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Receiver Ryugu’s sand sample (Credit: JAXA) collected on the first touchdown found in room A
At a press conference on December 15, JAXA removed the capsules brought in by the “Hayabusa 2” asteroid rover.Sand and gas found on the asteroid RyuguIt was announced.
It was the first time in the world that we were able to bring back gas derived from extraterrestrial celestial bodies. The amount of sand that could be confirmed was 0.1g or more, which is the target.Should be able to collect more than 1gis what they said.
Ryugu sand found at the bottom of the sample container (Credit: JAXA)
■ Asteroid sand I dreamed of
At the beginning of the meeting, Project Manager Tsuda explained in a video message that he was able to confirm that there was a considerable amount of sand collected by Ryugu and that he was able to confirm the gas derived from Ryugu.The sand we dream of, a sample of extraterrestrial celestial bodies, is now in our hands.“Said that joy.
Then Seiichiro Watanabe, a professor at Nagoya University who is the leader of the scientific team, said “From outside the atmosphere, I was able to retrieve material from the asteroid’s surface in a very cool form without mixing it with that of the earth.I commented on it.
Comment from Professor Seiichiro Watanabe of Nagoya University (Credit: JAXA)
■ “Around”
The container containing the sampleSample containerIs named. It has a double structure with an inner cylinder called a sample collector inside the outer cylinder.
Since “Hayabusa 2” was programmed to be touched up to 3 times, the inner cylinder sample collector was provided with 3 small rooms, room A, room B and room C, and the sample collected for each landing was prepared. It is designed not to mix.
The actual landing was twice so I used rooms A and C.
Structure of the sample container and sample receiver (Credit: JAXA)
The capsule, which returned from Australia to Japan, was opened in a dedicated facility within the JAXA Institute for Space Sciences in Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, and was open for about a week.
this timeRoom A containing the 1st touchdown sample was openedis. JAXA Hirotaka Sawada, lead researcher and developer in charge of the sampler, who first looked into the sample receiver after opening the package, said: “I lost my words and was impressed. There were a few millimeters of particles around.” Look back.
Sample receiver room A location (Credit: JAXA)
In subsequent meetings, words like “around” and “zakuzaku” would often appear, and all members of the scientific team who attended the meeting, including project scientist Seiichiro Watanabe, a professor at Nagoya University, and the leader of the Initial analysis team Shogo Tachibana, a professor at the University of Tokyo, said: “I’m excited because I can do more than originally planned“Made my face shake.
Ryugu sand is also found at the bottom of the sample container after the sample collector has been removed. As well,Room C used in the second touchdown remains unopenedTherefore, we can expect more samples to be collected.
■ Freshness is important
The Ryugu asteroid visited by “Hayabusa 2” is a class of asteroid called Type C. Stones believed to originate from this type of carbon-rich asteroid can reach the ground in the form of meteorites. There are several categories of meteorites, but “Carbonic chondriteIt is the classification. Although it is a valuable sample, it mixed and reacted with substances on earth before it fell into the atmosphere and was recovered, and there was a part where it was unknown how far it was from the meteorite.
Immediately after the sample brought by “Hayabusa 2” was taken, it was sealed over Ryugu and delivered to the ground as it was. Because it is hermetically sealed, it does not mix with substances in the soil. By comparing the samples that arrived in the “fresh” state that were in space with the carbonic chondrites that fell to the ground, we may be able to get closer to the origin of the solar system than ever before.
Some sand is more than 1 mm, JAXAInstitute of Space SciencesExtraterrestrial Material Research GroupLongUsuiHirohiro「Our job is to give investigators the raw form that they have taken, so we want to handle it as little as possible.“. There are several types of manipulation, and it is said that we will collect thinking about the optimal method for each grain.
■ What about “Smoke in the Tamate Box”?
From the sample brought from “Hayabusa 2”Check not only the sand but also the gasIt’s done. If you compare a capsule to a box of balls, would the gas turn to smoke?
Type C asteroids, including Ryugu, were expected to contain large amounts of gas in brittle rocks. Therefore, there was a plan to bring the gas back and analyze it from the moment of planning. A metal seal with a higher degree of sealing has been developed to prevent gas leaks and the inclusion of the earth’s atmosphere.
Immediately after returning to Earth, I collected all the gas in the sample container in Australia, but after bringing it back to Japan, I investigated that the gas might be coming out again and it was possible to collect it again. I did. This is from the sample, that is, because the two agree well when compared.Tried as Ryugu derived gasIt was to say it was done.
Takashi Okazaki, member of the sampling team and leader of the Volatile Substances Initial Analysis Team, said “I would like to crush a large sample on initial analysis and see if a similar gas is emitted.Several results are expected in the future, such as the comment “”.
Professor Shogo Tachibana asked: “Taro Urashima grew old with the smoke from the ball box. What can we learn from this gas?” “I don’t think we’re going to get old, but as the beginning of the solar system will you go?”
The “Hayabusa 2” mission will be fully successful if new discoveries of the interaction between minerals, water and organic substances are made in the initial analysis to be carried out in the future.
Image Credit: JAXA
Judgment / Toshinori Kanagi
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