The Large Area Mass Analyzer (LAMA) for In-Situ Chemical Analysis of Interstellar Dust Particles
Abstract
An instrument to analyze the chemical composition of dust particles in space has been developed. The large target area (0.2 m^2) makes this instrument suitable for detecting rare interstellar dust grains. The device is a reflectron type time-of-flight mass spectrometer that measures the ions from the impact-generated plasma due to hypervelocity dust impacts on the target surface. The SIMION ion optics software package has been used to investigate different potential field configurations and optimize the mass resolution and focusing of the ions. The final cylindrical configuration uses a set of six ring electrodes on the side and six annular electrodes at the top, biased to different potentials, to create the potential distribution of the reflectron. The laboratory model of the instrument has been fabricated and is undergoing preliminary testing. Dust impacts are simulated by using a frequency-doubled (532 nm) Nd:YAG laser with ~8 ns pulse length. The mass resolution is m/delta_m greater-than-or-equal 125.
- Publication:
-
Dust in Planetary Systems
- Pub Date:
- January 2007
- Bibcode:
- 2007ESASP.643..205S