The spectrum of Phobos from Phobos 2 observations at 0.3-2.6 microns: Comparison to previous data and meteorite analogs

The surface of Phobos has been proposed to consist of carbonaceous chondrite or optically darkened ordinary chondrite ('black chondrite'). Measurements of Phobos's spectrum are key evidence for testing these hypotheses. Disk-integrated measurements were obtained by the Mariner 9 UV spectrometer, Viking Lander cameras, and groundbased observations. In 1989 disk-resolved measurements of Phobos and Mars were obtained by three instruments on Phobos 2: the KRFM spectrometer, which covered the wavelength range 0.32 - 0.6 microns; the ISM imaging spectrometer, which covered the wavelength range 0.76 - 3.16 microns; and the VSK TV cameras, whose wavelength ranges overlap those of KRFM and ISM. Here we report analysis of the Phobos 2 measurements completed since earlier results were reported. We validated calibration of the Phobos measurements using observations of Mars for reference, and compared them with pre-1989 measurements. We also combined spectra from the three detectors to produce an integrated spectrum of Phobos from 0.3 - 2.6 microns. Phobos 2 results agree well with previous measurements, contrary to some reports. The general shape of the spectrum is consistent with both proposed analogues. However position and depth of the previously unobserved 1 micron absorption are more diagnostic, and indicate the composition of typical surfaces to be more consistent with black chondrite

Variations in the Fe mineralogy of bright Martian soil

Bright regions on Mars are interpreted as 'soil' derived by chemical alteration of crustal rocks, whose main pigmentary component is ferric oxide or oxyhydroxide. The mineralogy and mineralogic variability of ferric iron are important evidence for the evolution of Martian soil: mineralogy of ferric phases is sensitive to chemical conditions in their genetic environments, and the spatial distributions of different ferric phases would record a history of both chemical environments and physical mixing. Reflectance spectroscopic studies provide several types of evidence that discriminate possible pigmentary phases, including the position of a crystal field absorption near 0.9 microns and position and strengths of absorptions in the UV-visible wavelength region. Recent telescopic spectra and laboratory measurements of Mars soil analogs suggest that spectral features of bright soil can be explained based on a single pigmentary phase, hematite (alpha-Fe2O3), occurring in both 'nanophase' and more crystalline forms. Here we report on a systematic investigation of Martian bright regions using ISM imaging spectrometer data, in which we examined spatial variations in the position and shape of the approximately 0.9 microns absorption. We found both local and regional heterogeneities that indicate differences in Fe mineralogy. These results demonstrate that bright soils do not represent a single lithology that has been homogenized by eolian mixing, and suggest that weathering of soils in different geologic settings has followed different physical and chemical pathways

Disk-resolved spectral reflectance properties of Phobos from 0.3-3.2 micron: Preliminary integrated results from Phobos 2

The Phobos 2 mission provided multispectral observations of Phobos over a large wavelength range and with relatively high spectral resolution. Here, researchers integrate results from three multispectral detectors by determining the ultraviolet-visible near infrared spectral properties of color and brightness features recognized in VSK TV images. Researchers present evidence that there are two fundamental spectral units within the region of overlapping coverage by the detectors. They describe the units' spectral and reflectance properties and discuss the implications of these results for the composition of Phobos

Morphology and dynamics of Venus's southern polar vortex reveal a drifting circulation

This was a last-minute invited contribution to coincide with the publication of the article "Venus’s Southern Polar Vortex Reveals Precessing Circulation" in Science

Pd-Catalyzed Intramolecular Oxyalkynylation of Alkenes with Hypervalent Iodine

The first example of intramolecular oxyalkynylation of nonactivated alkenes using oxidative Pd chemistry is reported. Both phenol and aromatic or aliphatic acid derivatives could be used under operator-friendly conditions (room temperature, technical solvents, under air). The discovery of the superiority of benziodoxolone-derived hypervalent iodine reagent 3d as an alkyne transfer reagent further expands the rapidly increasing utility of hypervalent iodine reagents in catalysis and is expected to have important implications for other similar processes

Relationship between inner coma water emissions and ice deposits in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Data acquired in April 2015 with the VIRTIS spectrometer on board the Rosetta mission provided information on the possible correlation between the H2O emission in the inner coma and the exposed water deposits detected in the Hapi region on the 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko surface (Migliorini et al. submitted). Further bright spots attributed to exposed water ice have been identified in other regions by OSIRIS at visible wavelengths (Pommerol, et al., 2015) and confirmed in the infrared by VIRTIS-M in the Imothep region (Filacchione et al., 2016). Furthermore, new water ice deposits have been identified in regions located both at the equator and at southern latitudes. These regions might be localised sources of water emissions in the inner coma of 67P/C-G. The present investigation seeks to identify the spatial and temporal correlations between the H2O emissions in the inner coma and the water ice rich deposits on the surface in order to identify the mechanisms operating at the surface-coma interface. It extends the study already carried out for a limited region located in the comet's neck, and identifies how the observed emissions and deposits evolve with the heliocentric distance, as observed by VIRTIS during the Rosetta escort phase mission

Mineralogie des surfaces de Mars et de Phobos: etude par spectro-imagerie infrarouge en orbite (experience Phobos-2/ISM)

SIGLEAvailable from INIST (FR), Document Supply Service, under shelf-number : T 84442 / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc

The global surface composition of 67P/CG nucleus by Rosetta/VIRTIS. (I) Prelanding mission phase

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