The samples will be probed with a scanning electron microscope, infrared measurements, and x-ray diffraction. NASA wants to investigate Bennu's chemical composition and study whether it contains hydrated minerals or organic compounds, and estimate its capacity to absorb and release heat. The results will give scientists a sneak preview of what they should expect when NASA finally cracks open the canister and sends samples off to labs around the world. The difference is that sound waves are long while light waves are extremely short because differentiation is proportional to wave length it is not easy to observe the bending of light when it passes through a small aperture or goes around a sharp edge. "We have all the microanalytical techniques that we can throw at this to really, really tear it apart, almost down to the atomic scale," said Lindsay Keller, a member of the OSIRIS-REx sample analysis team. In contrast, diffraction is quite difficult to observe with light. No need for more asteroid-blasting attempts, NASA's OSIRIS-REx has more than enough space dirt.
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