2010年に奇跡の帰還を果たし世界中からの注目を集めた小惑星探査機「はやぶさ」。小惑星イトカワの表面の組成を探る2つの装置に浜松ホトニクスが開発したイメージセンサが採用されました。
浜松から世界へそして宇宙へ。
浜松ホトニクスの光技術は無限の広がりを見せています。
はやぶさの近赤外線分光器に採用されたInGaAsイメージセンサ
はやぶさの蛍光X線スペクトロメータに採用されたCCDイメージセンサ
はやぶさ帰還
小惑星探査機「はやぶさ」は、小惑星イトカワの地表から物質のサンプルを持ち帰ることを目的とし、2003(平成15)年5月9日に打ち上げられました。イトカワの地表における微粒子の採取に成功し、2010年6月13日に無事地球へ帰還。搭載カプセルをオーストラリアへ落下させ、その運用を終えました。小惑星は惑星が誕生した頃の記録を比較的よくとどめている化石のような天体で、そこからのサンプルを調べることで「惑星を作るもとになった材料がどんなものか」「惑星が誕生した頃の太陽系星雲内の様子はどうか」についての手がかりが得られると言われています。
2003年に打ち上げられた「はやぶさ」は、2005年に小惑星イトカワに到着。さまざまなトラブルを乗り越え、2010年6月に地球へ帰還しました。イオンエンジンでの飛行距離は合計で約60億キロに達しました。「はやぶさ」に搭載された当社製CCDイメージセンサとInGaAsイメージセンサは、過酷な宇宙環境に耐えて正常稼働し、データの計測を行いました。
イトカワは、1998年9月にアメリカのリンカーン研究所が発見した小惑星です。「はやぶさ」が観測した結果、イトカワの推定密度は、地球上の普通の岩石よりやや小さいことが分かりました。今まで考えられてきたよりも大きな内部のすき間(空隙)が存在する可能性を示しています。イトカワよりも大きな元の天体があって、その天体が破壊された時に出た破片がイトカワになり、同時に出た細かい破片がその上にふり積もったものと考えられています。
蛍光X線スペクトロメータは、小惑星の地表物質を上空から調べる装置です。 地表物質の元素は、太陽からのX線が当たると、そのエネルギーによって特定の波長の蛍光X線を発します。この蛍光X線は元素により波長が決まっているため、小惑星の地表から発せられる蛍光X線を測定することで、どのような元素がどのくらい存在するのかを知ることが可能となります。
蛍光X線スペクトロメータは、今回の計測でイトカワの地表物質の組成 (マグネシウム、アルミニウム、シリコンなど)を調べることができました。これは、当社のCCDの“広い受光面積”と“高いエネルギー分解能”という特性が活かされたものでした。
はやぶさの近赤外線分光器 (NIRS)は、小惑星の表面で反射した太陽光の赤外線を分光し検出することにより、地表の鉱物の種類や地表形状を分析する装置です。近赤外線分光器には、「近赤外域における高い感度」に加え、「高い信頼性と耐久性」が求められ、当社製のInGaAsイメージセンサが採用されました。
当社製のInGaAsイメージセンサが内蔵された近赤外線分光器が計測したイトカワの地表鉱物。 イトカワからの0.8~2.1μmの反射光を分光計測した結果、1μmと2μm付近に反射率の低下が存在したため、地表の鉱物にかんらん石と輝石が含まれていることが分かりました。
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