Re: BOOKS: The Secret Life of Dust

From: Amara Graps (amara@amara.com)
Date: Fri Mar 01 2002 - 00:50:58 MST


Dear Spike,

>Referring to rocket exhaust as sapphire dust is a bit of a stretch. {8-]

Now I'm confused.

Brian said 'spits', but he described no physical process. Sapphire is
aluminium oxide, isn't it? I'm acquainted with slag Al2O3, paint flakes etc.,
in the ESA models and data for debris detected with dust detectors in LEO
and GEO (esp. debris 'clouds' as a result of firings from solid rocket
boosters). Al2O3 is picked up in Earth's stratosphere, as well. I also
learned at Esrange last August that these same composition particles litter
the ground after their launches. These are my reference points for making
my statement.

So what process are you referring to? I.e. could you please tell 'how'
and 'where' a rocket "spits" sapphire dust?

(Basically interested to know spatial locations, velocities and sizes of
the particles).

Amara

-- 
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Amara Graps, PhD             | Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik
Heidelberg Cosmic Dust Group | Saupfercheckweg 1  
+49-6221-516-543             | 69117 Heidelberg, GERMANY
Amara.Graps@mpi-hd.mpg.de    * http://www.mpi-hd.mpg.de/dustgroup/~graps 
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"We came whirling out of Nothingness scattering stars like dust." --Rumi


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