Mineralogy and Petrology of Comet 81P/Wild 2 Nucleus Samples
United States Naval Research Laboratory · Brookhaven National Laboratory · +20 more institutions
Abstract
The bulk of the comet 81P/Wild 2 (hereafter Wild 2) samples returned to Earth by the Stardust spacecraft appear to be weakly constructed mixtures of nanometer-scale grains, with occasional much larger (over 1 micrometer) ferromagnesian silicates, Fe-Ni sulfides, Fe-Ni metal, and accessory phases. The very wide range of olivine and low-Ca pyroxene compositions in comet Wild 2 requires a wide range of formation conditions, probably reflecting very different formation locations in the protoplanetary disk. The restricted compositional ranges of Fe-Ni sulfides, the wide range for silicates, and the absence of hydrous phases indicate that comet Wild 2 experienced little or no aqueous alteration. Less abundant Wild 2…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 35.67
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 33
Authors
75- MEM. E. ZolenskyCorresponding
United States Naval Research Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, National Sagamihara Hospital, Johnson Space Center, University of California, Berkeley
- TJT. J. Zega
United States Naval Research Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, National Sagamihara Hospital, Johnson Space Center, University of California, Berkeley
- HYHajime Yano
United States Naval Research Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, National Sagamihara Hospital, Johnson Space Center, University of California, Berkeley
- SWS. Wirick
United States Naval Research Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, National Sagamihara Hospital, Johnson Space Center, University of California, Berkeley
- AJAndrew J. Westphal
United States Naval Research Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, National Sagamihara Hospital, Johnson Space Center, University of California, Berkeley
Topics & keywords
- Comet
- Protoplanetary disk
- Pyroxene
- Olivine
- Mineralogy
- Range (aeronautics)
- Meteorite
- Astrobiology
- Life below water