Modeling of S-Type Asteroid Spectra Using Primitive Achondrites and Iron Meteorites
Abstract
The stony iron model for the S asteroids has been tested using observed reflectance spectra of the S asteroids and modeled spectra of meteoritic components. Observed reflectance spectra of 40 S asteroids were fit with linear combinations of laboratory reflectance spectra of 6 representative primitive achondrites and an iron meteorite. Specular and diffuse reflection components were taken into account for metallic-iron reflectance. Even with this limited set of meteorite spectra, 16 of those 40 S asteroids were fit fairly well in terms of absorption-band features and spectral profiles. The number of well-fit S asteroids may be greater if the number and variety of metallic and stony domains are expanded. This initial result suggests that many of the S-asteroidal surfaces may be various kinds of regional mixtures of primitive achondrites and metallic iron. If true, the S asteroids could have been originally formed of chondrite-like source materials because mineral assemblages of primitive achondrites seem to have recrystallized from chondrites by segregation of metallic components and loss of partial melts.
- Publication:
-
Icarus
- Pub Date:
- March 1993
- DOI:
- 10.1006/icar.1993.1036
- Bibcode:
- 1993Icar..102..107H
- Keywords:
-
- Achondrites;
- Asteroids;
- Chemical Fractionation;
- Iron Meteorites;
- Spectral Reflectance;
- Absorption Spectra;
- Curve Fitting;
- Specular Reflection;
- ASTEROIDS;
- S ASTEROIDS;
- SPECTRA;
- STONY METEORITES;
- ACHONDRITES;
- MODELS;
- METEORITES;
- IRON METEORITES;
- ANALOGS;
- REFLECTANCE;
- LABORATORY STUDIES;
- COMPARISONS;
- ABSORPTION;
- METAL;
- SURFACE;
- PARENT MATERIAL;
- ALH METEORITES;
- SAMPLES;
- METEORITE;
- YAMATO METEORITES;
- MAC METEORITES;
- ORIGIN;
- FORMATION;
- CATALOG;
- CHONDRITIC MATERIAL;
- LODRAN;
- MAC 88177;
- Y791491;
- ALHA77081;
- Y74357;
- MUNDRABILLA;
- ALHA81187