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Correlated Microanalysis of Cometary Organic Grains Returned by StardustPreliminary examination (PE) of samples returned from Comet 81P/Wild 2 by the NASA Stardust mission revealed a wide variety of carbonaceous samples [e.g. 1]. Carbonaceous matter is present as inclusions, rinds, and films in polyminerallic terminal particles [2-4], as carbon-rich particles along track walls [2, 5, 6], and as organic matter in aerogel around tracks [7, 8]. The organic chemistry of these samples ranges from purely aliphatic hydrocarbons to highly-aromatic material, often modified by various organic functional groups [2, 4, 5, 9-11]. Difficulty arises when interpreting the genesis of these carbonaceous samples, since contaminants could be introduced from the spacecraft [12], aerogel [1, 8], or during sample preparation. In addition, hypervelocity capture into aerogel may have heated cometary material in excess of 1000 C, which could have significantly altered the structure and chemistry of carbonaceous matter. Fortunately, much of this contamination or alteration can be identified through correlated microanalysis with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning-transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM), and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS).
Document ID
20110005574
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Extended Abstract
Authors
DeGregorio, B. T. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Stroud, R. M. (Naval Research Lab. Washington, DC, United States)
Nittler, L. R. (Carnegie Institution of Washington Washington, DC, United States)
Cody, G. D, (Carnegie Institution of Washington Washington, DC, United States)
Kilcoyne, A. L. D. (Brookhaven National Lab. Upton, NY, United States)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2011
Subject Category
Geophysics
Report/Patent Number
JSC-CN-22719
Meeting Information
Meeting: Lunar and Planetary Science Conference XLII (42nd)
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Country: United States
Start Date: March 7, 2011
End Date: March 11, 2011
Sponsors: Lunar and Planetary Inst.
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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