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On the Average Chemical Composition of Cometary Dust

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Physical Processes in Comets, Stars and Active Galaxies

Abstract

This is a progress report on our efforts to extract information from mass spectra obtained by the particulate impact analysers onboard the VEGA and GIOTTO spacecrafts. Analysing a subset of 23 selected spectra obtained with identical instrument conditions, we derive a preliminary average abundance pattern of the major and some minor elements in Halley’s dust. Within a factor of two the pattern is chondritic for the major elements. Carbon is enriched by a factor of 8 compared to CI chondrites. Halley’s dust is composed of chondritic “silicates” and refractory carbonaceous material.

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© 1987 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Jessberger, E.K., Kissel, J., Fechtig, H., Krueger, F.R. (1987). On the Average Chemical Composition of Cometary Dust. In: Hillebrandt, W., Meyer-Hofmeister, E., Thomas, HC. (eds) Physical Processes in Comets, Stars and Active Galaxies. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-72640-8_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-72640-8_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-72642-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-72640-8

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