University of Maryland
Computer & Space Science Building, Room 2400
4:30 PM Monday, October 6, 2008
Coffee, Tea & Cookies 4:15-4:30 PM
D. S. Burnett
CalTech
The Genesis Mission. Status and First Results on Solar Wind Composition
The Science goals of Genesis are to measure solar isotopic and elemental abundances to a precision required for planetary science purposes based on a 27 month sample of the solar wind implanted into high purity materials. The crash of our sample return capsule has made the analyses much more difficult, but sufficient materials were recovered to complete our measurement objectives. In addition to bulk solar wind we collected separate samples of high and low speed solar wind as well as a sample of coronal mass ejection material. Isotopic variations of He, Ne, and Ar in these different regimes have been measured. Preliminary data on the isotopic compositions of O and N as well as the Fe/Mg elemental ratio are available. The O, and probably N, isotopic compositions appear different from those on Earth.
Sponsored by: Department of Physics
and the Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland. For information
call Debbie Jenkins at (301) 405-4780 or go to the UMD Space Physics group seminar web site.
For free parking please park in lot DD or anywhere on levels 1-2 in lot B (the big parking garage) after 4:00 pm.
Make sure that you park in a spot WITHOUT a parking meter. More parking information is at the seminar website.