230 research outputs found
Nature and Degree of Aqueous Alteration of Outer Main Belt Asteroids and CM and CI Carbonaceous Chondrites
CM (Mighei-like) and CI (Ivuna-like) carbonaceous chondrites are primitive meteorites that consist of some of the most pristine matter known in the Solar System. They are thought to be genetically related to outer Main Belt asteroids (C-, D-, G-, F-, T-, and B-types) that span the 2.5 \u3c a \u3c 4.0 AU region. They are also thought to be the source that might have delivered water and organics to terrestrial planets during their accretion. The goal of this dissertation is to develop reliable 3-µm [micron] spectral indicators that can place constraints on the degree and location of aqueous alteration in the outer Main Belt region, and on the nature of phyllosilicate mineralogy on the surface of these asteroids. To that end, we have undertaken combined petrologic, geochemical, and spectroscopic analyses of CM and CI chondrites and outer Main Belt asteroids. Using the SpeX spectrograph/imager at NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), we measured near-infrared (NIR: 0.7-4.0 µm) spectra of 40 outer Main Belt asteroids that allowed the identification of four 3-µm spectral groups, each of which presumably reflects a distinct surface mineralogy. We also measured spectra of 9 CM chondrites (in addition to the CI chondrite Ivuna) in the laboratory under asteroid-like conditions. These measurements revealed three spectral groups of CM chondrites, all of which are distinct from the spectrum of Ivuna on the basis of the 3-μm band center and shape of spectra, showing that distinct parent body aqueous alteration environments experienced by different carbonaceous chondrites can be distinguished using reflectance spectroscopy. All CM and CI chondrites in the present study are found to be similar to the group of asteroids that are located in the 2.5 \u3c a \u3c 3.3 AU region and exhibit a sharp 3-µm feature, attributed to OH-stretching in hydrated minerals. However, no meteorite match was found for asteroids with a rounded 3-µm feature that are located farther from the Sun (3.0 \u3c a \u3c 4.0 AU), or for groups with distinctive spectra like 1 Ceres or 52 Europa
Detection of Water and/or Hydroxyl on Asteroid (16) Psyche
In order to search for evidence of hydration on M-type asteroid (16) Psyche,
we observed this object in the 3 micron spectral region using the
long-wavelength cross-dispersed (LXD: 1.9-4.2 micron) mode of the SpeX
spectrograph/imager at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF). Our
observations show that Psyche exhibits a 3 micron absorption feature,
attributed to water or hydroxyl. The 3 micron absorption feature is consistent
with the hydration features found on the surfaces of water-rich asteroids,
attributed to OH- and/or H2O-bearing phases (phyllosilicates). The detection of
a 3 micron hydration absorption band on Psyche suggests that this asteroid may
not be metallic core, or it could be a metallic core that has been impacted by
carbonaceous material over the past 4.5 Gyr. Our results also indicate
rotational spectral variations, which we suggest reflect heterogeneity in the
metal/silicate ratio on the surface of Psyche.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures in Astronomical Journal, 201
Phase Angle Effects on 3-micron Absorption Band on Ceres: Implications for Dawn Mission
Phase angle-induced spectral effects are important to characterize since they
affect spectral band parameters such as band depth and band center, and
therefore skew mineralogical interpretations of planetary bodies via
reflectance spectroscopy. Dwarf planet (1) Ceres is the next target of NASA's
Dawn mission, which is expected to arrive in March 2015. The visible and
near-infrared mapping spectrometer (VIR) onboard Dawn has the spatial and
spectral range to characterize the surface between 0.25-5.0 microns. Ceres has
an absorption feature at 3.0 microns due to hydroxyl- and/or water-bearing
minerals (e.g. Lebofsky et al. 1981, Rivkin et al. 2003). We analyzed phase
angle-induced spectral effects on the 3-micron absorption band on Ceres using
spectra measured with the long-wavelength cross-dispersed (LXD: 1.9-4.2
microns) mode of the SpeX spectrograph/imager at the NASA Infrared Telescope
Facility (IRTF). Ceres LXD spectra were measured at different phase angles
ranging from 0.7o to 22o. We found that the band center slightly increases from
3.06 microns at lower phase angles (0.7o and 6o) to 3.07 microns at higher
phase angles (11 o and 22o), the band depth decreases by ~20% from lower phase
angles to higher phase angles, and the band area decreases by ~25% from lower
phase angles to higher phase angles. Our results will have implications for
constraining the abundance of OH on the surface of Ceres from VIR spectral
data, which will be acquired by Dawn starting spring 2015.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure, 2 table
Astronomical Observations of Volatiles on Asteroids
We have long known that water and hydroxyl are important components in
meteorites and asteroids. However, in the time since the publication of
Asteroids III, evolution of astronomical instrumentation, laboratory
capabilities, and theoretical models have led to great advances in our
understanding of H2O/OH on small bodies, and spacecraft observations of the
Moon and Vesta have important implications for our interpretations of the
asteroidal population. We begin this chapter with the importance of water/OH in
asteroids, after which we will discuss their spectral features throughout the
visible and near-infrared. We continue with an overview of the findings in
meteorites and asteroids, closing with a discussion of future opportunities,
the results from which we can anticipate finding in Asteroids V. Because this
topic is of broad importance to asteroids, we also point to relevant in-depth
discussions elsewhere in this volume.Comment: Chapter to appear in the (University of Arizona Press) Space Science
Series Book: Asteroids I
Near-infrared observations of active asteroid (3200) Phaethon reveal no evidence for hydration
Asteroid (3200) Phaethon is an active near-Earth asteroid and the parent body
of the Geminid Meteor Shower. Because of its small perihelion distance,
Phaethon's surface reaches temperatures sufficient to destabilize hydrated
materials. We conducted rotationally resolved spectroscopic observations of
this asteroid, mostly covering the northern hemisphere and the equatorial
region, beyond 2.5-micron to search for evidence of hydration on its surface.
Here we show that the observed part of Phaethon does not exhibit the 3-micron
hydrated mineral absorption (within 2-sigma). These observations suggest that
Phaethon's modern activity is not due to volatile sublimation or
devolatilization of phyllosilicates on its surface. It is possible that the
observed part of Phaethon was originally hydrated and has since lost volatiles
from its surface via dehydration, supporting its connection to the Pallas
family, or it was formed from anhydrous material
Detection of Rotational Spectral Variation on the M-type asteroid (16) Psyche
The asteroid (16) Psyche is of scientific interest because it contains ~ 1%
of the total mass of the asteroid belt and is thought to be the remnant
metallic core of a protoplanet. Radar observations have indicated the
significant presence of metal on the surface with a small percentage of
silicates. Prior ground-based observations showed rotational variations in the
near-infrared (NIR) spectra and radar albedo of this asteroid. However, no
comprehensive study that combines multi-wavelength data has been conducted so
far. Here we present rotationally resolved NIR spectra (0.7-2.5 microns) of
(16) Psyche obtained with the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. These data have
been combined with shape models of the asteroid for each rotation phase.
Spectral band parameters extracted from the NIR spectra show that the pyroxene
band center varies from ~ 0.92 to 0.94 microns. Band center values were used to
calculate the pyroxene chemistry of the asteroid, whose average value was found
to be Fs30En65Wo5. Variations in the band depth were also observed, with values
ranging from 1.0 to 1.5%. Using a new laboratory spectral calibration we
estimated an average orthopyroxene content of 6+/-1%. The mass-deficit region
of Psyche, which exhibits the highest radar albedo, also shows the highest
value for spectral slope and the minimum band depth. The spectral
characteristics of Psyche suggest that its parent body did not have the typical
structure expected for a differentiated body or that the sequence of events
that led to its current state was more complex than previously thought.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables, published in The Astronomical Journa
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