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Jenniskens P, Gabadirwe M, Yin QZ, Proyer A, Moses O, Kohout T, Franchi F, Gibson RL, Kowalski R, Christensen EJ, Gibbs AR, Heinze A, Denneau L, Farnocchia D, Chodas PW, Gray W, Micheli M, Moskovitz N, Onken CA, Wolf C, Devillepoix HAR, Ye Q, Robertson DK, Brown P, Lyytinen E, Moilanen J, Albers J, Cooper T, Assink J, Evers L, Lahtinen P, Seitshiro L, Laubenstein M, Wantlo N, Moleje P, Maritinkole J, Suhonen H, Zolensky ME, Ashwal L, Hiroi T, Sears DW, Sehlke A, Maturilli A, Sanborn ME, Huyskens MH, Dey S, Ziegler K, Busemann H, Riebe MEI, Meier MMM, Welten KC, Caffee MW, Zhou Q, Li QL, Li XH, Liu Y, Tang GQ, McLain HL, Dworkin JP, Glavin DP, Schmitt-Kopplin P, Sabbah H, Joblin C, Granvik M, Mosarwa B, Botepe K. The impact and recovery of asteroid 2018 LA. METEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE 2021; 56:844-893. [PMID: 34295141 PMCID: PMC7611328 DOI: 10.1111/maps.13653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The June 2, 2018, impact of asteroid 2018 LA over Botswana is only the second asteroid detected in space prior to impacting over land. Here, we report on the successful recovery of meteorites. Additional astrometric data refine the approach orbit and define the spin period and shape of the asteroid. Video observations of the fireball constrain the asteroid's position in its orbit and were used to triangulate the location of the fireball's main flare over the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. 23 meteorites were recovered. A consortium study of eight of these classifies Motopi Pan as a HED polymict breccia derived from howardite, cumulate and basaltic eucrite, and diogenite lithologies. Before impact, 2018 LA was a solid rock of ~156 cm diameter with high bulk density ~2.85 g/cm3, a relatively low albedo pv ~ 0.25, no significant opposition effect on the asteroid brightness, and an impact kinetic energy of ~0.2 kt. The orbit of 2018 LA is consistent with an origin at Vesta (or its Vestoids) and delivery into an Earth-impacting orbit via the v6 resonance. The impact that ejected 2018 LA in an orbit towards Earth occurred 22.8 ± 3.8 Ma ago. Zircons record a concordant U-Pb age of 4563 ± 11 Ma and a consistent 207Pb/206Pb age of 4563 ± 6 Ma. A much younger Pb-Pb phosphate resetting age of 4234 ± 41 Ma was found. From this impact chronology, we discuss what is the possible source crater of Motopi Pan and the age of Vesta's Veneneia impact basin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Jenniskens
- SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Mohutsiwa Gabadirwe
- Botswana Geoscience Institute, Plot 11566, Khama 1 Avenue, Private Bag 0014, Lobatse, Botswana
| | - Qing-Zhu Yin
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, CA 95616, USA
| | - Alexander Proyer
- Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Private Bag 16, Palapye, Botswana
| | - Oliver Moses
- University of Botswana, Okavango Research Institute, Private Bag 285, Maun, Botswana
| | - Tomas Kohout
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P. O. Box 64, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Ursa Finnish Fireball Network, Kopernikuksentie 1, FI-00130 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Fulvio Franchi
- Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Private Bag 16, Palapye, Botswana
| | - Roger L. Gibson
- School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, P.O. WITS, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
| | - Richard Kowalski
- Catalina Sky Survey, Lunar & Planetary Laboratory, The University of Arizona, 1629 E University Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Eric J. Christensen
- Catalina Sky Survey, Lunar & Planetary Laboratory, The University of Arizona, 1629 E University Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Alex R. Gibbs
- Catalina Sky Survey, Lunar & Planetary Laboratory, The University of Arizona, 1629 E University Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Aren Heinze
- ATLAS, Institute for Astronomy, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822-1839, USA
| | - Larry Denneau
- ATLAS, Institute for Astronomy, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822-1839, USA
| | - Davide Farnocchia
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Paul W. Chodas
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - William Gray
- Project Pluto, 168 Ridge Road, Bowdoinham, ME 04008, USA
| | - Marco Micheli
- ESA NEO Coordination Centre, Largo Galileo Galilei 1, I-00044, Frascati, Italy
| | - Nick Moskovitz
- Lowell Observatory, 1400 W. Mars Hill Rd., Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA
| | - Christopher A. Onken
- Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2611, Australia
| | - Christian Wolf
- Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2611, Australia
| | | | - Quanzhi Ye
- Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Darrel K. Robertson
- NASA Ames Research Center, Asteroid Threat Assessment Project, Mail Stop 239-1, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Peter Brown
- Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration, Western University, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Esko Lyytinen
- Ursa Finnish Fireball Network, Kopernikuksentie 1, FI-00130 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jarmo Moilanen
- Ursa Finnish Fireball Network, Kopernikuksentie 1, FI-00130 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jim Albers
- SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - Tim Cooper
- Astronomical Society of Southern Africa, Suite 617, Private Bag X043, Benoni 1500, South Africa
| | - Jelle Assink
- Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute, R&D Seismology and Acoustics, P. O. Box 201, NL-3730 AE De Bilt, The Netherlands
| | - Läslo Evers
- Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute, R&D Seismology and Acoustics, P. O. Box 201, NL-3730 AE De Bilt, The Netherlands
- Delft University of Technology, Department of Geoscience and Engineering, P. O. Box 5048, NL-2600 GA Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Panu Lahtinen
- Ursa Finnish Fireball Network, Kopernikuksentie 1, FI-00130 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lesedi Seitshiro
- Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Private Bag 16, Palapye, Botswana
| | - Matthias Laubenstein
- Gran Sasso National Laboratory, National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Via G. Acitelli 22, I-67100 Assergi, Italy
| | - Nggie Wantlo
- Botswana Geoscience Institute, Plot 11566, Khama 1 Avenue, Private Bag 0014, Lobatse, Botswana
| | - Phemo Moleje
- Botswana Geoscience Institute, Plot 11566, Khama 1 Avenue, Private Bag 0014, Lobatse, Botswana
| | - Joseph Maritinkole
- Botswana Geoscience Institute, Plot 11566, Khama 1 Avenue, Private Bag 0014, Lobatse, Botswana
| | - Heikki Suhonen
- University of Helsinki, Department of Physics, P. O. Box 64, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Lewis Ashwal
- School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, P.O. WITS, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
| | - Takahiro Hiroi
- Brown University, Reflectance Experiment Laboratory, Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Science, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Derek W. Sears
- NASA Ames Research Center / Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, Mail Stop 245-3, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Alexander Sehlke
- NASA Ames Research Center / Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, Mail Stop 245-3, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Alessandro Maturilli
- Institute for Planetary Research, German Aerospace Center DLR, Rutherfordstrasse 2, D-12489 Berlin-Adlershof, Germany
| | - Matthew E. Sanborn
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, CA 95616, USA
| | - Magdalena H. Huyskens
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, CA 95616, USA
| | - Supratim Dey
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, CA 95616, USA
| | - Karen Ziegler
- University of New Mexico, Institute of Meteoritics, 221 Yale Blvd NE, 331 Northrop Hall, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Henner Busemann
- Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH Zürich, Clausiusstrasse 25, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - My E. I. Riebe
- Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH Zürich, Clausiusstrasse 25, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Matthias M. M. Meier
- Naturmuseum St. Gallen, Rorschacher Strasse 263, CH-9016 St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Kees C. Welten
- University of California Berkeley, Space Science Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Marc W. Caffee
- Purdue University, Dept. Physics and Astronomy, 525 Northwestern Avenue, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Qin Zhou
- National Astronomical Observatories, Beijing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Qiu-Li Li
- National Astronomical Observatories, Beijing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Xian-Hua Li
- State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Yu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Guo-Qiang Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Hannah L. McLain
- Catholic University of America, Department of Chemistry, 620 Michigan Ave, N.E., Washington, DC 20064, USA
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Rd., Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Jason P. Dworkin
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Rd., Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Daniel P. Glavin
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Rd., Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, Research Unit Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Technische Universität München, Analytical Food Chemistry, D-85354 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
| | - Hassan Sabbah
- IRAP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, CNES, Université de Toulouse (UPS), F-31028 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
| | | | - Mikael Granvik
- University of Helsinki, Department of Physics, P. O. Box 64, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Asteroid Engineering Laboratory, Onboard Space Systems, Lulea University of Technology, Box 848, S-981 28 Kiruna, Sweden
| | - Babutsi Mosarwa
- Botswana National Museum, 161 Queens Rd., Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Koketso Botepe
- Botswana Geoscience Institute, Plot 11566, Khama 1 Avenue, Private Bag 0014, Lobatse, Botswana
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Retrieving magma composition from TIR spectra: implications for terrestrial planets investigations. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15200. [PMID: 31645618 PMCID: PMC6811632 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51543-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Emissivity and reflectance spectra have been investigated on two series of silicate glasses, having compositions belonging to alkaline and subalkaline series, covering the most common terrestrial igneous rocks. Glasses were synthesized starting from natural end-members outcropping at Vulcano Island (Aeolian Islands, Italy) and on Snake River Plain (USA). Results show that the shift of the spectra, by taking Christiansen feature (CF) as a reference point, is correlated with SiO2 content, the SCFM factor and/or the degree of polymerization state via the NBO/T and temperature. The more evolved is the composition, the more polymerized the structure, the shorter the wavelength at which CF is observable. CF shift is also dependent on temperature. The shape of the spectra discriminates alkaline character, and it is related to the evolution of Qn structural units. Vulcano alkaline series show larger amount of Q4 and Q3 species even for mafic samples compared to the subalkaline Snake River Plain series. Our results provide new and robust insights for the geochemical characterization of volcanic rocks by remote sensing, with the outlook to infer origin of magmas both on Earth as well as on terrestrial planets or rocky bodies, from emissivity and reflectance spectra.
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Non-destructive characterisation of the Elephant Moraine 83227 meteorite using confocal Raman, micro-energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence and Raman-scanning electron microscope-energy-dispersive X-ray microscopies. Anal Bioanal Chem 2018; 410:7477-7488. [PMID: 30218122 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-018-1363-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The application of a non-destructive analytical procedure to characterise the mineral phases in meteorites is a key issue in order to preserve this type of scarce materials. In the present work, the Elephant Moraine 83227 meteorite, found in Antarctica in 1983 and originated from 4 Vesta asteroid, was analysed by micro-Raman spectroscopy, micro-energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence and the structural and chemical analyser (Raman spectroscopy coupled with scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive spectroscopy) working in both point-by-point and image modes. The combination of all these techniques allows the extraction of, at the same time, elemental, molecular and structural data of the studied microscopic area of the meteorite. The most relevant results of the Elephant Moraine 83227 were the finding of tridymite for the first time in a 4 Vesta meteorite, along with quartz, which means that the meteorite suffered high temperatures at a certain point. Moreover, both feldspar and pyroxene were found as the main mineral phases in the sample. Ilmenite, apatite, chromite and elemental sulphur were also detected as secondary minerals. Finally, calcite was found as a weathering product, which was probably formed in terrestrial weathering processes of the pyroxene present in the sample. Besides, Raman spectroscopy provided information about the conditions that the meteorite experienced; the displacements in some feldspar Raman bands were used to estimate the temperature and pressure conditions to which the Elephant Moraine 83227 was subjected, because we obtained both low and high formation temperature feldspar.
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Zucolotto ME, Tosi AA, Villaça CVN, Moutinho ALR, Andrade DPP, Faulstich F, Gomes AMS, Rios DC, Rocha MC. Serra Pelada: the first Amazonian Meteorite fall is a Eucrite (basalt) from Asteroid 4-Vesta. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2018; 90:3-16. [PMID: 29424394 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765201820170854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Serra Pelada is the newest Brazilian eucrite and the first recovered fall from Amazonia (State of Pará, Brazil, June 29th 2017). In this paper, we report on its petrography, chemistry, mineralogy and its magnetic properties. Study of four thin sections reveals that the meteorite is brecciated, containing basaltic and gabbroic clasts, as well of recrystallized impact melt, embedded into a fine-medium grained matrix. Chemical analyses suggest that Serra Pelada is a monomict basaltic eucritic breccia, and that the meteorite is a normal member of the HED suite. Our results provide additional geological and compositional information on the lithological diversity of its parent body. The mineralogy of Serra Pelada consists basically of low-Ca pyroxene and high-Ca plagioclase with accessory minerals such as quartz, sulphide (troilite), chromite - ulvöspinel and ilmenite. These data are consistent with the meteorite being an eucrite, a basaltic achondrite and a member of the howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) clan of meteorites which most likely are from the crust asteroid 4 Vesta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Elizabeth Zucolotto
- LABET/MN/UFRJ, Laboratório Extraterrestre, Departamento de Geologia e Paleontologia, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista, São Cristóvão, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Amanda A Tosi
- LABSONDA/IGEO/UFRJ, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Athos da Silveira Ramos, 274, Cidade Universitária, 21941-972 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Caio V N Villaça
- LABSONDA/IGEO/UFRJ, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Athos da Silveira Ramos, 274, Cidade Universitária, 21941-972 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - André L R Moutinho
- Colecionador da International Meteorite Colector Association (IMCA #2731), R. Roberto dos Santos, 163, 12300-000 Jacareí, SP, Brazil
| | - Diana P P Andrade
- OV/UFRJ, Observatório do Valongo, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Ladeira Pedro Antônio, 43, Saúde, 20080-090 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Fabiano Faulstich
- LABET/MN/UFRJ, Laboratório Extraterrestre, Departamento de Geologia e Paleontologia, Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Quinta da Boa Vista, São Cristóvão, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Angelo M S Gomes
- IF/UFRJ, Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Athos da Silveira Ramos,149, CT, Bloco A, Cidade Universitária, 21941-972 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Debora C Rios
- GPA, Universidade Federal da Bahia/UFBA, Instituto de Geociências, R. Barão de Geremoabo s/n, Ondina, 40170-290 Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Marcilio C Rocha
- Universidade Federal do Pará/UFPA, Departamento de Geociências e Engenharias, Rua Augusto Correa, nº 01, Campus Universitário do Guamá, 66075-110, Belém, PA, Brazil
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Pieters CM, Noble SK. Space Weathering on Airless Bodies. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2016; 121:1865-1884. [PMID: 29862145 PMCID: PMC5975224 DOI: 10.1002/2016je005128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Space weathering refers to alteration that occurs in the space environment with time. Lunar samples, and to some extent meteorites, have provided a benchmark for understanding the processes and products of space weathering. Lunar soils are derived principally from local materials but have accumulated a range of optically active opaque particles (OAOpq) that include nanophase metallic iron on/in rims formed on individual grains (imparting a red slope to visible and near-infrared reflectance) and larger iron particles (which darken across all wavelengths) such as are often found within the interior of recycled grains. Space weathering of other anhydrous silicate bodies, such as Mercury and some asteroids, produce different forms and relative abundance of OAOpq particles depending on the particular environment. If the development of OAOpq particles is minimized (such as at Vesta), contamination by exogenic material and regolith mixing become the dominant space weathering processes. Volatile-rich bodies and those composed of abundant hydrous minerals (dwarf planet Ceres, many dark asteroids, outer solar system satellites) are affected by space weathering processes differently than the silicate bodies of the inner solar system. However, the space weathering products of these bodies are currently poorly understood and the physics and chemistry of space weathering processes in different environments are areas of active research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carle M Pieters
- Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912
| | - Sarah K Noble
- Planetary Science Division, NASA Headquarters, Washington DC, 20546, one: 202-358-2492
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Abstract
Howardite-eucrite-diogenite meteorites (HEDs) probably originated from the asteroid 4 Vesta. We investigated one eucrite, Béréba, to clarify a dynamic event that occurred on 4 Vesta using a shock-induced high-pressure polymorph. We discovered high-pressure polymorphs of silica, coesite, and stishovite originating from quartz and/or cristobalite in and around the shock-melt veins of Béréba. Lamellar stishovite formed in silica grains through a solid-state phase transition. A network-like rupture was formed and melting took place along the rupture in the silica grains. Nanosized granular coesite grains crystallized from the silica melt. Based on shock-induced high-pressure polymorphs, the estimated shock-pressure condition ranged from ∼8 to ∼13 GPa. Considering radiometric ages and shock features, the dynamic event that led to the formation of coesite and stishovite occurred ca. 4.1 Ga ago, which corresponds to the late heavy bombardment period (ca. 3.8-4.1 Ga), deduced from the lunar cataclysm. There are two giant impact basins around the south pole of 4 Vesta. Although the origin of HEDs is thought to be related to dynamic events that formed the basins ca. 1.0 Ga ago, our findings are at variance with that idea.
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Clenet H, Jutzi M, Barrat JA, Asphaug EI, Benz W, Gillet P. A deep crust–mantle boundary in the asteroid 4 Vesta. Nature 2014; 511:303-6. [DOI: 10.1038/nature13499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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The formation of jupiter, the jovian early bombardment and the delivery of water to the asteroid belt: the case of (4) vesta. Life (Basel) 2014; 4:4-34. [PMID: 25370027 PMCID: PMC4187151 DOI: 10.3390/life4010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2013] [Revised: 12/26/2013] [Accepted: 01/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The asteroid (4) Vesta, parent body of the Howardite-Eucrite-Diogenite meteorites, is one of the first bodies that formed, mostly from volatile-depleted material, in the Solar System. The Dawn mission recently provided evidence that hydrated material was delivered to Vesta, possibly in a continuous way, over the last 4 Ga, while the study of the eucritic meteorites revealed a few samples that crystallized in presence of water and volatile elements. The formation of Jupiter and probably its migration occurred in the period when eucrites crystallized, and triggered a phase of bombardment that caused icy planetesimals to cross the asteroid belt. In this work, we study the flux of icy planetesimals on Vesta during the Jovian Early Bombardment and, using hydrodynamic simulations, the outcome of their collisions with the asteroid. We explore how the migration of the giant planet would affect the delivery of water and volatile materials to the asteroid and we discuss our results in the context of the geophysical and collisional evolution of Vesta. In particular, we argue that the observational data are best reproduced if the bulk of the impactors was represented by 1-2 km wide planetesimals and if Jupiter underwent a limited (a fraction of au) displacement.
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9
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Olivine in an unexpected location on Vesta's surface. Nature 2013; 504:122-5. [PMID: 24196707 DOI: 10.1038/nature12665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2013] [Accepted: 09/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Olivine is a major component of the mantle of differentiated bodies, including Earth. Howardite, eucrite and diogenite (HED) meteorites represent regolith, basaltic-crust, lower-crust and possibly ultramafic-mantle samples of asteroid Vesta, which is the lone surviving, large, differentiated, basaltic rocky protoplanet in the Solar System. Only a few of these meteorites, the orthopyroxene-rich diogenites, contain olivine, typically with a concentration of less than 25 per cent by volume. Olivine was tentatively identified on Vesta, on the basis of spectral and colour data, but other observations did not confirm its presence. Here we report that olivine is indeed present locally on Vesta's surface but that, unexpectedly, it has not been found within the deep, south-pole basins, which are thought to be excavated mantle rocks. Instead, it occurs as near-surface materials in the northern hemisphere. Unlike the meteorites, the olivine-rich (more than 50 per cent by volume) material is not associated with diogenite but seems to be mixed with howardite, the most common surface material. Olivine is exposed in crater walls and in ejecta scattered diffusely over a broad area. The size of the olivine exposures and the absence of associated diogenite favour a mantle source, but the exposures are located far from the deep impact basins. The amount and distribution of observed olivine-rich material suggest a complex evolutionary history for Vesta.
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Bennett CJ, Pirim C, Orlando TM. Space-Weathering of Solar System Bodies: A Laboratory Perspective. Chem Rev 2013; 113:9086-150. [DOI: 10.1021/cr400153k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chris J. Bennett
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Claire Pirim
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Thomas M. Orlando
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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Lawrence DJ, Peplowski PN, Prettyman TH, Feldman WC, Bazell D, Mittlefehldt DW, Reedy RC, Yamashita N. Constraints on Vesta's elemental composition: Fast neutron measurements by Dawn's gamma ray and neutron detector. METEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE 2013; 48:2271-2288. [PMID: 26074718 PMCID: PMC4461122 DOI: 10.1111/maps.12187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2013] [Accepted: 07/11/2013] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Surface composition information from Vesta is reported using fast neutron data collected by the gamma ray and neutron detector on the Dawn spacecraft. After correcting for variations due to hydrogen, fast neutrons show a compositional dynamic range and spatial variability that is consistent with variations in average atomic mass from howardite, eucrite, and diogenite (HED) meteorites. These data provide additional compositional evidence that Vesta is the parent body to HED meteorites. A subset of fast neutron data having lower statistical precision show spatial variations that are consistent with a 400 ppm variability in hydrogen concentrations across Vesta and supports the idea that Vesta's hydrogen is due to long-term delivery of carbonaceous chondrite material.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Lawrence
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryLaurel, Maryland, USA
| | - Patrick N Peplowski
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryLaurel, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - David Bazell
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryLaurel, Maryland, USA
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Jutzi M, Asphaug E, Gillet P, Barrat JA, Benz W. The structure of the asteroid 4 Vesta as revealed by models of planet-scale collisions. Nature 2013; 494:207-10. [PMID: 23407535 DOI: 10.1038/nature11892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2012] [Accepted: 01/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Asteroid 4 Vesta seems to be a major intact protoplanet, with a surface composition similar to that of the HED (howardite-eucrite-diogenite) meteorites. The southern hemisphere is dominated by a giant impact scar, but previous impact models have failed to reproduce the observed topography. The recent discovery that Vesta's southern hemisphere is dominated by two overlapping basins provides an opportunity to model Vesta's topography more accurately. Here we report three-dimensional simulations of Vesta's global evolution under two overlapping planet-scale collisions. We closely reproduce its observed shape, and provide maps of impact excavation and ejecta deposition. Spiral patterns observed in the younger basin Rheasilvia, about one billion years old, are attributed to Coriolis forces during crater collapse. Surface materials exposed in the north come from a depth of about 20 kilometres, according to our models, whereas materials exposed inside the southern double-excavation come from depths of about 60-100 kilometres. If Vesta began as a layered, completely differentiated protoplanet, then our model predicts large areas of pure diogenites and olivine-rich rocks. These are not seen, possibly implying that the outer 100 kilometres or so of Vesta is composed mainly of a basaltic crust (eucrites) with ultramafic intrusions (diogenites).
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Affiliation(s)
- M Jutzi
- Physics Institute, Space Research and Planetary Sciences, Center for Space and Habitability, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
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13
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Pieters CM, Ammannito E, Blewett DT, Denevi BW, De Sanctis MC, Gaffey MJ, Le Corre L, Li JY, Marchi S, McCord TB, McFadden LA, Mittlefehldt DW, Nathues A, Palmer E, Reddy V, Raymond CA, Russell CT. Distinctive space weathering on Vesta from regolith mixing processes. Nature 2012; 491:79-82. [PMID: 23128227 DOI: 10.1038/nature11534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2012] [Accepted: 08/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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14
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Dark material on Vesta from the infall of carbonaceous volatile-rich material. Nature 2012; 491:83-6. [PMID: 23128228 DOI: 10.1038/nature11561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2012] [Accepted: 08/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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15
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Fu RR, Weiss BP, Shuster DL, Gattacceca J, Grove TL, Suavet C, Lima EA, Li L, Kuan AT. An ancient core dynamo in asteroid Vesta. Science 2012; 338:238-41. [PMID: 23066077 DOI: 10.1126/science.1225648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The asteroid Vesta is the smallest known planetary body that has experienced large-scale igneous differentiation. However, it has been previously uncertain whether Vesta and similarly sized planetesimals formed advecting metallic cores and dynamo magnetic fields. Here we show that remanent magnetization in the eucrite meteorite Allan Hills A81001 formed during cooling on Vesta 3.69 billion years ago in a surface magnetic field of at least 2 microteslas. This field most likely originated from crustal remanence produced by an earlier dynamo, suggesting that Vesta formed an advecting liquid metallic core. Furthermore, the inferred present-day crustal fields can account for the lack of solar wind ion-generated space weathering effects on Vesta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger R Fu
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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16
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Abstract
The progression from astronomical observation to geochemical analysis epitomizes advancements in planetary exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard P Binzel
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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17
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Prettyman TH, Mittlefehldt DW, Yamashita N, Lawrence DJ, Beck AW, Feldman WC, McCoy TJ, McSween HY, Toplis MJ, Titus TN, Tricarico P, Reedy RC, Hendricks JS, Forni O, Le Corre L, Li JY, Mizzon H, Reddy V, Raymond CA, Russell CT. Elemental mapping by Dawn reveals exogenic H in Vesta's regolith. Science 2012; 338:242-6. [PMID: 22997135 DOI: 10.1126/science.1225354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 186] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Using Dawn's Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector, we tested models of Vesta's evolution based on studies of howardite, eucrite, and diogenite (HED) meteorites. Global Fe/O and Fe/Si ratios are consistent with HED compositions. Neutron measurements confirm that a thick, diogenitic lower crust is exposed in the Rheasilvia basin, which is consistent with global magmatic differentiation. Vesta's regolith contains substantial amounts of hydrogen. The highest hydrogen concentrations coincide with older, low-albedo regions near the equator, where water ice is unstable. The young, Rheasilvia basin contains the lowest concentrations. These observations are consistent with gradual accumulation of hydrogen by infall of carbonaceous chondrites--observed as clasts in some howardites--and subsequent removal or burial of this material by large impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas H Prettyman
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719-2395, USA.
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18
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Hand E. Space missions trigger map wars. Nature 2012; 488:442-3. [DOI: 10.1038/488442a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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19
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Schenk P, O'Brien DP, Marchi S, Gaskell R, Preusker F, Roatsch T, Jaumann R, Buczkowski D, McCord T, McSween HY, Williams D, Yingst A, Raymond C, Russell C. The geologically recent giant impact basins at Vesta's south pole. Science 2012; 336:694-7. [PMID: 22582256 DOI: 10.1126/science.1223272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Dawn's global mapping of Vesta reveals that its observed south polar depression is composed of two overlapping giant impact features. These large basins provide exceptional windows into impact processes at planetary scales. The youngest, Rheasilvia, is 500 kilometers wide and 19 kilometers deep and finds its nearest morphologic analog among large basins on low-gravity icy satellites. Extensive ejecta deposits occur, but impact melt volume is low, exposing an unusual spiral fracture pattern that is likely related to faulting during uplift and convergence of the basin floor. Rheasilvia obliterated half of another 400-kilometer-wide impact basin, Veneneia. Both basins are unexpectedly young, roughly 1 to 2 billion years, and their formation substantially reset Vestan geology and excavated sufficient volumes of older compositionally heterogeneous crustal material to have created the Vestoids and howardite-eucrite-diogenite meteorites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Schenk
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX 77058, USA.
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20
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Marchi S, McSween HY, O'Brien DP, Schenk P, De Sanctis MC, Gaskell R, Jaumann R, Mottola S, Preusker F, Raymond CA, Roatsch T, Russell CT. The violent collisional history of asteroid 4 Vesta. Science 2012; 336:690-4. [PMID: 22582255 DOI: 10.1126/science.1218757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 187] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Vesta is a large differentiated rocky body in the main asteroid belt that accreted within the first few million years after the formation of the earliest solar system solids. The Dawn spacecraft extensively imaged Vesta's surface, revealing a collision-dominated history. Results show that Vesta's cratering record has a strong north-south dichotomy. Vesta's northern heavily cratered terrains retain much of their earliest history. The southern hemisphere was reset, however, by two major collisions in more recent times. We estimate that the youngest of these impact structures, about 500 kilometers across, formed about 1 billion years ago, in agreement with estimates of Vesta asteroid family age based on dynamical and collisional constraints, supporting the notion that the Vesta asteroid family was formed during this event.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Marchi
- NASA Lunar Science Institute, Boulder, CO, USA.
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21
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Russell CT, Raymond CA, Coradini A, McSween HY, Zuber MT, Nathues A, De Sanctis MC, Jaumann R, Konopliv AS, Preusker F, Asmar SW, Park RS, Gaskell R, Keller HU, Mottola S, Roatsch T, Scully JEC, Smith DE, Tricarico P, Toplis MJ, Christensen UR, Feldman WC, Lawrence DJ, McCoy TJ, Prettyman TH, Reedy RC, Sykes ME, Titus TN. Dawn at Vesta: testing the protoplanetary paradigm. Science 2012; 336:684-6. [PMID: 22582253 DOI: 10.1126/science.1219381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The Dawn spacecraft targeted 4 Vesta, believed to be a remnant intact protoplanet from the earliest epoch of solar system formation, based on analyses of howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) meteorites that indicate a differentiated parent body. Dawn observations reveal a giant basin at Vesta's south pole, whose excavation was sufficient to produce Vesta-family asteroids (Vestoids) and HED meteorites. The spatially resolved mineralogy of the surface reflects the composition of the HED meteorites, confirming the formation of Vesta's crust by melting of a chondritic parent body. Vesta's mass, volume, and gravitational field are consistent with a core having an average radius of 107 to 113 kilometers, indicating sufficient internal melting to segregate iron. Dawn's results confirm predictions that Vesta differentiated and support its identification as the parent body of the HEDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- C T Russell
- Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567, USA.
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22
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Reddy V, Nathues A, Le Corre L, Sierks H, Li JY, Gaskell R, McCoy T, Beck AW, Schröder SE, Pieters CM, Becker KJ, Buratti BJ, Denevi B, Blewett DT, Christensen U, Gaffey MJ, Gutierrez-Marques P, Hicks M, Keller HU, Maue T, Mottola S, McFadden LA, McSween HY, Mittlefehldt D, O’Brien DP, Raymond C, Russell C. Color and Albedo Heterogeneity of Vesta from Dawn. Science 2012; 336:700-4. [PMID: 22582258 DOI: 10.1126/science.1219088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vishnu Reddy
- Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Max-Planck-Strasse 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
- Department of Space Studies, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA
| | - Andreas Nathues
- Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Max-Planck-Strasse 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
| | - Lucille Le Corre
- Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Max-Planck-Strasse 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
| | - Holger Sierks
- Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Max-Planck-Strasse 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
| | - Jian-Yang Li
- Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Robert Gaskell
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - Timothy McCoy
- Department of Mineral Sciences, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, 10th and Constitution NW, Washington, DC 20560–0119, USA
| | - Andrew W. Beck
- Department of Mineral Sciences, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, 10th and Constitution NW, Washington, DC 20560–0119, USA
| | - Stefan E. Schröder
- Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Max-Planck-Strasse 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
| | - Carle M. Pieters
- Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Kris J. Becker
- Astrogeology Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA
| | - Bonnie J. Buratti
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Brett Denevi
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - David T. Blewett
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - Ulrich Christensen
- Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Max-Planck-Strasse 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
| | - Michael J. Gaffey
- Department of Space Studies, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA
| | - Pablo Gutierrez-Marques
- Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Max-Planck-Strasse 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
| | - Michael Hicks
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Horst Uwe Keller
- Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, TU Braunschweig Mendelssohnstrasse 3, DE 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Thorsten Maue
- Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Max-Planck-Strasse 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
| | - Stefano Mottola
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft und Raumfahrt (DLR)–German Aerospace Center, Institute of Planetary Research, Rutherfordstrasse 2, D-12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lucy A. McFadden
- NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Mail Code 160, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Harry Y. McSween
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, 1412 Circle Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996–1410, USA
| | - David Mittlefehldt
- Astromaterials Research Office, NASA Johnson Space Center, Mail Code KR, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - David P. O’Brien
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - Carol Raymond
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Christopher Russell
- Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024–1567, USA
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23
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Cowen R. Vesta confirmed as a venerable planet progenitor. Nature 2012. [DOI: 10.1038/nature.2012.10624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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24
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Planet-like asteroid. Nature 2012. [DOI: 10.1038/485282a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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