Understanding the Solar System through the Xenon Isotopic Record

我研究的最终目标是限制星尘号从81P/Wild 2彗星返回的物质中重惰性气体的含量。“星尘”号返回的彗星物质包括地球上一些最原始、最原始的太阳系物质；限制彗星物质中氙的性质将填补关于彗星物质中重惰性气体含量的文献空白，并为原始太阳系物质的起源和历史提供有价值的约束。总而言之，我将使用RELAX仪器对相同的星尘材料类似物（气凝胶，富q的有机Vigarano分离物和富sw的月球陨石）进行两个平行实验；一个实验（对照）将分别使用典型的逐步加热方法对每个模拟组分进行，另一个实验将使用封闭系统步进蚀刻（CSSE）在整个模拟物上从每个组分中释放气体（首先用HF用于富sw的硅酸盐组分，然后用HNO3用于富q的有机组分）。然后将逐步加热实验的“真实”结果与逐步蚀刻实验的结果进行比较，以衡量CSSE对星尘材料分析的适用性。如果这项技术被证明是成功的，我将获得一个星尘样品，并进行一个实验，以确定其氙含量使用CSSE和RELAX。

The ultimate goal of my research is to constrain the heavy noble gas content of material returned from the comet 81P/Wild 2 by the Stardust mission. The Stardust mission returned cometary matter which comprises some of the most primitive and pristine solar system material available on earth; constraining the nature of the xenon contained in cometary matter will fill a gap in the literature surrounding the heavy noble gas content of cometary material, and also provide valuable constraints on the origins and history of primitive solar system materials. To summarise, I will be conducting two parallel experiments on identical Stardust material analogues (aerogel, Q-rich organic Vigarano separate, and SW-rich lunar meteorite) using the RELAX instrument; one experiment (the control) will be conducted using the typical stepwise heating approach for each analogue component separately, the other will liberate gases from each component using closed system stepped etching (CSSE) on the entire analogue (first with HF for the SW-rich silicate component, then HNO3 for the Q-rich organic component). The 'true' results of the stepwise heating experiment will then be compared to the results of the stepped etching experiment, providing a measure of CSSE's applicability for the analysis of Stardust materials. Should this technique prove to be successful, I will acquire a Stardust sample and conduct an experiment to determine its xenon content using CSSE and RELAX.