<s>
The	O
Micro-Imaging	B-Algorithm
Dust	I-Algorithm
Analysis	I-Algorithm
System	I-Algorithm
(	O
MIDAS	O
)	O
is	O
one	O
of	O
several	O
instruments	O
on	O
the	O
European	O
Space	O
Agency	O
's	O
Rosetta	O
mission	O
which	O
studied	O
in-situ	O
the	O
environment	O
around	O
the	O
active	O
comet	B-Language
67P/Churyumov	O
–	O
Gerasimenko	O
as	O
it	O
flew	O
into	O
the	O
inner	O
Solar	O
System	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MIDAS	O
is	O
an	O
atomic	O
force	O
microscope	O
(	O
AFM	O
)	O
designed	O
to	O
collect	O
dust	O
particles	O
emitted	O
from	O
the	O
comet	B-Language
,	O
and	O
then	O
scan	O
them	O
with	O
a	O
very	O
sharp	O
needle-like	O
tip	O
to	O
determine	O
their	O
3D	O
structure	O
,	O
size	O
and	O
texture	O
with	O
very	O
high	O
resolution	O
(	O
4	O
nanometers	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Stardust	O
mission	O
returned	O
many	O
cometary	O
dust	O
particles	O
,	O
collected	O
during	O
a	O
fast	O
flyby	O
of	O
comet	B-Language
81P/Wild	O
in	O
aerogel	O
,	O
but	O
these	O
were	O
highly	O
modified	O
,	O
crushed	O
and	O
melted	O
during	O
deceleration	O
and	O
return	O
to	O
Earth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
collecting	O
and	O
imaging	O
dust	O
particles	O
—	O
tiny	O
pieces	O
of	O
rock	O
,	O
ice	O
and	O
Organic	O
compounds	O
—	O
emitted	O
from	O
comet	B-Language
67P/Churyumov	O
–	O
Gerasimenko	O
as	O
it	O
passes	O
through	O
the	O
inner	O
Solar	O
System	O
,	O
MIDAS	O
address	O
questions	O
including	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
comets	B-Language
are	O
thought	O
to	O
be	O
ancient	O
,	O
and	O
contain	O
material	O
unchanged	O
since	O
their	O
formation	O
in	O
the	O
early	O
Solar	O
System	O
,	O
these	O
questions	O
will	O
directly	O
help	O
support	O
theories	O
on	O
the	O
Solar	O
System	O
formation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dust	O
collection	O
is	O
performed	O
when	O
close	O
to	O
the	O
comet	B-Language
by	O
opening	O
the	O
shutter	O
and	O
placing	O
one	O
of	O
61	O
targets	O
directly	O
behind	O
the	O
funnel	O
.	O
</s>
