Markus Landgraf

A new look into the Helios dust experiment data: presence of interstellar dust inside the Earth's orbit

An analysis of the Helios in situ dust data for interstellar dust (ISD) is presented in this work. Recent in situ dust measurements with impact ionization detectors on-board various spacecraft (Ulysses, Galileo ,a ndCassini) showed the deep penetration of an ISD stream into the Solar System. The Helios dust data provide a unique opportunity to monitor and study the ISD stream alteration at very close heliocentric distances. This work completes therefore the comprehensive picture of the ISD stream properties within the heliosphere. In particular, we show that gravitation focusing facilitates the detection of big ISD grains (micrometer-size), while radiation pressure prevents smaller grains from penetrating into the innermost regions of the Solar System. A flux value of about 2.6±0.3×10 −6 m −2 s −1 is derived for micrometer-size grains. A mean radiation pressure-to-gravitation ratio (so-called β ratio) value of 0.4 is derived for the grains, assuming spheres of astronomical silicates to modelize the grains surface optical properties. From the ISD flux measured on the Helios trajectory, we infer a lower limit of 3 ± 3 × 10 −25 kg m −3 to the spatial mass density of micron-sized grains in the Local Interstellar Cloud (LIC). In addition, compositional clues for ISD grains are obtained from the data provided by the time-of-flight mass spectrometer subsystem of the Helios instrument. No clustering of single minerals is observed but rather a varying mixture of various minerals and carbonaceous compounds.

Large area mass analyzer instrument for the chemical analysis of interstellar dust particles

A new instrument to analyze the chemical composition of dust particles in situ in space has been developed. The large target area ( approximately 0.2 m(2)) makes this instrument well suited for detecting a statistically significant number of interstellar dust grains or other dust particles with a low flux. The device is a reflectron-type time-of-flight mass spectrometer that uses only flat electrodes for the generation of the parabolic potential. The instrument analyzes the ions from the impact generated plasma due to hypervelocity dust impacts onto a solid target surface. The SIMION ion optics software package is used to investigate different potential field configurations and optimize the mass resolution and focusing of the ions. The cylindrically symmetric instrument operates with six ring electrodes and six annular electrodes biased to different potentials to create the potential distribution of the reflectron. The laboratory model of the instrument has been fabricated and tested. Hypervelocity dust impacts are simulated by laser ablation using a frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser with approximately 8 ns pulse length. The experimental data show typical mass resolution m/Deltam approximately 200.

Four years of Ulysses dust data: 1996-1999

The Ulysses spacecraft is orbiting the Sun on a highly inclined ellipse(/i=79°, perihelion distance 1.3 AU, aphelion distance 5.4 AU).Between January /1996 and December /1999 the spacecraft was beyond 3 AUfrom the Sun and crossed the ecliptic plane at aphelion in May /1998. Inthis 4-yr period 218 dust impacts were recorded with the dust detectoron board. We publish and analyse the complete data set of both raw andreduced data for particles with masses10-16-10-8g. Together with 1477 dust impactsrecorded between launch of Ulysses and the end of /1995 publishedearlier (Grun et al., Planet. Space Sci. 43 (/1995a) 971;Kruger et al., Planet. Space Sci. 47 (/1999b) 363), a data set of1695 dust impacts detected with the Ulysses sensor between October /1990and December /1999 is now available. The impact rate measured between1996 and 1999 was relatively constant with about 0.2 impacts per day.The impact direction of the majority of the impacts is compatible withparticles of interstellar origin, the rest are most likelyinterplanetary particles. The observed impact rate is compared with amodel for the flux of interstellar dust particles. The flux of particlesseveral micrometres in size is compared with the measurements of thedust instruments on board Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 beyond 3 AU (Humes,J. Geophys. Res. 85 /(1980) 5841). Between 3 and 5 AU, Pioneer resultspredict that Ulysses should have seen 5 times more (~10mum sized)particles than actually detected. (Less)

Three years of Ulysses dust data: 1993-1995

The Ulysses spacecraft is orbiting the Sun on a highly inclined ellipse (i = 79°). After its Jupiter flyby in 1992 at a heliocentric distance of 5.4 AU, the spacecraftreapproached the inner solar system, flew over the Suns south polar region in September 1994,crossed the ecliptic plane at a distance of 1.3 AU in March 1995, and flew over the Suns northpolar region in July 1995. We report on dust impact data obtained with the dust detector onboardUlysses between January 1993 and December 1995. We publish and analyse the complete dataset of 509 recorded impacts of dust particles with masses between 10-16 g-10-7 g. Together with 968 dust impacts from launch until the end of 1992 published earlier ([Gruuml;n et al., 1995c]), information about 1477 particles detected with theUlysses sensor between October 1990 and December 1995 is now available. The impact ratemeasured between 1993 and 1995 stayed relatively constant at about 0.4 impacts per day andvaried by less than a factor of ten. Most of the impacts recorded outside about 3.5 AU arecompatible with particles of interstellar origin. Two populations of interplanetary particles havebeen recognized: big micrometer-sized particles close to the ecliptic plane and smallsub-micrometer-sized particles at high ecliptic latitudes. The observed impact rate is comparedwith a model for the flux of interstellar dust particles which gives relatively good agreement withthe observed impact rate. No change in the instruments noise characteristics or degradation of thechanneltron could be revealed during the three-year period.

Fast Dust in the Heliosphere

The dynamics of dust particles in the solar system is dominated by solar gravity, by solar radiation pressure, or by electromagnetic interaction of charged dust grains with the interplanetary magnetic field. For micron-sized or bigger dust particles solar gravity leads to speeds of about 30 to 40 km s−1 at the Earth’s distance. Smaller particles that are generated close to the Sun and for which radiation pressure is dominant (the ratio of radiation pressure force over gravity Frad/Fgrav is generally termed β) are driven out of the solar system on hyperbolic orbits. Such a flow of β-meteoroids has been observed by the Pioneer 8, 9 and Ulysses spaceprobes. Dust particles in interplanetary space are electrically charged to typically +5 V by the photo effect from solar UV radiation. The dust detector on Cassini for the first time measured the dust charge directly. The dynamics of dust particles smaller than about 0.1 μm is dominated by the electromagnetic interaction with the ambient magnetic field. Effects of the solar wind magnetic field on interstellar grains passing through the solar system have been observed. Nanometer sized dust stream particles have been found which were accelerated by Jupiter’s magnetic field to speeds of about 300 km s−1.

Dust Telescope: A New Tool for Dust Research

Dust particles in space carry information about their birth at a remote site in space and time not accessible to direct investigation. When we know where dust particles come from, we can derive from their state and composition important knowledge about the processes by which they were formed. This information can be gained by a combination of trajectory analysis together with the physical and chemical analysis of dust particles. Potential targets of a dust telescope can be interstellar dust phenomena (e.g. local interstellar medium or dusty stellar systems like beta-Pictoris), interplanetary phenomena (e.g. meteor stream dust, cometary, or asteroidal dust, or dust from the moon), or even space debris (e.g. fine grains from solid rocket burns). It is proposed to use a 1 m 2 dust telescope with 50° aperture. Such an instrument would detect 5 and 0.5 interplanetary dust grains of 10 −15 g and 10 −12 g per day, respectively. A state-of-the-art dust telescope consists of an array of parallel mounted dust analyzers. Potential components are a high resolution impact mass spectrometer, a dust analyzer for the determination of physical and chemical dust properties, a dust momentum sensor, and a large-area impact detector with trajectory analysis. A first example of such a dust telescope is carried by the proposed Galactic DUNE mission. The goal of DUNE is the analysis of interstellar grains near Earth.