Cosmic Dust from the Laboratory to the Stars, 1st ed. 2020
Space Sciences Series of ISSI Series, Vol. 69

From the Earth's atmosphere to the edges of our Universe, the presence of dust is ubiquitous. One of the main challenges in studying dust in these various environments is thus to harmonize the diverse research techniques and results, including in-situ measurement, remote observation, laboratory experiments and modelling, and analysis of returned samples. For the first time in over a decade, this volume accomplishes exactly that, providing an overarching picture of the current state of dust science and research.

Where possible, the papers in this volume emphasize the interconnections, similarities, and differences in the field, synthesizing results from several techniques into one cohesive view. Importantly, astrobiological connections have now been considered. The dust hazard, future technology and research, and space mission requirements and scenarios are also addressed. The outcome of this endeavor is an interdisciplinary compendium with a unified perspective on cosmic dust science.

Originally published in Space Science Reviews in the Topical Collection "Cosmic Dust from the Laboratory to the Stars"

Rafael Rodrigo received his PhD at the University of Granada in 1979. His scientific career began at the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia, of which he was director from 1990 to 2004, and where he was directly involved in the direction of many projects on Planetary Atmospheres and Solar System Exploration. He has been the President of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) from 2008 to 2012. He has been or is involved in many space missions (Rosetta, Cassini‐Huygens, Mars Express, Bepi‐Colombo, JUICE…). He is currently a Research Professor at the Centro de Astrobiologia (CSIC), Madrid, and former Executive Director of the International Space Science Institute in Bern, Switzerland from 2012 to 2018. Presently he is General Secretary for Coordination of Science Policy at the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. He is the author or co‐author of more than 300 scientific publications.

Hsiang-Wen Hsu is a research associate at the Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, USA. He received his master degree from the National Central University, Taiwan in 2005 and his PhD at the Ruprecht Karl University Heidelberg, Germany in 2010. He was a participating scientist involved in the Cassini Grand Finale mission. His research interests include planetary rings, dust-plasma interactions, Ocean worlds (Enceladus and Europa), and small bodies in the solar system.