Comet 81P/Wild 2 Under a Microscope
Authors: Brownlee Don , Tsou Peter , Aléon Jérôme , Alexander Conel M. O'D. , Araki Tohru , Bajt Sasa , Baratta Giuseppe A. , Bastien Ron , Bland Phil , Bleuet Pierre , Borg Janet , Bradley John P. , Brearley Adrian , Brenker F. , Brennan Sean , Bridges John C. , Browning Nigel D. , Brucato John R. , Bullock E. , Burchell Mark J. , Busemann Henner , Butterworth Anna , Chaussidon Marc , Cheuvront Allan , Chi Miaofang , Cintala Mark J. , Clark B. C. , Clemett Simon J. , Cody George , Colangeli Luigi , Cooper George , Cordier Patrick , Daghlian C. , Dai Zurong , D'Hendecourt Louis , Djouadi Zahia , Dominguez Gerardo , Duxbury Tom , Dworkin Jason P. , Ebel Denton S. , Economou Thanasis E. , Fakra Sirine , Fairey Sam A. J. , Fallon Stewart , Ferrini Gianluca , Ferroir T. , Fleckenstein Holger , Floss Christine , Flynn George , Franchi Ian A. , Fries Marc , Gainsforth Z. , Gallien J.-P. , Genge Matt , Gilles Mary K. , Gillet Philipe , Gilmour Jamie , Glavin Daniel P. , Gounelle Matthieu , Grady Monica M. , Graham Giles A. , Grant P. G. , Green Simon F. , Grossemy Faustine , Grossman Lawrence , Grossman Jeffrey N. , Guan Yunbin , Hagiya Kenji , Harvey Ralph , Heck Philipp , Herzog Gregory F. , Hoppe Peter , Hörz Friedrich , Huth Joachim , Hutcheon Ian D. , Ignatyev Konstantin , Ishii Hope , Ito Motoo , Jacob Damien , Jacobsen Chris , Jacobsen Stein , Jones Steven , Joswiak David , Jurewicz Amy , Kearsley Anton T. , Keller Lindsay P. , Khodja H. , Kilcoyne A.L. David , Kissel Jochen , Krot Alexander , Langenhorst Falko , Lanzirotti Antonio , Le Loan , Leshin Laurie A. , Leitner J. , Lemelle L. , Leroux Hugues , Liu Ming-Chang , Luening K. , Lyon Ian , MacPherson Glen , Marcus Matthew A. , Marhas Kuljeet , Marty Bernard , Matrajt Graciela , McKeegan Kevin , Meibom Anders , Mennella Vito , Messenger Keiko , Messenger Scott , Mikouchi Takashi , Mostefaoui Smail , Nakamura Tomoki , Nakano T. , Newville M. , Nittler Larry R. , Ohnishi Ichiro , Ohsumi Kazumasa , Okudaira Kyoko , Papanastassiou Dimitri A. , Palma Russ , Palumbo Maria E. , Pepin Robert O. , Perkins David , Perronnet Murielle , Pianetta P. , Rao William , Rietmeijer Frans J. M. , Robert François , Rost D. , Rotundi Alessandra , Ryan Robert , Sandford Scott A. , Schwandt Craig S. , See Thomas H. , Schlutter Dennis , Sheffield-Parker J. , Simionovici Alexandre , Simon Steven , Sitnitsky I. , Snead Christopher J. , Spencer Maegan K. , Stadermann Frank J. , Steele Andrew , Stephan Thomas , Stroud Rhonda , Susini Jean , Sutton S. R. , Suzuki Y. , Taheri Mitra , Taylor Susan , Teslich Nick , Tomeoka Kazu , Tomioka Naotaka , Toppani Alice , Trigo-Rodríguez Josep M. , Troadec David , Tsuchiyama Akira , Tuzzolino Anthony J. , Tyliszczak Tolek , Uesugi K. , Velbel Michael , Vellenga Joe , Vicenzi E. , Vincze L. , Warren Jack , Weber Iris , Weisberg Mike , Westphal Andrew J. , Wirick Sue , Wooden Diane , Wopenka Brigitte , Wozniakiewicz Penelope , Wright Ian , Yabuta Hikaru , Yano Hajime , Young Edward D. , Zare Richard N. , Zega Thomas , Ziegler Karen , Zimmerman Laurent , Zinner Ernst , Zolensky Michael 
Published: December 2006

The Stardust spacecraft collected thousands of particles from comet 81P/Wild 2 and returned them to Earth for laboratory study. The preliminary examination of these samples shows that the nonvolatile portion of the comet is an unequilibrated assortment of materials that have both presolar and solar system origin. The comet contains an abundance of silicate grains that are much larger than predictions of interstellar grain models, and many of these are high-temperature minerals that appear to have formed in the inner regions of the solar nebula. Their presence in a comet proves that the formation of the solar system included mixing on the grandest scales.