Revisiting STEREO interplanetary and interstellar dust flux and mass estimates

Abstract

Two recent events have motivated a second look at estimates for the flux and mass of approximately micron-radius interplanetary and interstellar dust observed by the twin STEREO spacecraft. First, the signals interpreted as nanometer dust impacts on STEREO-A have nearly ceased, even though STEREO-B continues to observe these signals unabated. Second, a recent laboratory dust accelerator experimental campaign has quantified the charge release associated with hypervelocity dust impacts on materials specific to STEREO. The first event enables an investigation of the extent to which nanometer dust signals influence estimates of micron-radius dust flux. The second event allows an evaluation of how impact charge release values specific to STEREO materials influence dust mass estimates. Revised estimates based on these considerations yield higher fluxes and similar masses for micron-radius interplanetary dust compared to prior studies, as well as lower fluxes and higher masses for interstellar micron-radius dust compared to prior studies. The revised flux and mass estimates reported here differ by less than a factor of 4 from those reported in previous work, demonstrating that STEREO-derived estimates for the flux and mass of micron-radius dust are largely robust to spacecraft material charge yields and the disappearance of nanometer dust signals. Key Points STEREO estimates of micron-radius dust flux and mass estimates are revised Nanometer dust impact signals nearly ceased on STEREO-A, not on STEREO-B Flux and mass estimates do not differ strongly from those previously reported