Cometdust: water droplets or bits of rock?
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Cometdust: water droplets or bits of rock?
So, are these particles we find solids or liquids?
Re: Cometdust: water droplets or bits of rock?
Solids. Its a tad cold out there!alexz wrote:So, are these particles we find solids or liquids?
Of course if they were ice, its long gone now.
Ice particles
One thing to keep in mind is the possibility that some of the incident particles will be ices. In this case, they may very well vaporize on impact but still leave some sign of their having existed. Since we don't know exactly what type of particles comprise the interstellar stream, we can't rule that out. Also, since we aren't able to simulate microscopic ice particles hitting the aerogel, we haven't the slightest clue what such impacts would look like...
Zack Gainsforth
Space Sciences Laboratory
UC Berkeley
Space Sciences Laboratory
UC Berkeley