Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 15 December 2006:
Vol. 314. no. 5806, pp. 1728 - 1731
DOI: 10.1126/science.1135796
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Reports

Infrared Spectroscopy of Comet 81P/Wild 2 Samples Returned by Stardust

Lindsay P. Keller,1* Sasa Bajt,2 Giuseppe A. Baratta,3 Janet Borg,4 John P. Bradley,2 Don E. Brownlee,5 Henner Busemann,6 John R. Brucato,7 Mark Burchell,8 Luigi Colangeli,7 Louis d'Hendecourt,4 Zahia Djouadi,4 Gianluca Ferrini,9 George Flynn,10 Ian A. Franchi,11 Marc Fries,6 Monica M. Grady,11 Giles A. Graham,2 Faustine Grossemy,4 Anton Kearsley,12 Graciela Matrajt,5 Keiko Nakamura-Messenger,13 Vito Mennella,7 Larry Nittler,6 Maria E. Palumbo,3 Frank J. Stadermann,14 Peter Tsou,15 Alessandra Rotundi,16 Scott A. Sandford,17 Christopher Snead,18 Andrew Steele,6 Diane Wooden,17 Mike Zolensky1

Infrared spectra of material captured from comet 81P/Wild 2 by the Stardust spacecraft reveal indigenous aliphatic hydrocarbons similar to those in interplanetary dust particles thought to be derived from comets, but with longer chain lengths than those observed in the diffuse interstellar medium. Similarly, the Stardust samples contain abundant amorphous silicates in addition to crystalline silicates such as olivine and pyroxene. The presence of crystalline silicates in Wild 2 is consistent with mixing of solar system and interstellar matter. No hydrous silicates or carbonate minerals were detected, which suggests a lack of aqueous processing of Wild 2 dust.

1 Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate, Mail Code KR, NASA-Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA.
2 Institute for Geophysics and Planetary Physics, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA.
3 Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF)–Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123 Catania, Italy.
4 Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France.
5 Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
6 Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution, Washington, DC20015, USA.
7 INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Via Moiariello 16, 80131 Napoli, Italy.
8 School of Physical Science, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NR, UK.
9 Novaetech s.r.l., Piazza Pilastri 18, 80125 Napoli, Italy.
10 Physics Department, State University of New York, Plattsburgh, NY 12901, USA.
11 Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK.
12 Department of Mineralogy, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK.
13 Engineering Science Contract Group, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA.
14 Laboratory for Space Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63160, USA.
15 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
16 Dipartimento di Scienze Applicate, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Parthenope," 80133 Napoli, Italy.
17 Astrophysics Branch, NASA-Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.
18 Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: lindsay.p.keller{at}nasa.gov

Read the Full Text


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Comparison of Comet 81P/Wild 2 Dust with Interplanetary Dust from Comets.
H. A. Ishii, J. P. Bradley, Z. R. Dai, M. Chi, A. T. Kearsley, M. J. Burchell, N. D. Browning, and F. Molster (2008)
Science 319, 447-450
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Oxygen in Comets and Interplanetary Dust Particles.
S. A. Sandford, S. Messenger, M. DiSanti, L. Keller, and K. Altwegg (2008)
Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 68, 247-272
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
NASA Returns Rocks from a Comet.
D. S. Burnett (2006)
Science 314, 1709-1710
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Organics Captured from Comet 81P/Wild 2 by the Stardust Spacecraft.
S. A. Sandford, J. Aleon, C. M. OD. Alexander, T. Araki, S. Bajt, G. A. Baratta, J. Borg, J. P. Bradley, D. E. Brownlee, J. R. Brucato, et al. (2006)
Science 314, 1720-1724
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)