A new investigation of hydration in the M-type asteroids

    Authors

    Z. A. Landsman; H. Campins; N. Pinilla-Alonso; J. Hanus;V. Lorenzi

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Icarus

    Keywords

    Asteroids, composition; Asteroids, surfaces; Infrared observations; Spectroscopy; MAIN-BELT ASTEROIDS; INFRARED TELESCOPE FACILITY; RADAR OBSERVATIONS; LIGHTCURVE INVERSION; SPECTROSCOPIC SURVEY; OPTIMIZATION METHODS; THERMAL-MODEL; SOLAR-SYSTEM; SHAPE MODELS; WATER; Astronomy & Astrophysics

    Abstract

    We obtained 2-4 mu m spectra of six M-type asteroids using the SpeX spectrograph at NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility. We find evidence for hydrated minerals on all six asteroids, including two that were previously thought to be dry. One of our targets, (216) Kleopatra, shows rotational variability in the depth of its 3-mu m feature. We also studied three of these asteroids in the 0.8-2.4 mu m range using the NICS instrument at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) in La Palma, Spain. The discovery of spectral signatures of hydrated minerals on so many M-types is difficult to reconcile with a highly thermally evolved composition. It has been suggested that the hydrated minerals could have been delivered to M-types via impacts with primitive objects, or that the M-types may actually have primitive compositions that are not represented in meteorite collections. Understanding the origin and type of hydration on these asteroids will help determine which of these interpretations is correct. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

    Journal Title

    Icarus

    Volume

    252

    Publication Date

    1-1-2015

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    186

    Last Page

    198

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000352118000015

    ISSN

    0019-1035

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