In order to search for evidence of hydration on M-type asteroid (16) Psyche, we observed this object in the 3 mu m spectral region using the long-wavelength cross-dispersed (LXD: 1.9-4.2 mu m) mode of the SpeX spectrograph/imager at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. Our observations show that Psyche exhibits a 3 mu m absorption feature, attributed to water or hydroxyl. The 3 m absorption feature is consistent with the hydration features found on the surfaces of water-rich asteroids, attributed to OH- and/or H2O-bearing phases (phyllosilicates). The detection of a 3 mu m hydration absorption band on Psyche suggests that this asteroid may not be a. metallic core, or it could be a metallic core that has been impacted by carbonaceous material over the past 4.5 Gyr. Our results also indicate rotational spectral variations, which we suggest reflect heterogeneity in the metal/silicate ratio on the surface of Psyche.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/622751 |
| Date | 28 December 2016 |
| Creators | Takir, Driss, Reddy, Vishnu, Sanchez, Juan A., Shepard, Michael K., Emery, Joshua P. |
| Contributors | Univ Arizona, Lunar & Planetary Lab |
| Publisher | IOP PUBLISHING LTD |
| Source Sets | University of Arizona |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Article |
| Rights | © 2016. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. |
| Relation | http://stacks.iop.org/1538-3881/153/i=1/a=31?key=crossref.8aa084aadb3516627db44f7e45b0aaf8 |
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