Primitive Micrometeorites: Opening a Window into the Early Solar System

该项目的目标是对新发现的一组被称为CU3微陨石的外星尘埃颗粒的矿物学和成分进行首次高分辨率研究，这可能是迄今为止发现的最原始的小行星材料。这些材料将记录3天文单位太阳星云内部的情况，再加上对柯伊伯带材料的研究，将提供一个关于年轻太阳周围原行星盘的矿物学和化学变化的快照。目标微陨石（图1）已经在几个基本标准（见背景）的基础上被确定为“原始”，但到目前为止，还没有足够的分辨率来表征，以便与其他小行星和柯伊伯带材料进行比较。要求支持仪器和工作人员的时间，以便对这些可能非常重要的太阳系材料进行为期一年的试点研究，以解决STFC的两个关键战略问题：“行星系统是如何进化的”和“化学元素是如何产生的”。

The goal of this project is to perform the first high-resolution study of the mineralogy and composition of a newly discovered group of extraterrestrial dust particles, known as CU3 micrometeorites, which may be the most primitive asteroidal materials yet identified. Such materials will record the conditions within the solar nebula at 3 AU that, together with studies of Kuiper Belt materials, will provide a snapshot of the mineralogical and chemical variation through the protoplanetary disk around the young Sun. The target micrometeorites (Fig. 1) have already been identified as 'primitive' on the basis of several fundamental criteria (see background) but have, as yet, not been characterised at sufficient resolution to allow comparisons with other asteroidal and Kuiper Belt materials. Support is requested for instrument and staff time to enable a one year pilot study of these potentially very important Solar System materials to address two key STFC strategy questions 'How do planetary systems evolve' and 'How are the chemical elements created'.