal growth models.

Effect of particle size of Martian dust on the degradation of photovoltaic cell performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaier, James R.; Perez-Davis, Marla E.

1991-01-01

Glass coverglass and SiO2 covered and uncovered silicon photovoltaic (PV) cells were subjected to conditions simulating a Mars dust storm, using the Martian Surface Wind Tunnel, to assess the effect of particle size on the performance of PV cells in the Martian environment. The dust used was an artificial mineral of the approximate elemental composition of Martian soil, which was sorted into four different size ranges. Samples were tested both initially clean and initially dusted. The samples were exposed to clear and dust laden winds, wind velocities varying from 23 to 116 m/s, and attack angles from 0 to 90 deg. It was found that transmittance through the coverglass approximates the power produced by a dusty PV cell. Occultation by the dust was found to dominate the performance degradation for wind velocities below 50 m/s, whereas abrasion dominates the degradation at wind velocities above 85 m/s. Occultation is most severe at 0 deg (parallel to the wind), is less pronounced from 22.5 to 67.5 deg, and is somewhat larger at 90 deg (perpendicular to the wind). Abrasion is negligible at 0 deg, and increases to a maximum at 90 deg. Occultation is more of a problem with small particles, whereas large particles (unless they are agglomerates) cause more abrasion.

The flow of a dust particle by highly collisional drifting plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grach, Veronika; Semenov, Vladimir; Trakhtengerts, Victor

We present the study of the flow of a dust particle by a weakly ionized highly collisional drifting plasma. The charging of a conductive sphere and wake formation downstream and upstream of it is analyzed in the case of a strong external field l0 = E0 /(4πen0 ) λD a (E0 is the magnitude of the external field, n0 is plasma density, λD is Debye length and a is a radius of the sphere). Under such conditions, the effects of the space charge field and ionization-recombination processes play crucial role. The sphere charge and the spatial distributions of plasma ions and electrons are calculated nu-merically; analytical expressions are obtained for some limiting cases. We obtain that the size of the wake is determined by the external field and the recombination rate. At low recombination rates (α/(4πµ+,- ) 1, where α is the recombination coefficient, µ+,- are mobilities of positive and negative plasma particles) the longitudinal scale of wake is about 20l0 , at high recombina-tion rates the longitudinal scale is about l0 . The transverse scale of the wake is determined by the ratio of the mobilities and can reach several dust particle radii. It was also shown that the absolute value of the dust particle charge decreases with increasing recombination rate. The total electric charge (the sphere charge plus the plasma space charge) is shown to be zero in accordance with predictions of the theory of static currents in a conducting medium. On the basis of the obtained spatial distributions of charged plasma particles, the electrostatic potential around the sphere is calculated numerically. The interaction potential between two systems "particle+wake" is analyzed for arbitrary locations of such systems. We obtain that the potential can be attractive at moderate and large distances, if the particles are not aligned in the direction perpendicular to the external electric field. The results can be important in understanding intergrain interactions in weakly ionized highly

Two Key Parameters Controlling Particle Clumping Caused by Streaming Instability in the Dead-zone Dust Layer of a Protoplanetary Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sekiya, Minoru; Onishi, Isamu K.

2018-06-01

The streaming instability and Kelvin–Helmholtz instability are considered the two major sources causing clumping of dust particles and turbulence in the dust layer of a protoplanetary disk as long as we consider the dead zone where the magnetorotational instability does not grow. Extensive numerical simulations have been carried out in order to elucidate the condition for the development of particle clumping caused by the streaming instability. In this paper, a set of two parameters suitable for classifying the numerical results is proposed. One is the Stokes number that has been employed in previous works and the other is the dust particle column density that is nondimensionalized using the gas density in the midplane, Keplerian angular velocity, and difference between the Keplerian and gaseous orbital velocities. The magnitude of dust clumping is a measure of the behavior of the dust layer. Using three-dimensional numerical simulations of dust particles and gas based on Athena code v. 4.2, it is confirmed that the magnitude of dust clumping for two disk models are similar if the corresponding sets of values of the two parameters are identical to each other, even if the values of the metallicity (i.e., the ratio of the columns density of the dust particles to that of the gas) are different.