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Elemental compositions of comet 81P/Wild 2
samples collected by Stardust.
Flynn G. J., Bleuet P., Borg J., Bradley J. P., Brenker
F. E., Brennan S., Bridges J., Brownlee D. E., Bullock E.
S., Burghammer M., Clark B. C., Dai Z. R., Daghlian C. P.,
Djouadi Z., Fakra S., Ferroir T., Floss C., Franchi I. A.,
Gainsforth Z., Gallien J.-P., Gillet P., Grant P. G., Graham
G. A., Green S. F., Grossemy F., Heck P., Herzog G. F.,
Hoppe P., Hörz F., Huth J., Ignatyev K., Ishii H. A.,
Janssens K., Joswiak D., Kearsley A. T., Khodja H.,
Lanzirotti A., Leitner J., Lemelle L., Leroux H., Luening
K., MacPherson G. J., Marhas K. K., Marcus M. A., Matrajt
G., Nakamura T., Nakamura-Messenger K., Nakano T., Newville
M., Papanastassiou D. A., Pianetta P., Rao W., Riekel C.,
Rietmeijer F. J. M., Rost D., Schwandt C. S., See T. H.,
Sheffield-Parker J., Simionovici A., Sitnitsky I., Snead C.
J., Stadermann F. J., Stephan T., Stroud R. M., Susini J.,
Suzuki Y., Sutton S. R., Taylor S., Teslich N., Troadec D.,
Tsou P., Tsuchiyama A., Uesugi K., Vekemans B., Vicenzi E.
P., Vincze L., Westphal A. J., Wozniakiewicz P., Zinner E.,
and Zolensky M. E. (2006)
Science 314, 1731-1735.
doi:10.1126/science.1136141
ABSTRACT
We measured the elemental compositions of material from
23 particles in aerogel and from residue in seven craters in
aluminum foil that was collected during passage of the
Stardust spacecraft through the coma of comet 81P/Wild 2.
These particles are chemically heterogeneous at the largest
size scale analyzed (180 ng). The mean elemental composition
of this Wild 2 material is consistent with the CI meteorite
composition, which is thought to represent the bulk
composition of the solar system, for the elements Mg, Si,
Mn, Fe, and Ni to 35%, and for Ca and Ti to 60%. The
elements Cu, Zn, and Ga appear enriched in this Wild 2
material, which suggests that the CI meteorites may not
represent the solar system composition for these moderately
volatile minor elements.
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