Exploring Potential Surface Heterogeneity of the Asteroid Steins observed from the Rosetta OSIRIS Instrument

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

Scientific paper

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Scientific paper

Asteroid 2867 Steins is the first E type asteroid visited by a spacecraft. During the Rosetta flyby in September 2008, the OSIRIS NAC and WAC cameras have obtained several disk-resolved images in visible wavelengths, at different phase angles. At closest approach, the spatial resolution of the WAC images was about 80m/pixel, allowing looking for potential surface heterogeneity.
We have applied the G-mode multivariate statistical method (Coradini et al, 1977) to both NAC and WAC images obtained around closest approach, at different wavelengths, from 295 to 986 nm. The geometric parameters have been retrieved with the SPICE routines. The shape of Steins is assumed to be represented by a polyhedron of almost 58000 facets. The OASIS simulator (developed at LAM and MPS) has been used to retrieve the I/F quantity of each visible 'facet' of the asteroid 3D shape model. Thereafter, photometric corrections have been performed using the Hapke (2002) model to eliminate the variable illuminations conditions at the surface. The G-mode classification method has been performed on a limited number of facets, in a region limited to [-50,+70] deg. in latitude and [-20,+90] deg. in longitude.
Moreover, a gravity map of the asteroid has been obtained on the basis of the shape model considering a homogeneous internal density.
Here we present our results on the potential presence of compositional heterogeneities at the surface of Steins and of gravitational anomalies, and we discuss their possible implications on the evolution of the asteroid.

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