In this proposal, we suggest to extend our ongoing analysis of Hayabusa samples from asteroid Itokawa and request five particles of categories 1 (two) and 2 (three) for our new study. The aims of our consortium are to contribute to a better understanding of the processes in an asteroidal regolith in general, and in particular to help unraveling the remarkably dynamic history of asteroid Itokawa, as suggested by the fast erosion deduced earlier (Science, 2011, Vol. 333, 1113‐ 1131). To reach this goal, we will determine the grains’ mineralogy, density, morphology, and the cosmogenic 3He and 21Ne contents to determine their exposure histories and surface residence times, and finally to assess the sputtering loss experienced on Itokawa. We will also search for Kr and Xe, to potentially detect traces of trapped gases. This can possibly be reached with the combination of the resonance‐ionisation schemes for both elements that are currently being integrated at the University of Manchester.
We will correlate micro‐Raman and Fourier‐Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (mRS, FTIR) with Synchrotron Radiation X‐Ray Tomographic Microscopy (SRXTM) to characterise the grains. Subsequently, we will apply Resonance‐Ionisation (RELAX, RIMSKI) and Compressor‐Source Noble Gas Mass Spectroscopy. Grains with suitable morphology and comparably simple mineralogy (e.g., those dominated by either olivine or pyroxene) will be stripped off their outer, solar‐wind‐bearing surface by focused‐ion‐beam sputtering to improve the detection of volume‐correlated cosmogenic and, perhaps, trapped noble gases. Our current study succeeded already to determine mass, internal structure, mineralogy and chemical composition of some of the previously allocated grains, demonstrating our successful correlated consortium approach. We will also follow up initial hints, obtained by Raman and FTIR spectroscopy that the forsterite content of some olivine grains may not be consistent with a type LL4‐6 chondritic origin.