The shards of an asteroid can reveal information about the early universe. The asteroid is named Ryugu, and an Italian team of specialists from the National Institute of Astrophysics, the University of Florence, and the National Institute of Nuclear Physics will conduct the analysis. The cosmic materials were delivered to Earth by the Japanese Space Agency's Hayabusa-2 mission, JAXA. The research team has two grains available, each weighing 0.7 and 1.9 milligrams. Each grain is placed inside a specific steel container filled with nitrogen, which serves two purposes: it preserves the grain by preventing contamination from dust and water vapour in the environment, and it allows for safe transportation. To commemorate Japanese culture, the Italian team chose to name the two grains after the tradition of anime, specifically the works of Studio Ghibli and its founder Hayao Miyazaki. The National Institute of Nuclear Physics' Frascati Laboratories synchrotron light laboratory has already begun the first infrared spectroscopy research.
|