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Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination I: Identification of tracks in aerogel
Author(s) -
Westphal Andrew J.,
Anderson David,
Butterworth Anna L.,
Frank David R.,
Lettieri Robert,
Marchant William,
Von Korff Joshua,
Zevin Daniel,
Ardizzone Augusto,
Campanile Antonella,
Capraro Michael,
Courtney Kevin,
Criswell Mitchell N.,
Crumpler Dixon,
Cwik Robert,
Gray Fred Jacob,
Hudson Bruce,
Imada Guy,
Karr Joel,
Wah Lily Lau Wan,
Mazzucato Michele,
Motta Pier Giorgio,
Rigamonti Carlo,
Spencer Ronald C.,
Woodrough Stephens B.,
Santoni Irene Cimmino,
Sperry Gerry,
Terry JeanNoel,
Wordsworth Naomi,
Yahnke Tom,
Allen Carlton,
Ansari Asna,
Bajt Saša,
Bastien Ron K.,
Bassim Nabil,
Bechtel Hans A.,
Borg Janet,
Brenker Frank E.,
Bridges John,
Brownlee Donald E.,
Burchell Mark,
Burghammer Manfred,
Changela Hitesh,
Cloetens Peter,
Davis Andrew M.,
Doll Ryan,
Floss Christine,
Flynn George,
Gainsforth Zack,
Grün Eberhard,
Heck Philipp R.,
Hillier Jon K.,
Hoppe Peter,
Huth Joachim,
Hvide Brit,
Kearsley Anton,
King Ashley J.,
Lai Barry,
Leitner Jan,
Lemelle Laurence,
Leroux Hugues,
Leonard Ariel,
Nittler Larry R.,
Ogliore Ryan,
Ong Wei Ja,
Postberg Frank,
Price Mark C.,
Sandford Scott A.,
Tresseras JuanAngel Sans,
Schmitz Sylvia,
Schoonjans Tom,
Silversmit Geert,
Simionovici Alexandre S.,
Solé Vicente A.,
Srama Ralf,
Stephan Thomas,
Sterken Veerle J.,
Stodolna Julien,
Stroud Rhonda M.,
Sutton Steven,
Trieloff Mario,
Tsou Peter,
Tsuchiyama Akira,
Tyliszczak Tolek,
Vekemans Bart,
Vincze Laszlo,
Zolensky Michael E.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
meteoritics and planetary science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.09
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1945-5100
pISSN - 1086-9379
DOI - 10.1111/maps.12168
Subject(s) - hypervelocity , calibration , aerogel , identification (biology) , remote sensing , comet , cosmic dust , physics , astrobiology , astrophysics , materials science , astronomy , geology , nanotechnology , botany , quantum mechanics , biology
Here, we report the identification of 69 tracks in approximately 250 cm 2 of aerogel collectors of the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector. We identified these tracks through Stardust@home, a distributed internet‐based virtual microscope and search engine, in which > 30,000 amateur scientists collectively performed >9 × 10 7 searches on approximately 10 6 fields of view. Using calibration images, we measured individual detection efficiency, and found that the individual detection efficiency for tracks > 2.5 μm in diameter was >0.6, and was >0.75 for tracks >3 μm in diameter. Because most fields of view were searched >30 times, these results could be combined to yield a theoretical detection efficiency near unity. The initial expectation was that interstellar dust would be captured at very high speed. The actual tracks discovered in the Stardust collector, however, were due to low‐speed impacts, and were morphologically strongly distinct from the calibration images. As a result, the detection efficiency of these tracks was lower than detection efficiency of calibrations presented in training, testing, and ongoing calibration. Nevertheless, as calibration images based on low‐speed impacts were added later in the project, detection efficiencies for low‐speed tracks rose dramatically. We conclude that a massively distributed, calibrated search, with amateur collaborators, is an effective approach to the challenging problem of identification of tracks of hypervelocity projectiles captured in aerogel.