Microparticle acceleration by a Van de Graaff accelerator and application to space and material sciences

A microparticle (dust) ion source has been installed in the 3.75 MV Van de Graaff electrostatic accelerator and a new beam line for microparticle expe riments has been built at the HIT facility of Research Center for Nuclear S cience and Technology, the University of Tokyo. Microparticle acceleration has been successful in obtaining expected velocities of 1-20 km/s or more f or micron- or submicron-sized particles. Development of in situ dust detect ors on board satellites and spacecraft in the expected mass and velocity ra nge of micrometeoroids and investigation of hypervelocity impact phenomena by using time-of-flight mass spectrometry, impact Rash measurement and scan ning electron microscope observation for metals, polymers and semiconductor s bombarded by micron-sized particles have been started. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.