The production of platinum-coated silicate nanoparticle aggregates for use in hypervelocity impact experiments

We present a method for producing metal-coated low-density (≲1600 kg m−3) aggregate silicate dust particles for use in hypervelocity impact (HVI) experiments. Particles fabricated using the method are shown to have charged and electrostatically accelerated in the Max Planck Institut für Kernphysik (MPI-K) 2 MV Van de Graaff accelerator, allowing the production of impact ionisation mass spectra of silicate particles (impacting at velocities ranging from <4 to >30 km s−1, corresponding to sizes of >1 to <0.1 μm) using the large area mass analyser (LAMA) instrument, designed for cosmic dust detection in space. Potential uses for the coated grains, such as in the calibration of aerogel targets similar to those used on the Stardust spacecraft, are also discussed.