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Sources of 10 micron Interplanetary Dust: The Contribution from the Kuiper Belt
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 February 2018
Abstract
Two major sources are observed to contribute to the Zodiacal Cloud: main-belt asteroids and active comets. However, the discovery of 100 km size objects in trans-Neptunian orbits (Jewitt & Luu 1993) coupled with Pioneer 10 measurements showing an essentially constant flux of 10 μm dust from 4 to 18 AU with indications that dust may be in near-circular orbits (Humes 1980) suggests that collisions in the Kuiper Belt may contribute significantly to the Zodiacal Cloud and to the interplanetary dust collected from the Earth's stratosphere. Kuiper Belt dust collected at Earth could be identified by high densities of solar flare tracks, unusually thick amorphous rims, and high concentrations of spallogenic isotopes.
- Type
- IV. Origin of the Interplanetary Dust Cloud
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- Copyright © Astronomical Society of the Pacific 1996
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