Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
Oct 2010
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010dps....42.5307h&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #42, #53.07; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 42, p.1073
Mathematics
Logic
Scientific paper
A near infrared spectral survey of 47 M and X asteroids has revealed significant spectral and mineralogic diversity among this group of mainbelt asteroids.
Thirty of the 47 asteroids observed using the NASA IRTF and SpeX spectrograph exhibit a variety of mineral absorption features. Among this subset of asteroids, 25 exhibit weak pyroxene absorption features in the 0.9 and, occasionally, in the 1.9 micron spectral region. Three asteroids exhibit a weak olivine absorption feature. One asteroid spectrum suggests the variable presence of serpentinite while another suggest a complex mixture of olivine and pyroxene. A minority of the asteroids are spectrally featureless, but display a wide variety of slopes alowing diverse interpretations.
Potential meteorite or geologic analogs include CV chondrites, Bencubbinites, iron meteorites with or without low Fe pyroxene mantle material, partial melts, serpentinite, enstatite chondrites, and R chondrites.
The suppression of mafic silicate absorption features, which vary in band depth from 1 to 10 percent, could be due to several mechanisms, including surface metal, space weathering, and opaque phases present in the regolith. None of these mechanisms are known to affect band centers determinations.
Based on these results, this group of asteroids includes at least 10 different potential meteoritic or geologic interpretations and shows the geologic diversity of objects that reside within a single asteroid taxonomic group. Due to this diversity, it is important to interpret each asteroid uniquely based on its existing data with no a priori assumption of a similarity to other members of the same taxonomic class.
The primary future challenges for the asteroid spectroscopy community include developing a robust ability to determine the primitive or igneous nature of an asteroid, better understand space weathering, and developing more robust mineral and meteorite laboratory calibrations. This research was funded by the NASA Planetary Astronomy Program.
Cloutis Edward A.
Emery Jon
Gaffey Michael J.
Hardersen Paul Scott
Reddy Vinith
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