This article reviews the current knowledge on the composition of cometary dust (ice,
minerals and organics) in order to constrain their origin and formation mechanisms. Comets …

We discuss the relationship between large cosmic dust that represents the main source of
extraterrestrial matter presently accreted by the Earth and samples from comet 81P/Wild 2 …

Igneous processes were quite widespread in the small bodies of the Solar System (SBSS)
and were initially fueled by short-lived radioisotopes, the proto-Sun, impact heating, and …

The idea that comets may be connected with the origin of life on Earth was considered
heresy a few decades ago, with scientists shying away from this possibility as if from a …

Transmission electron microscopy examination of 87 large fragments from 16 carrot‐shaped
and bulbous Stardust (SD) tracks was performed to study the range and diversity of …

Using chemical and petrologic evidence and modeling, we deduce that two chondrule‐like
particles named Iris and Callie, from Stardust cometary track C2052, 12, 74, formed in an …

We have characterized by transmission electron microscopy the mineralogy of samples
extracted from the walls of the Stardust track 80. More than 500 fragments were studied …

A 4× 6 μm terminal particle from Stardust track 130, named Bidi, is composed of a refractory
assemblage of Fo 97 olivine, Al-and Ti-bearing clinopyroxene and anorthite feldspar (An …

Cometary dust is a heterogeneous mixture of unequilibrated olivine and pyroxenes,
amorphous silicates, Fe-Ni sulfides, and minor amounts of oxides and other minerals. While …

We present the analyses results of two bulk Terminal Particles, C2112, 7,171, 0, 0 and
C2112, 9,171, 0, 0, derived from the Jupiter‐family comet 81P/Wild 2 returned by the …