Rocks with Extremely Low Thermal Inertia at the OSIRIS-REx Sample Site on Asteroid Bennu
The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission recently returned a sample of rocks and dust collected from asteroid Bennu. We analyzed the highest-resolution thermal data obtained by the OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTE...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | The Planetary Science Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad2dff |
| _version_ | 1827293266982207488 |
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| author | Andrew J. Ryan Benjamin Rozitis Daniel Pino Munoz Kris J. Becker Joshua P. Emery Michael C. Nolan Marc Bernacki Marco Delbo Catherine M. Elder Matthew Siegler Erica R. Jawin Dathon R. Golish Kevin J. Walsh Christopher W. Haberle Carina A. Bennett Kenneth L. Edmundson Victoria E. Hamilton Phillip R. Christensen Michael G. Daly Dante S. Lauretta |
| author_facet | Andrew J. Ryan Benjamin Rozitis Daniel Pino Munoz Kris J. Becker Joshua P. Emery Michael C. Nolan Marc Bernacki Marco Delbo Catherine M. Elder Matthew Siegler Erica R. Jawin Dathon R. Golish Kevin J. Walsh Christopher W. Haberle Carina A. Bennett Kenneth L. Edmundson Victoria E. Hamilton Phillip R. Christensen Michael G. Daly Dante S. Lauretta |
| author_sort | Andrew J. Ryan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission recently returned a sample of rocks and dust collected from asteroid Bennu. We analyzed the highest-resolution thermal data obtained by the OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTES) to gain insight into the thermal and physical properties of the sampling site, including rocks that may have been sampled, and the immediately surrounding Hokioi Crater. After correcting the pointing of the OTES data sets, we find that OTES fortuitously observed two dark rocks moments before they were contacted by the spacecraft. We derived thermal inertias of 100–150 (±50) J m ^−2 K ^−1 s ^−1/2 for these two rocks—exceptionally low even compared with other previously analyzed dark rocks on Bennu (180–250 J m ^−2 K ^−1 s ^−1/2 ). Our simulations indicate that monolayer coatings of sand- to pebble-sized particles, as observed on one of these rocks, could significantly reduce the apparent thermal inertia and largely mask the properties of the substrate. However, the other low-thermal-inertia rock that was contacted is not obviously covered in particles. Moreover, this rock appears to have been partially crushed, and thus potentially sampled, by the spacecraft. We conclude that this rock may be highly fractured and that it should be sought in the returned sample to better understand its origin in Bennu’s parent body and the relationship between its thermal and physical properties. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T13:23:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e369627937c94601a7d42be03459dd15 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2632-3338 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T13:23:03Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Planetary Science Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-e369627937c94601a7d42be03459dd152024-04-04T12:19:51ZengIOP PublishingThe Planetary Science Journal2632-33382024-01-01549210.3847/PSJ/ad2dffRocks with Extremely Low Thermal Inertia at the OSIRIS-REx Sample Site on Asteroid BennuAndrew J. Ryan0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7535-8416Benjamin Rozitis1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9893-241XDaniel Pino Munoz2Kris J. Becker3Joshua P. Emery4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9265-9475Michael C. Nolan5Marc Bernacki6Marco Delbo7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8963-2404Catherine M. Elder8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9993-8861Matthew Siegler9Erica R. Jawin10Dathon R. Golish11https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6159-539XKevin J. Walsh12https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0906-1761Christopher W. Haberle13Carina A. Bennett14Kenneth L. Edmundson15https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3666-0927Victoria E. Hamilton16Phillip R. Christensen17Michael G. Daly18https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3733-2530Dante S. Lauretta19https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2597-5950Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona , Tucson, AZ 85721, USASchool of Physical Sciences, The Open University , Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UKMines Paris, PSL University , Centre for material forming (CEMEF), UMR7635 CNRS, 06904 Sophia Antipolis, FranceLunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona , Tucson, AZ 85721, USADepartment of Astronomy and Planetary Science, Northern Arizona University , Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6010, USALunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona , Tucson, AZ 85721, USAMines Paris, PSL University , Centre for material forming (CEMEF), UMR7635 CNRS, 06904 Sophia Antipolis, FranceUniversité Côte d’Azur , Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire Lagrange, CS 34229, F-06304 Nice Cedex 4, FranceJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91011, USAPlanetary Science Institute , Tucson, AZ 85719-2395, USA; Department of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University , Dallas, TX 75275, USASmithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum , Washington, DC 20560, USALunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona , Tucson, AZ 85721, USASouthwest Research Institute , Boulder, CO 80302, USADepartment of Astronomy and Planetary Science, Northern Arizona University , Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6010, USALunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona , Tucson, AZ 85721, USALunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona , Tucson, AZ 85721, USASouthwest Research Institute , Boulder, CO 80302, USASchool of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University , Tempe, AZ 85287-6004, USAThe Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, York University , Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, CanadaLunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona , Tucson, AZ 85721, USAThe Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission recently returned a sample of rocks and dust collected from asteroid Bennu. We analyzed the highest-resolution thermal data obtained by the OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTES) to gain insight into the thermal and physical properties of the sampling site, including rocks that may have been sampled, and the immediately surrounding Hokioi Crater. After correcting the pointing of the OTES data sets, we find that OTES fortuitously observed two dark rocks moments before they were contacted by the spacecraft. We derived thermal inertias of 100–150 (±50) J m ^−2 K ^−1 s ^−1/2 for these two rocks—exceptionally low even compared with other previously analyzed dark rocks on Bennu (180–250 J m ^−2 K ^−1 s ^−1/2 ). Our simulations indicate that monolayer coatings of sand- to pebble-sized particles, as observed on one of these rocks, could significantly reduce the apparent thermal inertia and largely mask the properties of the substrate. However, the other low-thermal-inertia rock that was contacted is not obviously covered in particles. Moreover, this rock appears to have been partially crushed, and thus potentially sampled, by the spacecraft. We conclude that this rock may be highly fractured and that it should be sought in the returned sample to better understand its origin in Bennu’s parent body and the relationship between its thermal and physical properties.https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad2dffAsteroidsAsteroid surfacesPlanetary scienceRemote sensingNear-Earth objects |
| spellingShingle | Andrew J. Ryan Benjamin Rozitis Daniel Pino Munoz Kris J. Becker Joshua P. Emery Michael C. Nolan Marc Bernacki Marco Delbo Catherine M. Elder Matthew Siegler Erica R. Jawin Dathon R. Golish Kevin J. Walsh Christopher W. Haberle Carina A. Bennett Kenneth L. Edmundson Victoria E. Hamilton Phillip R. Christensen Michael G. Daly Dante S. Lauretta Rocks with Extremely Low Thermal Inertia at the OSIRIS-REx Sample Site on Asteroid Bennu The Planetary Science Journal Asteroids Asteroid surfaces Planetary science Remote sensing Near-Earth objects |
| title | Rocks with Extremely Low Thermal Inertia at the OSIRIS-REx Sample Site on Asteroid Bennu |
| title_full | Rocks with Extremely Low Thermal Inertia at the OSIRIS-REx Sample Site on Asteroid Bennu |
| title_fullStr | Rocks with Extremely Low Thermal Inertia at the OSIRIS-REx Sample Site on Asteroid Bennu |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rocks with Extremely Low Thermal Inertia at the OSIRIS-REx Sample Site on Asteroid Bennu |
| title_short | Rocks with Extremely Low Thermal Inertia at the OSIRIS-REx Sample Site on Asteroid Bennu |
| title_sort | rocks with extremely low thermal inertia at the osiris rex sample site on asteroid bennu |
| topic | Asteroids Asteroid surfaces Planetary science Remote sensing Near-Earth objects |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad2dff |
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