Space Weathering of Genesis Mission Solar-wind Collectors with Inferences for Weathering on Airless Bodies
Samples from the Genesis Solar Wind Sample Return (NASA Discovery 5) are a unique opportunity to study the initial stages of space weathering, i.e., the physical and chemical effects of solar-wind irradiation. Arrays of collectors containing multiple materials were each exposed to a different solar-...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | The Planetary Science Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/acd33c |
| _version_ | 1797328082669928448 |
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| author | Amy J. G. Jurewicz Karen D. Rieck Chad Olinger Judy Allton Mukul Sharma Lindsay P. Keller Roy Christoffersen |
| author_facet | Amy J. G. Jurewicz Karen D. Rieck Chad Olinger Judy Allton Mukul Sharma Lindsay P. Keller Roy Christoffersen |
| author_sort | Amy J. G. Jurewicz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Samples from the Genesis Solar Wind Sample Return (NASA Discovery 5) are a unique opportunity to study the initial stages of space weathering, i.e., the physical and chemical effects of solar-wind irradiation. Arrays of collectors containing multiple materials were each exposed to a different solar-wind regime (fast, slow, bulk, or coronal mass ejection) at the L1 point for long durations (years). Materials exposed to the solar wind included metals, semiconductors, and insulators. Although the time of exposure was obviously short relative to samples having extraterrestrial origins, optical properties, surface chemical properties, and matrix structure have changed in many collectors due to exposure to solar wind. The thickness of amorphous zones, where present, appears to correspond with the depth of the peak of the solar-wind H distribution in each regime. Damage from high-energy particles was negligible because the collectors were 700 μ m or less in thickness and shielded from the back by the spacecraft. Micrometeorite impacts and sputtering were also negligible because of the short exposure times. Our current results are preliminary: We hope future workers will extend this study both to support Genesis characterization efforts and to further understand space-weathering processes on a geologic timescale. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T06:46:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fb28d36c0ba841a6b24d11d6e6219136 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2632-3338 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T06:46:47Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Planetary Science Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-fb28d36c0ba841a6b24d11d6e62191362024-02-03T07:56:45ZengIOP PublishingThe Planetary Science Journal2632-33382023-01-01459810.3847/PSJ/acd33cSpace Weathering of Genesis Mission Solar-wind Collectors with Inferences for Weathering on Airless BodiesAmy J. G. Jurewicz0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3282-5782Karen D. Rieck1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7427-9134Chad Olinger2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9509-6345Judy Allton3Mukul Sharma4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4328-3090Lindsay P. Keller5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1560-2939Roy Christoffersen6BCMS/SESE Arizona State University , Tempe AZ 85287-6004, USA ; Amy.Jurewicz@asu.edu; Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College , Hanover, NH 03755, USANew Mexico Consortium , 4200 W. Jemez Road, Suite 200, Los Alamos, NM 87544, USADepartment of Energy , AU-62, 19901 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20875, USAAstromaterials Curation , NASA JSC, Mail Code XI2, Houston TX 77058, USADepartment of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College , Hanover, NH 03755, USAMail Code XI, ARES, NASA Johnson Space Center , Houston, TX 77058, USAJacobs Engineering, Mail Code XI, ARES, NASA Johnson Space Center , Houston, TX 77058, USASamples from the Genesis Solar Wind Sample Return (NASA Discovery 5) are a unique opportunity to study the initial stages of space weathering, i.e., the physical and chemical effects of solar-wind irradiation. Arrays of collectors containing multiple materials were each exposed to a different solar-wind regime (fast, slow, bulk, or coronal mass ejection) at the L1 point for long durations (years). Materials exposed to the solar wind included metals, semiconductors, and insulators. Although the time of exposure was obviously short relative to samples having extraterrestrial origins, optical properties, surface chemical properties, and matrix structure have changed in many collectors due to exposure to solar wind. The thickness of amorphous zones, where present, appears to correspond with the depth of the peak of the solar-wind H distribution in each regime. Damage from high-energy particles was negligible because the collectors were 700 μ m or less in thickness and shielded from the back by the spacecraft. Micrometeorite impacts and sputtering were also negligible because of the short exposure times. Our current results are preliminary: We hope future workers will extend this study both to support Genesis characterization efforts and to further understand space-weathering processes on a geologic timescale.https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/acd33cSpace researchSolar windPlanetary science |
| spellingShingle | Amy J. G. Jurewicz Karen D. Rieck Chad Olinger Judy Allton Mukul Sharma Lindsay P. Keller Roy Christoffersen Space Weathering of Genesis Mission Solar-wind Collectors with Inferences for Weathering on Airless Bodies The Planetary Science Journal Space research Solar wind Planetary science |
| title | Space Weathering of Genesis Mission Solar-wind Collectors with Inferences for Weathering on Airless Bodies |
| title_full | Space Weathering of Genesis Mission Solar-wind Collectors with Inferences for Weathering on Airless Bodies |
| title_fullStr | Space Weathering of Genesis Mission Solar-wind Collectors with Inferences for Weathering on Airless Bodies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Space Weathering of Genesis Mission Solar-wind Collectors with Inferences for Weathering on Airless Bodies |
| title_short | Space Weathering of Genesis Mission Solar-wind Collectors with Inferences for Weathering on Airless Bodies |
| title_sort | space weathering of genesis mission solar wind collectors with inferences for weathering on airless bodies |
| topic | Space research Solar wind Planetary science |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/acd33c |
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