Abstract_EANA2024-104

Abstract EANA2024-104

Cosmic Dust – Potential Seeds of Life across the Universe

Nozair Khawaja(1,2), Ralf Srama(1), Jonas Simolka(1), Veerle Sterken(3), Inge Loes ten Kate(4), Anna Mocker(1), Li Yanwei(1), Heiko Strack(1)

(1) Institute of Space Systems, University of Stuttgart, Germany (2) Institute of Planetary Science and Remote Sensing, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany (3) Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics, ETH Zürich (4) Utrecht University Netherlands

Dust particles that originate from beyond Earth are known collectively as cosmic dust. These are tiny particles with a size distribution from nanometre up to millimetre scales floating in interplanetary and interstellar space. The production of dust in space is a ubiquitous phenomenon that can be observed across the universe in a diverse range of environments. Examples include dust particles lofted from the surface of the Moon, planetary rings in the outer solar system, and even as far out as the galactic environment. Cosmic dust originates from many sources, including but not limited to supernovae, interstellar dust clouds, atmosphere-less planetary bodies, Main Belt and Kuiper Belt objects, and active icy moons [1].

For decades, cosmic dust has constantly challenged astronomers’ views of celestial bodies and phenomena, often obscuring light coming from those objects. However, with advancements in science and technology, and the development of modern instruments, cosmic dust is now considered as an important conveyor of information - akin to photons of light from distant objects - that helps to decipher the compositional, evolutionary, and formational histories of distant bodies [2]. Cosmic dust may also hold secrets relating to the distribution of life across the universe. Dust contains silicates and carbonaceous material produced in stellar interiors, which can be further processed in supernova explosions. Furthermore, the interstellar transfer of biosignatures (e.g., biogenic organic compounds, remains of microbes, microfossils, biominerals) to Earth is possible through extrasolar ejecta (dust particles). In addition, within the Solar System, minerals containing dust grains can be produced due to the collisions between asteroids as well as sublimation of comets. Some of these pristine cosmic dust grains are potentially considered as seeds of terrestrial life containing bio-essential elements e.g., P, S, N, C [3].

Cosmic dust originating from multiple sources can be detected in space within the Solar System by space-based dust detectors onboard spacecraft. The Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) onboard the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft detected ISD particles originating from the local interstellar cloud that pass through the Solar System [4]. CDA also detected organic compounds with astrobiological potential from local Saturn-bound dust, at Saturn [5,6]. In future such spaceborne dust telescopes (Destiny+ Dust Detector (DDA) and SUrface Dust Analyzer (SUDA) ) are planned to fly with JAXA’s Destiny+ space mission to investigate the composition of dust grains emitted by the asteroid Phaethon [7] and also with NASA’s Europa-Clipper mission to explore the habitability of its subsurface ocean through surface ejecta particles [8]. Such dust detectors are typically impact ionisation mass spectrometers, which intercept dust grains at high velocities, fragmenting them and ionising their components, yielding information on the composition, size, speed, and direction of these grains. Here, in this work, we review the current state of cosmic dust research, including the latest advancements in the field, and its relevance to astrobiology. The focus will be on the composition of dust particles, detection through in situ dust detectors and their characterization using laboratory analytical techniques.

References:

[1] Khawaja N. et al. (2024), Exploring the universe through dust visions. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A. 382:20230210. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2023.0210.

[2] Grün E., Krüger, H. & Srama, R. (2019), The Dawn of Dust Astronomy. Space Sci Rev 215, 46 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-019-0610-1.

[3] Totani T. (2023), Solid grains ejected from terrestrial exoplanets as a probe of the abudnace of life in the Milky Way. Inter. Jour. Of Astrobio. 22 (4): 347-353, doi:10.1017/S147355042300006X.

[4] Altobelli N. et al. (2016), Flux and composition of interstellar dust at Saturn from Cassini’s Cosmic Dust Analyzer. Science 352 (6283): 312-318. doi:10.1126/science.aac6397.

[5] Khawaja N. et al. (2019), Low-mass nitrogen-, oxygen bearing, and aromaGc compounds in Enceladean ice grains. MNRAS 489, pp. 5231–5243. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz2280.

[6] Postberg F. & Khawaja N. et al. (2018), Macromolecular organic compounds from the depths of Enceladus. Nature 558 (7711), pp. 564-568. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0246-4.

[7] Simolka J. et al. (2024), The DESTINY+ Dust Analyser — a dust telescope for analysing cosmic dust dynamics and composition. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A. 382:20230199. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2023.0199.

[8] Kempf S. et al. (2014), SUDA: A Dust Mass Spectrometer for Compositional Surface Mapping for a Mission to Europa. EPSC Vol. 9, EPSC2014-229.