Origin and Evolution of Interplanetary Dust

This work includes investigations of interplanetary dust by space and Earth environment studies, by physics and chemical analysis, and by zodiacal light and optical studies. Also covered are topics related to cometary dust, meteoroids and circumplanetary dust.

---

The origin and evolution of interplanetary dust have been extensively discussed ever since the 1960s when a series of meetings began which brought together the interplanetary dust community. More recently, during the 1980s, new knowledge has emerged from comprehensive studies of cometary flybys and from infrared space observations. At present new, in-situ explorations of interplanetary dust are providing some promising results. This work begins with investigations of interplanetary dust by space and Earth environment studies, by physics and chemical analysis, and by zodiacal light and optical studies. Topics related to cometary dust, meteoroids and meteor streams, and circumplanetary dust, which are indeed linked to the evolution of interplanetary dust, are then presented. Finally, the origin of interplanetary dust is tracked back to comets or asteroids and to interstellar or circumstellar dust. A summary demonstrates that interplanetary dust studies are thriving and may provide a clearer understadnign of the formation of the solar system.