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NASA NTRS2012

Colors and Photometry of Bright Materials on Vesta as Seen by the Dawn Framing Camera

The Dawn spacecraft has been in orbit around the asteroid Vesta since July, 2011. The on-board Framing Camera has acquired thousands of high-resolution images of the regolith-covered surface through one clear and seven narrow-band filters in the visible and near-IR wavelength range. It has observed bright and dark materials that have a range of reflectance that is unusually wide for an asteroid. Material brighter than average is predominantly found on crater walls, and in ejecta surrounding caters in the southern hemisphere. Most likely, the brightest material identified on the Vesta surface so far is located on the inside of a crater at 64.27deg S, 1.54deg . The apparent brightness of a regolith is influenced by factors such as particle size, mineralogical composition, and viewing geometry. As such, the presence of bright material can indicate differences in lithology and/or degree of space weathering. We retrieve the spectral and photometric properties of various bright terrains from false-color images acquired in the High Altitude Mapping Orbit (HAMO). We find that most bright material has a deeper 1-m pyroxene band than average. However, the aforementioned brightest material appears to have a 1-m band that is actually less deep, a result that awaits confirmation by the on-board VIR spectrometer. This site may harbor a class of material unique for Vesta. We discuss the implications of our spectral findings for the origin of bright materials.

Schroeder, S. E.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Chondritic Models of 4 Vesta: Comparison of Predicted Internal Structure and Surface Composition/Mineralogy with Data from the Dawn Mission

Understanding the physical and chemical processes which led to the formation of the terrestrial planets remains one of the principal challenges of the Earth and planetary science communities. However, direct traces of the earliest stages of planet building have generally been wiped out on larger bodies such as the Earth or Mars, obscuring our view of how that process occurred. On the other hand, the planet building process would appear to have been arrested prematurely in the region between Mars and Jupiter, now populated by several hundred thousand compositionally diverse objects that escaped accretion into larger planets. Of these, the asteroid 4 Vesta is of particular interest as it is large (520 km diameter), and known to have a basaltic surface dominated by pyroxenes [1, 2]. Furthermore, visible-IR spectra of Vesta obtained by ground and space-based telescopes are remarkably similar to laboratory spectra measured on meteorites of the Howardite-Eucrite-Diogenite clan (HED), leading to the paradigm that the HEDs came from Vesta [2]. Geochemical and petrological studies of the HEDs confirm the differentiated nature of the near-surface region of their parent body, and imply that crust extraction occurred well within the first 10Ma of solar system history [3]. Vesta is therefore a prime target for studies that aim to constrain the earliest stages of planet building, and for that reason it is currently the subject of the Dawn mission [4].

Toplis, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS2010

A Cabonaceous Chondrite Dominated Lithology from the HED Parent; PRA 04401

The paired howardite breccias Mt. Pratt (PRA) 04401 and PRA 04402 are notable for their high proportion of carbonaceous chondrite clasts [1]. They consist predominantly of coarse (0.1-7 mm) diogenite (orthopyroxene), eucrite (plagioclase + pyroxene), and carbonaceous chondrite clasts set in a finer grained matrix of these same materials. Coarse C-chondrite clasts up to 7 mm are composed mainly of fine-grained phyllosilicates with lesser sulfides and high-mg# anhydrous magnesian silicates. Most of these clasts appear to be texturally consistent with CM2 classification [1] and some contain relict chondrules. The clasts are angular and reaction or alteration textures are not apparent in the surrounding matrix. PRA 04401 contains about 70 modal% C-chondrite clasts while PRA 04402 contains about 7%. Although many howardites are known to contain abundant C-chondrite clasts [2,3,4], PRA 04401 is, to our knowledge, the most chondrite-rich howardite lithology identified to date. Low EPMA totals from CM2-type clasts in other howardites suggest that they frequently contain 10 wt% or more water [2], a figure consistent with their mineralogy. PRA 04401, therefore, demonstrates the potential for hydrous lithologies with greater than 5 wt% water to occur locally within the nominally anhydrous HED parent body. Since the origin of this water is xenogenic, it might therefore be concentrated in portions of the asteroid surface where it would be more readily observable by remote sensing techniques. We plan to further examine C-chondrite clasts in PRA 04401/2 with the intent of establishing firm chemical classification, estimating water content, and evaluating their relationship with the host breccia. To help place them in context of the HED parent, we will also compare these breccias with other howardites to evaluate which lithologies are likely to be more prevalent on the asteroid surface.

Herrin, Jason S.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Complex Formation History of Highly Evolved Basaltic Shergottite, Zagami

Zagami, a basaltic shergottite, contains several kinds of lithologies such as Normal Zagami consisting of Fine-grained (FG) and Coarse-grained (CG), Dark Mottled lithology (DML), and Olivine-rich late-stage melt pocket (DN). Treiman and Sutton concluded that Zagami (Normal Zagami) is a fractional crystallization product from a single magma. It has been suggested that there were two igneous stages (deep magma chamber and shallow magma chamber or surface lava flow) on the basis of chemical zoning features of pyroxenes which have homogeneous Mg-rich cores and FeO, CaO zoning at the rims. Nyquist et al. reported that FG has a different initial Sr isotopic ratio than CG and DML, and suggested the possibility of magma mixing on Mars. Here we report new results of petrology and mineralogy for DML and the Olivine-rich lithology (we do not use DN here), the most evolved lithology in this rock, to understand the relationship among lithologies and reveal Zagami s formation history

Niihara, T.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Collisional Histories of Comets and Trojan Asteroids: Diopside, Magnesite, and Fayalite Impact Studies

Comets and asteroids have weathered dynamic histories, as evidenced by their rough surfaces. The Nice model describes a violent reshuffling of small bodies during the Late Heavy Bombardment, with collisions acting to grind these planetesimals away. This creates an additional source of impact material that can re-work the surfaces of the larger bodies over the lifetime of the solar system. Here, we investigate the possibility that signatures due to impacts (e.g. from micrometeoroids or meteoroids) could be detected in their spectra, and how that can be explained by the physical manifestation of shock in the crystalline structure of minerals. All impact experiments were conducted in the Johnson Space Center Experimental Impact Laboratory using the vertical gun. Impact speeds ranged from approx.2.0 km/s to approx.2.8 km/s. All experiments were conducted at room temperature. Minerals found in comets and asteroids were chosen as targets, including diopside (MgCaSi2O6, monoclinic pyroxene), magnesite (MgCO3, carbonate), and fayalite (FeSiO4, olivine). Impacted samples were analyzed using a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR) and a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). Absorbance features in the 8-13 m spectral region demonstrate relative amplitude changes as well as wavelength shifts. Corresponding TEM images exhibit planar shock dislocations in the crystalline structure, attributed to deformation at high strain and low temperatures. Elongating or shortening the axes of the crystalline structure of forsterite (Mg2SiO4, olivine) using a discrete dipole approximation model (Lindsay et al., submitted) yields changes in spectral features similar to those observed in our impacted laboratory minerals.

Lederer, S. M.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Chemical Mapping of Vesta

Vesta s surface mineralogy and composition have been studied for decades via telescopic spectroscopy and laboratory analyses of the howardite, eucrite, and diogenite (HED) meteorites, which are thought to originate from Vesta. Visible and infrared reflectance measurements by Dawn have broadly confirmed the paradigm established by Earth-based work, strengthening the Vesta-HED connection. The Dawn mission has achieved a milestone by completing the first chemical measurements of a main-belt asteroid using nuclear spectroscopy. Dawn s Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector (GRaND) has globally mapped the composition of Vesta, including the portions of the northern hemisphere not illuminated by solar radiation. GRaND is sensitive to the composition of the bulk regolith to depths of several decimeters. Abundances and/or detection limits for specific elements and elemental ratios, such as H, Fe, Si, Fe/O, Fe/Si, and K, have been measured. Variations in the average atomic mass and neutron macroscopic absorption cross section have been characterized. The measurements constrain the relative proportions of HED whole-rock end-members, providing measurements of the pyroxene and plagioclase content of the regolith, thereby constraining the processes underlying Vesta s differentiation and crustal evolution. The spatial resolution of GRaND is sufficient to determine basin-average compositions of Veneneia and Rheasilvia, which may contain outcrops of Vesta s olivine-rich mantle. While the elemental composition of Vesta s regolith is similar to the meteorites, there are notable departures from HED whole-rock compositions. While these differences are not sufficient to topple the Vesta-HED paradigm, they provide insight into global-scale processes that have shaped Vesta s surface. Questions addressed by the analysis of GRaND data include: (i) Is Vesta the source of the Fe-rich mesosiderites? (ii) Are evolved, igneous lithologies present on Vesta s surface? (iii) What are the origins of exogenic materials found in Vesta s regolith? (iv) Is the vestan mantle exposed within the southern basins?

Prettyman, Thomas H.↗
NASA NTRS2012

The Geology of the Marcia Quadrangle of Asteroid 4Vesta: An Integrated Mapping Study Using Dawn Spacecraft Data

We used geologic mapping applied to Dawn data as a tool to understand the geologic history of the Marcia quadrangle of Vesta. This region hosts a set of relatively fresh craters and surrounding ejecta field, an unusual dark hill named Arisia Tholus, and a orange (false color) diffuse material surrounding the crater Octavia. Stratigraphically, from oldest to youngest, three increasingly larger impact craters named Minucia, Calpurnia, and Marcia make up a snowmanlike feature, which is surrounded by a zone of dark material interpreted to consist of impact ejecta and possibly impact melts. The floor of Marcia contains a pitted terrain thought to be related to release of volatiles (1). The dark ejecta field has an enhanced signature of H, possibly derived from carbonaceous chondritic material that accumulated in Vesta s crust (2,3). The dark ejecta has a spectrally distinctive behavior with shallow pyroxenes band depths. Outside the ejecta field this quadrangle contains various cratered terrains, with increasing crater abundance moving south to north away from the Rheasilvia basin. Arisia Tholus, originally suggested as an ancient volcano, appears to be an impact-sculpted basin rim fragment with a superposed darkrayed impact crater. There remains no unequivocal evidence of volcanic features on Vesta s surface, likely because basaltic material of the HED meteorite suite demonstrates magmatism ended very early on Vesta (4). Ongoing work includes application of crater statistical techniques to obtain model ages of surface units, and more detailed estimates of the compositional variations among the surface units.

Williams, David A.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Rb-Sr Isotopic Systematics of Alkali-Rich Fragments in the Yamato-74442 LL-Chondritic Breccia

Alkali-rich igneous fragments were identified in the brecciated LL-chondrites, Kr henberg (LL5)], Bhola (LL3-6) and Yamato (Y)-74442 (LL4), and show characteristic fractionation patterns of alkaline elements. The K-Rb-Cs-rich fragments in Kr henberg, Bhola, and Y-74442 are very similar in mineralogy and petrography (olivine + pyroxene + glass), suggesting that they could have come from related precursor materials. We have undertaken Rb-Sr isotopic studies on alkali-rich fragments in Y-74442 to precisely determine their crystallization ages and the isotopic signatures of their precursor material(s).

Yokoyama, T.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Water in Nominally Anhydrous Minerals from Nakhlites and Shergottites

Estimating the amount of water in the interior of terrestrial planets has tremendous implications on our understanding of solar nebula evolution, planet formation and geological history, and extraterrestrial volcanism. Mars has been a recent focus of such enquiry with complementary datasets from spacecrafts, rovers and martian meteorite studies. In planetary interiors, water can be dissolved in fluids or melts and hydrous phases, but can also be locked as protons attached to structural oxygen in lattice defects in nominally anhydrous minerals (NAM) such as olivine, pyroxene, or feldspar [1-3]. Measuring water in Martian meteorite NAM is challenging because the minerals are fragile and riddled with fractures from impact processes that makes them break apart during sample processing. Moreover, curing the sample in epoxy causes problems for the two main water analysis techniques, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and secondary ionization mass spectrometry (SIMS). Measurements to date have resulted in a heated debate on how much water the mantle of Mars contains. SIMS studies of NAM [4], amphiboles [5], and apatites [6-8] from Martian meteorites report finding enough water in these phases to infer that the martian mantle is as hydrous as that of the Earth. On the other hand, a SIMS study of glass in olivine melt inclusions from shergottites concludes that the Martian mantle is much drier [9]. The latter interpretation is also supported by the fact that most martian hydrous minerals generally have the relevant sites filled with Cl and F instead of H [10,11]. As for experimental results, martian basalt compositions can be reproduced using water as well as Cl in the parent melts [12,13]. Here FTIR is used to measure water in martian meteorite minerals in order to constrain the origin of the distribution of water in martian meteorite phases.

Peslier, Anne H.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Basin Excavation, Lower Crust, Composition, and Bulk Moon Mass balance in Light of a Thin Crust

New lunar gravity results from GRAIL have been interpreted to reflect an overall thin and low-density lunar crust. Accordingly, crustal thickness has been modeled as ranging from 0 to 60 km, with thinnest crust at the locations of Crisium and Moscoviense basins and thickest crust in the central farside highlands. The thin crust has cosmochemical significance, namely in terms of implications for the Moon s bulk composition, especially refractory lithophile elements that are strongly concentrated in the crust. Wieczorek et al. concluded that the bulk Moon need not be enriched compared to Earth in refractory lithophile elements such as Al. Less Al in the crust means less Al has been extracted from the mantle, permitting relatively low bulk lunar mantle Al contents and low pre- and post-crust-extraction values for the mantle (or the upper mantle if only the upper mantle underwent LMO melting). Simple mass-balance calculations using the method of [4] suggests that the same conclusion might hold for Th and the entire suite of refractory lithophile elements that are incompatible in olivine and pyroxene, including the KREEP elements, that are likewise concentrated in the crust.

Jolliff, B. L.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Basaltic Soil of Gale Crater: Crystalline Component Compared to Martian Basalts and Meteorites

A significant portion of the soil of the Rocknest dune is crystalline and is consistent with derivation from unweathered basalt. Minerals and their compositions are identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) data from the CheMin instrument on MSL Curiosity. Basalt minerals in the soil include plagioclase, olivine, low- and high-calcium pyroxenes, magnetite, ilmenite, and quartz. The only minerals unlikely to have formed in an unaltered basalt are hematite and anhydrite. The mineral proportions and compositions of the Rocknest soil are nearly identical to those of the Adirondack-class basalts of Gusev Crater, Mars, inferred from their bulk composition as analyzed by the MER Spirit rover.

Treiman, A. H.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Correlated Petrologic and Geochemical Characteristics of CO3 Chondrites

Many properties of CO3 chondrites have been shown previously to have resulted from thermal metamorphism; petrologic subtypes 3.0-3.7 have been assigned to members of the group. Additional properties that correlate with the metamorphic sequence but seem to have resulted from hydrothermal alteration include the modal abundance of amoeboid olivine inclusions (AOI), chondrule size, the types of refractory inclusions and whole rock O isotopic composition. The percentage of rimmed AOI increases with petrologic subtype. The rims most likely formed during hydrothermal alteration. The previously reported correlation between AOI abundance and chondrite subtype is probably an artifact due to the difficulty in recognizing small unrimmed AOI in the least metamorphosed CO3 chondrites. Because large (>=200 micron size) porphyritic chondrules have nearly the same mean size in all CO3 chondrites, it seems likely that the correlation between chondrule size and subtype is due to alteration of the smallest chondrules to the point of unrecognizability as complete objects in the more metamorphosed CO3 chondrites. The previously reported decrease in the proportion of melilite-rich refractory inclusions with increasing petrologic subtype may have resulted from more extensive hydrothermal alteration in CO3 .4-3.7 chondrites that converted primary melilite into Ca-pyroxene, andradite and nepheline. Alteration probably caused the preferential occurrence of O-16-poor oxygen isotopes in the more metamorphosed whole rock samples.

Rubin, Alan E.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Mineralogical Composition of the Different Types of Bright Deposits on Vesta

VIR-MS, Dawn's Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer, obtained hyperspectral images of a wide part of Vesta's surface at a variety of spatial resolutions [1]. Vesta spectra are similar to those of the howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) meteorites. Moreover, they are characterized by the two iron-bearing pyroxene bands at 0.9 (band I) and 1.9 microns (band II). Vesta surface's is dominated by eucrite/howardite with some diogenitic regions situated in the southern hemisphere near the Rheasilvia basin [2]. The surface is heavily craterized and impacts can expose fresh material, thus generating the Bright Material Deposits (BMD) observed within and surrounding certain craters. BMD can be classified into six different types based on their morphological characteristics: Crater Wall/Scarp Material (CWM), Radial Material (RM), Slope Material (SM), Patchy Material (PM), Spot Material (SpM) and Diffuse Plains Material (DPM) [3]. The most widespread BMD are CWM, SM and RM. CWM, SM, RM originate from impacts. CWM is situated on the edge of the craters. Mass wasting from the crater walls and generates the SM, while RM is associated with the ejecta of the craters [4]. BMD are characterized by albedo greater than that of the vestan average, 0.38 [5]. Therefore the different types of deposits present distinct levels of reflectance respect to the Surrounding Regions (SR), in particular: the CWM and SM is approx.40% brighter, the RM is approx.30- 40% brighter; the SpM is about 20-25% brighter and the PM is about 20% brighter. Near the edge of the Rheasilvia basin it is possible to find some extremely bright areas ~80% brighter than the vestan average [6].

Zambon, F.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Ar-40/Ar-39 Ages of Maskelynite Grains from ALHA 77005

We present Ar-40/Ar-39 measurements for twelve small (20-60 micro-g) maskelynite samples from the heavily shocked martian meteorite ALHA 77005. The reported modal composition for ALHA 77005 is 50-60% olivine (Fa28), 30-40% pyroxene (Wo5Fs23En72), approx.8% maskelynite (An53), and approx.2% opaques by volume [1]). The meteorite is usually classified as a lherzolite. Previous Studies - Ar-40/Ar-39 results from previous work display disturbed release spectra [2,3]. In study [2], Ar-40/Ar-39 measurements on a 52-mg whole-rock sample produced an extremely disturbed release spec-trum, with all calculated apparent ages > 1 Ga, (Fig. 1). In a subsequent study [3], a light and a dark phase were analyzed. A 2.3-mg sample of the light, relatively low-K phase produced a disturbed release spectrum. For the first 20% of the Ar-39(sub K), most of the apparent ages exceeded >1 Ga; the remaining 80% yielded ages between 0.3-0.5 Ga. The integrated age for this phase is 0.9 Ga.

Turrin, B.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Preliminary Iron Distribution on Vesta

The distribution of iron on the surface of the asteroid Vesta was investigated using Dawn's Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector (GRaND) [1,2]. Iron varies predictably with rock type for the howardite, eucrite, and diogenite (HED) meteorites, thought to be representative of Vesta. The abundance of Fe in howardites ranges from about 12 to 15 wt.%. Basaltic eucrites have the highest abundance, whereas, lower crustal and upper mantle materials (cumulate eucrites and diogenites) have the lowest, and howardites are intermediate [3]. We have completed a mapping study of 7.6 MeV gamma rays produced by neutron capture by Fe as measured by the bismuth germanate (BGO) detector of GRaND [1]. The procedures to determine Fe counting rates are presented in detail here, along with a preliminary distribution map, constituting the necessary initial step to quantification of Fe abundances. We find that the global distribution of Fe counting rates is generally consistent with independent mineralogical and compositional inferences obtained by other instruments on Dawn such as measurements of pyroxene absorption bands by the Visual and Infrared Spectrometer (VIR) [4] and Framing Camera (FC) [5] and neutron absorption measurements by GRaND [6].

Mittlefehldt, David W.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Initial Estimates of Optical Constants of Mars Candidate Materials

Data obtained at visible and near-infrared wavelengths by OMEGA on Mars Express and CRISM on MRO provide definitive evidence for the presence of phyllosilicates and other hydrated phases on Mars. A diverse range of both Fe/Mg-OH and Al- OH-bearing phyllosilicates were identified including the smectites, nontronite, saponite, and montmorillonite. To constrain the abundances of these phyllosilicates, spectral analyses of mixtures are needed. We report on our effort to enable the quantitative evaluation of the abundance of hydrated-hydroxylated silicates when they are contained in mixtures. We include two component mixtures of hydrated/ hydroxylated silicates with each other and with two analogs for other Martian materials; pyroxene (enstatite) and palagonitic soil (an alteration product of basaltic glass, hereafter referred to as palagonite). For the hydrated-hydroxylated silicates we include saponite and montmorillonite (Mg- and Al-rich smectites). We prepared three size separates of each end-member for study: 20-45, 63-90, and 125-150 micron.

Rousch, Ted L.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Water Content of the Oceanic Lithosphere at Hawaii from FTIR Analysis of Peridotite Xenoliths

Although water in the mantle is mostly present as trace H dissolved in minerals, it has a large influence on its melting and rheological properties. The water content of the mantle lithosphere beneath continents is better constrained by abundant mantle xenolith data than beneath oceans where it is mainly inferred from MORB glass analysis. Using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry, we determined the water content of olivine (Ol), clinopyroxene (Cpx) and orthopyroxene (Opx) in spinel peridotite xenoliths from Salt Lake Crater, Oahu, Hawaii, which are thought to represent fragments of the Pacific oceanic lithosphere that was refertilized by alkalic Hawaiian melts. Only Ol exhibits H diffusion profiles, evidence of limited H loss during xenolith transport to the surface. Water concentrations (Ol: 9-28 ppm H2O, Cpx: 246-566 ppm H2O, Opx: 116-224 ppm H2O) are within the range of those from continental settings but higher than those from Gakkel ridge abyssal peridotites. The Opx H2O contents are similar to those of abyssal peridotites from Atlantic ridge Leg 153 (170-230 ppm) but higher than those from Leg 209 (10- 14 ppm). The calculated bulk peridotite water contents (94 to 144 ppm H2O) are in agreement with MORB mantle source water estimates and lower than estimates for the source of Hawaiian rejuvenated volcanism (approx 540 ppm H2O) . The water content of Cpx and most Opx correlates negatively with spinel Cr#, and positively with pyroxene Al and HREE contents. This is qualitatively consistent with the partitioning of H into the melt during partial melting, but the water contents are too high for the degree of melting these peridotites experienced. Melts in equilibrium with xenolith minerals have H2O/Ce ratios similar to those of OIB

Peslier, Anne H.↗