MASCOT also presented scientists with a new mystery: its lack of fine particles, or
interplanetary dust, which would normally accumulate through millions of years of space weathering.
A meteor or "shooting star" is produced when an
interplanetary dust particle (meteoroid) enters the Earth's atmosphere and deflagrates, leaving a train of excited and ionized particles along its path.
Tsygankov, "Research of cosmochemistry of
interplanetary dust in the light of panspermia hypothesis," Cosmonautics and Rocket Engineering, vol.
The
interplanetary dust that causes the meteor showers is common throughout our solar system, so it's likely that all solar system planets and moons with substantial atmospheres have metal ions, according to the team.
We know, for instance, that
interplanetary dust particles can be rich in sodium.
Together with the Student Dust Counter (SDC), which--surprise!--counts hits from
interplanetary dust particles, they have been gathering data throughout the cruise since leaving Earth.
He said that they got the same results looking at a very small fragment as we did a much larger fragment from the same meteorite, and that these techniques allow them to investigate other small-scale extraterrestrial materials like micrometeorites,
interplanetary dust particles, and cometary particles in future studies.
He was partway through a PhD degree at Imperial College London, studying reflected light from
interplanetary dust, when Queen became successful and he had to put his studies on hold.
He was partway through a PhD degree Imperial College London, studying reflected light from
interplanetary dust, when Queen became successful and he had to put his studies on hold.
Nine full papers explore such topics as the relationship between solar activity and forest fires, solar energy and sustainable development, solar wind and motions of
interplanetary dust grains, and solar wind interaction with artificial atmospheres.
The ratio of carbon-13 to carbon-12 was far below that found in other diamonds and even in other reservoirs of isotopically light carbon, including carbon-rich meteorites and
interplanetary dust. If the ratio is indeed a sign of life, it pushes back the presence of life on Earth at least 400 million years.