Abstract A consistent model for the formation of the solar system and now exosolar systems has always been the ultimate goal of my research. Starting from the aggregation of presolar interstellar grains, the modeling is based on physics that had not been worked out when I started and that had to be developed. Light scattering in comet comae indicates that comets preserve much of the presolar dust structure.
Meteors indicate processing of some comet dust during ejection.
By designing major parts of the dust instrument scheduled to fly on the European Rosetta mission to a comet, we have also secured first right to that data. In this experiment, we simulated a small piece of the solar nebula inside the space shuttle and studied the aggregation. Our group also has direct access to the dust experiments on Ulysses, Galileo and Cassini and models the dust dynamics as well as monitors the Ulysses data. We continue the development of light scattering theory and the generation of an extensive and unique experimental database to analyze remote observations of scattering and emission from cosmic dust. Graduate and undergraduate students are involved with all projects including analysis of space instrument data, the development and testing of space instruments, the development of test equipment including a hypervelocity dust particle gun and a test chamber for dust motion.