Special APEX seminar 12 Jun: Cosmic dust in- and outside of the solar system

We look forward to welcoming visiting speaker, Veerle Sterken, for a special Astrobiology and Planetary Exploration (APEX) seminar on Monday 12th June at 16:00 (note venue below):

•  Dr Veerle Sterken (ETH Zurich) - Cosmic dust in- and outside of the solar system

Abstract

Interstellar dust from the local interstellar cloud moves through the heliosphere due to the relative motion of the solar system with respect to its immediate interstellar surroundings. Once in the solar system, its properties can be measured in situ by cosmic dust detectors on spacecraft, or they can be captured and brought back to the Earth for further laboratory analysis. 

Inside the solar system, dust from comets, dust ejected from (atmosphereless) planetary surfaces or dust coming from subsurface oceans (e.g. Enceladus) and from volcanoes (e.g. Io), are carriers of valuable information about the history of the solar system and about the interiors of these moons today. 

In this talk, we introduce the small but surprisingly rich field of in situ cosmic dust science: the science cases, measurement techniques, calibrations, and simulations. We show how in situ dust science and heliospheric sciences go hand in hand, and we finish with a discussion on current and near-future missions and mission concepts for dust research. 

This event is hosted by the UCL Astrophysics group, and will be held in the Gavin de Beer G04 Lecture Theatre on the ground floor of the Anatomy Building on the main campus of UCL. Please contact Joanna Fabbri if you are not on our regular mailing lists and wish to attend the meetings. As always, everyone interested is welcome to attend. 

Our regular APEX seminars will resume in Autumn 2023/24.

Links 

• Dr Veerle Sterken's website
• Recordings of previous APEX talks