Student Dust Counter Status Report: The First 50 au

Abstract The Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter (SDC) is an in situ dust detector on board the New Horizons spacecraft measuring interplanetary particle (IDP) distribution for grains with mass m > 10 −12 g. SDC provides a near-continuous measure of environment, recent results spanning beyond 50 au. This coverage includes Edgeworth–Kuiper Belt (EKB), suggested by numerical models to be dominant source IDP outer solar system. Here we present updated density au and compare estimated flux values existing theoretical models. observes peak densities near 42 au, expect decay increasing heliocentric distance. Based measurements, also discuss effects generation, transport, loss evolution surfaces EKB objects, continual intermixing their surface material, general tendency homogenize spectral properties. Continued measurements remain critical revealing large-scale structure guide interpretation disks around other stars. Additionally, consider potential interstellar (ISD) “outer” Kuiper contribution its effect anticipated show that inclusion either predicted model noticeable deviation Current future serve constrain relative ISD SDC’s estimates.