Nano Dust in Space and Astrophysics

TL;DR

This paper summarizes a focus meeting on nano dust in space, discussing its detection, characterization, and interactions across various space environments, aiming to unify scientific approaches from multiple disciplines.

Contribution

It consolidates interdisciplinary discussions on nano dust in space, highlighting recent research and fostering collaboration among scientists, astronomers, and laboratory experts.

Findings

Nano dust exists in various space environments.

Interactions of nano dust with plasmas are significant.

Cross-disciplinary collaboration enhances understanding.

Abstract

We summarize the Focus Meeting (FM10) "Nano Dust in Space and Astrophysics" held in Vienna, Austria on 28-29 August 2018 during the 30th General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The theme of this focus meeting is related to the detection, characterization and modeling of nano particles --- cosmic dust of sizes of roughly 1 to 100 nm --- in space environments like the interstellar medium, planetary debris disks, the heliosphere, the vicinity of the Sun and planetary atmospheres, and the space near Earth. Discussions focus on nano dust that forms from condensations and collisions and from planetary objects, as well as its interactions with space plasmas like the solar and stellar winds, atmospheres and magnetospheres. A particular goal is to bring together space scientists, astronomers, astrophysicists, and laboratory experimentalists and combine their knowledge to reach cross fertilization of different disciplines.