Dust grains from the local interstellar medium are entering the heliosphere as we speak. It is natural to presume that these grains will have properties (sizes and compositions) representative of dust in the general diffuse interstellar medium of our Galaxy. An Interstellar Probe mission to the edge of our Heliosphere and beyond would provide a unique opportunity to directly sample these grains, unaffected by the magnetic deflections of the inner heliosphere. Measurements of the mass distribution of the grains and their composition would test and differentiate between different models for interstellar dust. This webinar discusses these measurement opportunities and the open questions of dust science in the solar system and beyond.
Panelists:
Pontus Brandt, Project Scientist, Interstellar Probe Study, JHUAPL
Bruce Draine, Professor of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University
Veerle Sterken, Senior Research Assistant, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Learn more about the Interstellar Probe: [ Ссылка ]
