Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination V: XRF analyses of interstellar dust candidates at ESRF ID13
Frank E. Brenker
,
Andrew J. Westphal
,
Laszlo Vincze
,
Manfred Burghammer
,
Sylvia Schmitz
,
Tom Schoonjans
,
Geert Silversmit
,
Bart Vekemans
,
Carlton Allen
,
David Anderson
,
Asna Ansari
,
Saša Bajt
,
Ron K. Bastien
,
Nabil Bassim
,
Hans A. Bechtel
,
Janet Borg
,
John Bridges
,
Donald E. Brownlee
,
Mark Burchell
,
Anna L. Butterworth
,
Hitesh Changela
,
Peter Cloetens
,
Andrew M. Davis
,
Ryan Doll
,
Christine Floss
,
George Flynn
,
Patrick Fougeray
,
David R. Frank
,
Zack Gainsforth
,
Eberhard Grün
,
Philipp R. Heck
,
Jon K. Hillier
,
Peter Hoppe
,
Bruce Hudson
,
Joachim Huth
,
Brit Hvide
,
Anton Kearsley
,
Ashley J. King
,
Barry Lai
,
Jan Leitner
,
Laurence Lemelle
(1)
,
Hugues Leroux
,
Ariel Leonard
,
Robert Lettieri
,
William Marchant
,
Larry R. Nittler
,
Ryan Ogliore
,
Wei Ja Ong
,
Frank Postberg
,
Mark C. Price
,
Scott A. Sandford
,
Juan-Angel Sans Tresseras
,
Alexandre S. Simionovici
,
Vicente A. Solé
,
Ralf Srama
,
Frank Stadermann
,
Thomas Stephan
,
Veerle J. Sterken
,
Julien Stodolna
,
Rhonda M. Stroud
,
Steven Sutton
,
Mario Trieloff
,
Peter Tsou
,
Akira Tsuchiyama
,
Tolek Tyliszczak
,
Joshua Von Korff
,
Naomi Wordsworth
,
Daniel Zevin
,
Michael E. Zolensky
Frank E. Brenker
- Function : Author
Andrew J. Westphal
- Function : Author
Laszlo Vincze
- Function : Author
Manfred Burghammer
- Function : Author
Sylvia Schmitz
- Function : Author
Tom Schoonjans
- Function : Author
Geert Silversmit
- Function : Author
Bart Vekemans
- Function : Author
Carlton Allen
- Function : Author
David Anderson
- Function : Author
- PersonId : 772210
- ORCID : 0000-0001-6175-3872
Asna Ansari
- Function : Author
Saša Bajt
- Function : Author
Ron K. Bastien
- Function : Author
Nabil Bassim
- Function : Author
Hans A. Bechtel
- Function : Author
Janet Borg
- Function : Author
John Bridges
- Function : Author
Donald E. Brownlee
- Function : Author
Mark Burchell
- Function : Author
Anna L. Butterworth
- Function : Author
Hitesh Changela
- Function : Author
Peter Cloetens
- Function : Author
Andrew M. Davis
- Function : Author
Ryan Doll
- Function : Author
Christine Floss
- Function : Author
George Flynn
- Function : Author
Patrick Fougeray
- Function : Author
David R. Frank
- Function : Author
Zack Gainsforth
- Function : Author
Eberhard Grün
- Function : Author
Philipp R. Heck
- Function : Author
Jon K. Hillier
- Function : Author
Peter Hoppe
- Function : Author
Bruce Hudson
- Function : Author
Joachim Huth
- Function : Author
Brit Hvide
- Function : Author
Anton Kearsley
- Function : Author
Ashley J. King
- Function : Author
Barry Lai
- Function : Author
Jan Leitner
- Function : Author
Laurence Lemelle
- Function : Author
- PersonId : 741597
- IdHAL : laurence-lemelle
- ORCID : 0000-0002-7082-5564
- IdRef : 191491675
Hugues Leroux
- Function : Author
Ariel Leonard
- Function : Author
Robert Lettieri
- Function : Author
William Marchant
- Function : Author
Larry R. Nittler
- Function : Author
Ryan Ogliore
- Function : Author
Wei Ja Ong
- Function : Author
Frank Postberg
- Function : Author
Mark C. Price
- Function : Author
Scott A. Sandford
- Function : Author
Juan-Angel Sans Tresseras
- Function : Author
Alexandre S. Simionovici
- Function : Author
Vicente A. Solé
- Function : Author
Ralf Srama
- Function : Author
Frank Stadermann
- Function : Author
Thomas Stephan
- Function : Author
Veerle J. Sterken
- Function : Author
Julien Stodolna
- Function : Author
Rhonda M. Stroud
- Function : Author
Steven Sutton
- Function : Author
Mario Trieloff
- Function : Author
Peter Tsou
- Function : Author
Akira Tsuchiyama
- Function : Author
Tolek Tyliszczak
- Function : Author
Joshua Von Korff
- Function : Author
Naomi Wordsworth
- Function : Author
Daniel Zevin
- Function : Author
Michael E. Zolensky
- Function : Author
Abstract
Here, we report analyses by synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy of the elemental composition of eight candidate impact features extracted from the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector (SIDC). Six of the features were unambiguous tracks, and two were crater-like features. Five of the tracks are so-called "midnight" tracksthat is, they had trajectories consistent with an origin either in the interstellar dust stream or as secondaries from impacts on the Sample Return Capsule (SRC). In a companion paper reporting synchrotron X-ray diffraction analyses of ISPE candidates, we show that two of these particles contain natural crystalline materials: the terminal particle of track 30 contains olivine and spinel, and the terminal particle of track 34 contains olivine. Here, we show that the terminal particle of track 30, Orion, shows elemental abundances, normalized to Fe, that are close to CI values, and a complex, fine-grained structure. The terminal particle of track 34, Hylabrook, shows abundances that deviate strongly from CI, but shows little fine structure and is nearly homogenous. The terminal particles of other midnight tracks, 29 and 37, had heavy element abundances below detection threshold. A third, track 28, showed a composition inconsistent with an extraterrestrial origin, but also inconsistent with known spacecraft materials. A sixth track, with a trajectory consistent with secondary ejecta from an impact on one of the spacecraft solar panels, contains abundant Ce and Zn. This is consistent with the known composition of the glass covering the solar panel. Neither crater-like feature is likely to be associated with extraterrestrial materials. We also analyzed blank aerogel samples to characterize background and variability between aerogel tiles. We found significant differences in contamination levels and compositions, emphasizing the need for local background subtraction for accurate quantification.