Cosmic dust analyzer
Abstract
The patent of an invention dealing with a cosmic dust analyzer was presented. Methods and apparatus are provided which employ ion time-of-flight techniques to determine the composition of a high velocity particle such as a micrometeorite. A charged target electrode formed of two known materials is arranged to intercept the particle, the impact of which creates a discrete plasma of ions of both the known target material as well as the particle matter. A charged collector electrode receives the ions from the target, which tend to travel at a velocity which is approximately a function of their mass only. The fractional ionization for an arbitrary atomic species can be specified by the Saha equation. Given the temperature, the procedure can be reversed to yield the relative abundance of elements in the impacting particle.
- Publication:
-
Patent TRW Systems Group
- Pub Date:
- October 1975
- Bibcode:
- 1975trw..rept.....R
- Keywords:
-
- Analyzers;
- Cosmic Dust;
- Particle Mass;
- Saha Equations;
- Chemical Composition;
- Ions;
- Patents;
- Instrumentation and Photography