Collecting cometary dust particles on metal blacks with the COSIMA instrument onboard ROSETTA
Résumé
After a brief review of the instrument development and materials selection for collecting cometary dust in the vicinity of comet 67/P Churyumov-Gerasimenko we focus on laboratory verification for the capability of metal black targets to decelerate and capture dust particles (velocities in the order of 100 m/s; sizes of some 10 mu m). The results indicate that particles between 10 and 100 mu m size can be collected with high probability. Two basic mechanisms of energy dissipation upon impact could be identified: By internal friction within a highly structured dust and within the black's nanostructure. In addition to the actual ROSETTA mission the data presented here might have a more general relevance for future, similar in-situ investigations. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.