Chemical analysis of natural particulate impact residues on the long duration exposure facility

Abstract

In situ collection of cosmic dust and space debris on the Low Earth Orbit has yielded a new perspective of the near Earth dust environment. The hypervelocity impact craters on the trailing side of the Long Duration Exposure Facility were converted into the projectile sizes and the physical and elemental comparison with interplanetary dust particles captured in the stratosphere was carried out. The size distribution agreed well while some chemical elements of LDEF samples suggested a fluctuation due to massive energy transfer during the hypervelocity impact in space. A possible selection process is discussed. Also, future opportunity of i situ detection of meteor showers is foreseen as long as new intact-capture materials are properly developed