K/TH in Achondrites and Interpretation of Grand Data for the Dawn Mission

The Dawn mission will explore 4 Vesta [1], a highly differentiated asteroid believed to be the parent body of the howardite, eucrite and diogenite (HED) meteorite suite [e.g. 2]. The Dawn spacecraft is equipped with a gamma-ray and neutron detector (GRaND), which will enable measurement and mapping of elemental abundances on Vesta s surface [3]. Drawing on HED geochemistry, Usui and McSween [4] proposed a linear mixing model for interpretation of GRaND data. However, the HED suite is not the only achondrite suite representing asteroidal basaltic crusts; others include the mesosiderites, angrites, NWA 011, and possibly Ibitira, each of which is thought to have a distinct parental asteroid [5]. Here we critically examine the variability of GRaND-analyzed elements, K and Th, in HED meteorites, and propose a method based on the K-Th systematics to distinguish between HED and the other differentiated achondrites. Maps of these elements might also recognize incompatible element enriched areas such as mapped locally on the Moon (KREEP) [6], and variations in K/Th ratios might indicate impact volatilization of K. We also propose a new mixing model using elements that will be most reliably measured by GRaND, including K

Chemical Mixing Model and K-Th-Ti Systematics and HED Meteorites for the Dawn Mission

The Dawn mission will explore 4 Vesta, a large differentiated asteroid believed to be the parent body of the howardite, eucrite and diogenite (HED) meteorite suite. The Dawn spacecraft carries a gamma-ray and neutron detector (GRaND), which will measure the abundances of selected elements on the surface of Vesta. This study provides ways to leverage the large geochemical database on HED meteorites as a tool for interpreting chemical analyses by GRaND of mapped units on the surface of Vesta

Radioelements on Vesta: An Update

The main-belt asteroid 4 Vesta is the putative parent body of the howardite, eucrite, and diogenite (HED) meteorites. Because these achondrites have similar petrology, geochemistry, chronology, and O-isotope compositions, it is thought that most HEDs originated from a single parent body. The connection to Vesta is supported by a close spectroscopic match between Vesta and the HEDs and a credible mechanism for their delivery to Earth. Studies of the HEDs show that Vesta underwent igneous differentiation, forming a Fe-rich core, ultramafic mantle, and basaltic crust. Here we present the results of peak analyses applied to a gamma ray difference spectrum to determine the absolute abundances of K and Th. Data are compared to meteorite whole-rock compositions and other inner solar system bodies. The results, while preliminary, represent our present best estimates for these elements. Because the element signatures are near detection limits and not fully resolved, further analysis (e.g. using spectral unmixing) will be required for improved accuracy and to characterize systematic errors

The contamination of the surface of Vesta by impacts and the delivery of the dark material

The Dawn spacecraft observed the presence of dark material, which in turn proved to be associated with OH and H-rich material, on the surface of Vesta. The source of this dark material has been identified with the low albedo asteroids, but it is still a matter of debate whether the delivery of the dark material is associated with a few large impact events, to micrometeorites or to the continuous, secular flux of impactors on Vesta. The continuous flux scenario predicts that a significant fraction of the exogenous material accreted by Vesta should be due to non-dark impactors likely analogous to ordinary chondrites, which instead represent only a minor contaminant in the HED meteorites. We explored the continuous flux scenario and its implications for the composition of the vestan regolith, taking advantage of the data from the Dawn mission and the HED meteorites. We used our model to show that the stochastic events scenario and the micrometeoritic flux scenario are natural consequences of the continuous flux scenario. We then used the model to estimate the amounts of dark and hydroxylate materials delivered on Vesta since the LHB and we showed how our results match well with the values estimated by the Dawn mission. We used our model to assess the amount of Fe and siderophile elements that the continuous flux of impactors would mix in the vestan regolith: concerning the siderophile elements, we focused our attention on the role of Ni. The results are in agreement with the data available on the Fe and Ni content of the HED meteorites and can be used as a reference frame in future studies of the data from the Dawn mission and of the HED meteorites. Our model cannot yet provide an answer to the fate of the missing non-carbonaceous contaminants, but we discuss possible reasons for this discrepancy.Comment: 31 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication on the journal ICARUS, "Dark and Bright Materials on Vesta" special issu

Depth, distribution, and density of CO2 deposition on Mars

Observations by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter have been used to detect subtle changes of the polar surface height during the course of seasonal cycles that correlate with the expected pattern of CO2 deposition and sublimation. Using altimetric crossover residuals from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter, we show that while zonally averaged data capture the global behavior of CO2 exchange, there is a dependence of the pattern on longitude. At the highest latitudes the surface height change is as high as 1.5–2 m peak to peak, and it decreases equatorward. Decomposition of the signal into harmonics in time allows inspection of the spatial pattern and shows that the annual component is strongly correlated with the residual south polar cap deposits and, to a lesser extent, with the north polar cap. In the north, the second harmonic (semiannual) component correlates with the location of the ice deposits. The phases of the annual cycles are in agreement with observations by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer of the timing of the annual disappearance of CO2 frost from the surface at the high latitudes. At lower latitudes, frost sublimation (“Crocus date”) predates the mean depositional minima, as expected. These global-scale, volumetric measurements of the distribution of condensed CO2 can be combined with measurements of the deposited column mass density derived from the Neutron Spectrometer on board Mars Odyssey to yield an estimate of the density of the seasonally exchanging material of 0.5 ± 0.1 g/cm^3. These constraints should be considered in models of the Martian climate system and volatile cycles

A Probabilistic Approach to Determination of Ceres' Average Surface Composition From Dawn Visible‐Infrared Mapping Spectrometer and Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector Data

The Visible‐Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIR) on board the Dawn spacecraft revealed that aqueous secondary minerals—Mg‐phyllosilicates, NH4‐bearing phases, and Mg/Ca carbonates—are ubiquitous on Ceres. Ceres' low reflectance requires dark phases, which were assumed to be amorphous carbon and/or magnetite (∼80 wt.%). In contrast, the Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector (GRaND) constrained the abundances of C (8–14 wt.%) and Fe (15–17 wt.%). Here, we reconcile the VIR‐derived mineral composition with the GRaND‐derived elemental composition. First, we model mineral abundances from VIR data, including either meteorite‐derived insoluble organic matter (IOM), amorphous carbon, magnetite, or combination as the darkening agent and provide statistically rigorous error bars from a Bayesian algorithm combined with a radiative‐transfer model. Elemental abundances of C and Fe are much higher than is suggested by the GRaND observations for all models satisfying VIR data. We then show that radiative transfer modeling predicts higher reflectance from a carbonaceous chondrite of known composition than its measured reflectance. Consequently, our second models use multiple carbonaceous chondrite endmembers, allowing for the possibility that their specific textures or minerals other than carbon or magnetite act as darkening agents, including sulfides and tochilinite. Unmixing models with carbonaceous chondrites eliminate the discrepancy in elemental abundances of C and Fe. Ceres' average reflectance spectrum and elemental abundances are best reproduced by carbonaceous‐chondrite‐like materials (40–70 wt.%), IOM or amorphous carbon (10 wt.%), magnetite (3–8 wt.%), serpentine (10–25 wt.%), carbonates (4–12 wt.%), and NH4‐bearing phyllosilicates (1–11 wt.%)

Bulk Composition of Vesta as Constrained by the Dawn Mission and the HED Meteorites

Of the objects in the main asteroid belt, Vesta is of particular interest as it is large enough to have experienced internal differentiation (520 km diameter), and it is known to have a basaltic surface dominated by FeO-bearing pyroxenes. Furthermore, visible-IR spectra of Vesta and associated Vestoids are remarkably similar to laboratory spectra of Howardite-Eucrite-Diogenite (HED) meteorites, leading to the paradigm that the HEDs ultimately came from Vesta. Geochemical and petrological studies of the HEDs confirm the differentiated nature of the near-surface region of their parent body, and imply that crust extraction occurred well within the first 10 Ma of solar system history Vesta is therefore a prime target for studies that aim to constrain the earliest stages of planet building, and it is within this context that the NASA Dawn spacecraft orbited Vesta from July 2011 to September 2012. The results of the Dawn mission so far have significantly reinforced the HED-Vesta connection, confirming a significant degree of internal differentiation, a surface mineralogy compatible with that of the HEDs, and near-surface ratios of Fe/O and Fe/Si consistent with HED lithologies. The combination of data from the HED meteorites and the Dawn mission thus presents an unprecedented opportunity to use Vesta as a natural laboratory of early differentiation processes in the early solar system. However, the bulk composition of Vesta remains a significant unknown parameter, but one that plays a key role on the physical and chemical properties of the internal and surface reservoirs (core, mantle, crust). Several attempts have been made to constrain the bulk composition of the eucrite parent body, early endeavours relying on petrological or cosmochemical constraints. More recently, individual chondrite class compositions, or mixtures thereof, have been considered, constrained by considerations such as O-isotopes, trace-element ratios and siderophile element concentrations of the eucrites. The work presented here builds upon these latter studies, with the primary aims of: i) illustrating the potential diversity of the geochemical and geophysical properties of a fully differentiated Vesta-sized parent body, and ii) assessing which, if any, of the known chondritic bulk compositions are plausible analogues for proto-Vesta

A review of the Pteropus rufus (É. Geoffroy, 1803) colonies within the Tolagnaro region of southeast Madagascar – an assessment of neoteric threats and conservation condition

We surveyed 10 Pteropus rufus roost sites within the southeastern Anosy Region of Madagascar to provide an update on the areas’ known flying fox population and its conservation status. We report on two new colonies from Manambaro and Mandena and provide an account of the colonies first reported and last assessed in 2006. Currently only a solitary roost site receives any formal protection (Berenty) whereas further two colonies rely solely on taboo ‘fady’ for their security. We found that only two colonies now support an increased number of bats compared with a decade ago, whilst a further two colonies have been either displaced or disturbed and could no longer be found. A single colony appears to have declined significantly whereas a further three colonies appear to have remained static. In light of a decree that has imposed a specific hunting season for fruit bats, we hope that this census can provide a baseline for future population monitoring and contribute towards the assessment of the effectiveness of the legislation

Deep Mapping of Small Solar System Bodies with Galactic Cosmic Ray Secondary Particle Showers

Galactic cosmic rays rain steadily from all directions onto asteroids and comets. The interaction of these high-energy ions produces a cascade of secondary particles, including muons, which can penetrate the solid interiors of small solar system bodies. Muons, which are produced in abundance in Earth's atmosphere, have been used to image large structures on Earth, including the Great Pyramids and the interior of volcanoes. In this study, we demonstrate that the transmitted flux of muons is sensitive to the interior density structure of asteroids and comets, less than a few hundred meters in diameter. Muonography has the potential to fill a critical gap in our knowledge of the deep interiors of small bodies, providing information needed for planetary defense, in situ resource utilization, and planetary science. We use Monte Carlo codes (MCNPX and FLUKA), which accurately model galactic cosmic ray showers, to explore systematic variations in the production of muons in solid surfaces. Results of these calculations confirm the scaling of muon production in Earth's atmosphere to solid regolith materials, as predicted by a simple, semi-empirical model. Muons are primarily produced in the top meter of the regoliths of asteroids and comets. Their rate of production is over three orders of magnitude lower than in Earth's atmosphere and depends strongly on regolith density. In practice, the use of muonography to characterize the interiors of small solar system bodies must overcome their low rate of production and their dependence on regolith density, which can vary over the surface of asteroids and comets. We show that interior contrast can be resolved using a muon telescope (hodoscope) with about 1 sq m aperture with integration times ranging from hours to weeks. Design concepts for a practical hodoscope that could be deployed in situ or on an orbiting spacecraft, are described. Regolith density within the top meter of an asteroid can be determined from radar observations. A concept for a pilot mission that combines remote radar measurements with in situ muonography of a near-Earth asteroid is presented. Perceived challenges and next steps for the development of the concept are described

Olivine or Impact Melt: Nature of the "Orange" Material on Vesta from Dawn

NASA's Dawn mission observed a great variety of colored terrains on asteroid (4) Vesta during its survey with the Framing Camera (FC). Here we present a detailed study of the orange material on Vesta, which was first observed in color ratio images obtained by the FC and presents a red spectral slope. The orange material deposits can be classified into three types, a) diffuse ejecta deposited by recent medium-size impact craters (such as Oppia), b) lobate patches with well-defined edges, and c) ejecta rays from fresh-looking impact craters. The location of the orange diffuse ejecta from Oppia corresponds to the olivine spot nicknamed "Leslie feature" first identified by Gaffey (1997) from ground-based spectral observations. The distribution of the orange material in the FC mosaic is concentrated on the equatorial region and almost exclusively outside the Rheasilvia basin. Our in-depth analysis of the composition of this material uses complementary observations from FC, the visible and infrared spectrometer (VIR), and the Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector (GRaND). Combining the interpretations from the topography, geomorphology, color and spectral parameters, and elemental abundances, the most probable analog for the orange material on Vesta is impact melt