Detection of water and/or hydroxyl on asteroid (16) Psyche
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Abstract
In order to search for evidence of hydration on M-type asteroid (16) Psyche, we observed this object in the 3 μm spectral region using the long-wavelength cross-dispersed (LXD: 1.9–4.2 μm) mode of the SpeX spectrograph/imager at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. Our observations show that Psyche exhibits a 3 μm absorption feature, attributed to water or hydroxyl. The 3 μm absorption feature is consistent with the hydration features found on the surfaces of water-rich asteroids, attributed to OH- and/or H2O-bearing phases (phyllosilicates). The detection of a 3 μm hydration absorption band on Psyche suggests that this asteroid may not be a metallic core, or it could be a metallic core that has been impacted by carbonaceous material over the past 4.5 Gyr. Our results also indicate rotational spectral variations, which we suggest reflect heterogeneity in the metal/silicate ratio on the surface of Psyche.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Detection of water and/or hydroxyl on asteroid (16) Psyche |
| Series title | Astronomical Journal |
| DOI | 10.3847/1538-3881/153/1/31 |
| Volume | 153 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Year Published | 2016 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | American Astronomical Society |
| Contributing office(s) | Astrogeology Science Center |
| Description | Article 31 |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |