Science about the origins of life revolves mostly around theories, but one ASU researcher hopes to find a definitive answer.
Through NASA’s Genesis Mission, ASU researcher Amy Jurewicz’s study of solar winds might be able to provide insight into how the solar system was formed.
“Solar wind is the next big thing,” Jurewicz said about data collection that will help scientists determine the solar system’s formation.
NASA launched The Genesis Mission spacecraft in 2001 and it returned to Earth three years later. For this project, the space program developed a craft that could collect elements carried by solar wind.
The Genesis spacecraft was the first spacecraft to return tangible evidence from beyond the Moon’s orbit. It was also the second spacecraft, after the Apollo Program’s success, to run a “sample return mission,” a mission that returns concrete evidence from space for scientific analysis.
Jurewicz spoke Wednesday and Thursday about the Genesis Mission and her involvement at a presentation on the Tempe campus.
Meteorites can be examined for evidence linked to the solar system’s origins, but collecting samples from solar wind provides more accurate data, Jurewicz said. The elements on the meteorite undergo fractionation, the process of changing composition due to temperature and the division of particles into smaller entities. This contaminates some data, which can be better collected through samples from solar wind.
Wafer-like extensions from the Genesis spacecraft collect elements carried by solar winds. Jurewicz said these “wafers” were the most crucial in the spacecraft’s design since solar wind ions are attracted to the wafers’ sensors. Based on how deep the ions are implanted into the wafer, researchers can identify the state of the sun at particular times.
Jurewicz, who is experienced in materials engineering, has participated in NASA’s Genesis project for 15 years. She said the goal of this project is to understand the solar system on a more scientifically intricate level involving serious research rather than theories.
In order to develop a formal declaration on origin and formation, solar physicists in the project must “refine the theoretical,” Jurewicz said.
Geological sciences graduate student Karen Rieck is involved with the Genesis Mission along with Jurewicz.
“Currently I am developing techniques for measuring the concentration of calcium, chromium, sodium and sulfur in the solar wind,” Rieck said. “Solar wind is composed of ionized particles that have been driven off the sun by magnetic fields. Such fast moving ionized particles that hit the Genesis collector wafers became trapped within them. The task is to extract and measure them.”
Planetary geology is a true passion for Rieck.
“When I was little I liked learning about colorful, sparkly gemstones, and this developed into an interest in minerals, and ultimately geology.”
A malfunction of the spacecraft’s parachute caused the Genesis to crash in the Utah desert when it returned to Earth in 2004. However, ample samples were preserved and are still contributing to ongoing research.
Jurewicz said “the sample return is extremely robust.”
Reach the reporter at amatro@asu.edu
