Publication Date:
2017-10-02
Description:
S-type asteroids are believed to be parent bodies of ordinary chondrites. Although both S-type asteroids and ordinary chondrites contain the same mineral assemblage, mainly olivine and pyroxene, the reflectance spectra of the asteroids exhibit more overall depletion (darkening) and reddening, and more weakening of absorption bands relative to the meteorites. This spectral mismatch is explained by space weathering process, where high-velocity dust particle impacts should change the optical properties of the uppermost regolith surface of asteroids. In order to simulate the space weathering, we irradiated nanosecond pulse laser beam onto pellet samples of olivine (8.97wt% FeO) and pyroxene (enstatite: 9.88wt% FeO, hypersthene: 16.70wt%). We got spectral changes in our samples similar to that by space weathering on asteroids and confirmed nanophase alpha-metallic iron particles, which were theoretically predicted, not only on olivine but also on pyroxene samples by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Nanophase metallic iron particles were widely scattered throughout the amorphous rims developed along the olivine grains, whereas they were embedded in aggregates of amorphous in enstatite samples. Recently, we also measured laser-irradiated samples by ESR (Electron Spin Resonance). Strong ESR signals, characteristic to nanophase iron particles, are observed on irradiated olivine samples. In this paper, we report the quantities of nanophase metallic iron particles in pyroxene samples by ESR observations in addition to olivine samples.
Keywords:
Lunar and Planetary Science and Exploration
Type:
Lunar and Planetary Science XXXIV; LPI-Contrib-1156
Format:
text
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