Compositional Structure of the Asteroid Belt
Abstract
The distribution of compositional types among the asteroids is found to vary systematically with heliocentric distance. Seven distinct peaks in the relative proportion of the compositional types E, R, S, M, F, C, P, and D are found from 1.8 to 5.2 astronomical units. The inferred composition of the asteroids in each semimajor axis region is consistent with the theory that the asteroids accreted from the solar nebula at or near their present locations.
- Publication:
-
Science
- Pub Date:
- June 1982
- DOI:
- 10.1126/science.216.4553.1405
- Bibcode:
- 1982Sci...216.1405G
- Keywords:
-
- Asteroid Belts;
- Astronomical Photometry;
- Chemical Composition;
- Planetary Composition;
- Abundance;
- Albedo;
- Broadband;
- Infrared Scanners;
- Solar Corona;
- Spectral Reflectance;
- Lunar and Planetary Exploration; Asteroids;
- ASTEROIDS;
- COMPOSITION;
- ASTEROID BELT;
- STRUCTURE;
- DISTRIBUTION;
- DATA;
- DISTANCE;
- CLASSIFICATION;
- FORMATION;
- PHYSICAL PROPERTIES;
- REFLECTANCE;
- SPECTRA;
- ALBEDO;
- THERMODYNAMICS;
- ORIGIN;
- CHARACTERISTICS;
- RADIOMETRY;
- SPECTROPHOTOMETRY;
- PROCEDURE;
- ANALYSIS;
- REFLECTIVITY;
- ABUNDANCE;
- GAPS;
- HUNGARIA ASTEROIDS;
- CYBELE ASTEROIDS;
- HILDA ASTEROIDS;
- TROJAN ASTEROIDS