Visible and near-infrared spectral observations of 4179 Toutatis

Details Visible and near-infrared spectral observations of 4179 Toutatis Visible and near-infrared spectral observations of 4179 Toutatis

Oct 1994

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1994icar..111..468h&link_type=abstract

Icarus (ISSN 0019-1035), vol. 111, no. 2, p. 468-474

Computer Science

11

Asteroids, Infrared Spectra, Minerals, Spectral Reflectance, Surface Properties, Visible Spectrum, Light Curve, Olivine, Pyroxenes, Spectral Resolution, Spectrophotometry, Spectrum Analysis, Thermal Emission

Scientific paper

Asteroid 4179 Toutatis had a particularly favorable opposition in the winter of 1992/1993, offering a rare opportunity to study a near-Earth asteroid in detail. On January 4, 1993, we measured the 0.5-3.5-micrometers spectrum of near-Earth asteroid 4179 Toutatis almost simultaneously from three separate telescopes to investigate its surface composition. We combined nearly simultaneous visible photometry, CCD spectra from 0.5 to 0.97 micrometers. CVF photometry from 1.3 to 2.4 micrometers, J, H, and K photometry, and photometry of the 3-micrometers region into a composite visible and near-infrared reflectance spectrum of 4179 Toutatis, in an effort to constrain its surface mineralogy and compositional type. A pyroxene absorption band is seen centered at 1.966 +/- 0.012 micrometers, which implies an average pyroxene composition of Wo5-10En50-35Fs45-55. The absorption band near 1 micrometer is centered at a wavelength longer than 0.96 micrometers, which implies some olivine must also be present. At a heliocentric distance of 1.158 AU, the thermal flux component of 4179 Toutatis at wavelengths longer than 3 micrometers is significant. Modeling the thermal contribution to the photometry in the 3- to 3.5-micrometers region indicates that the surface of 4179 Toutatis has a high thermal inertia compared to the moon. Although the uncertainties in removing the thermal flux are large, no evidence for surface hydration is seen.

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