Synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy, noble gas mass spectroscopy, infrared and Raman microscopy correlated study of the Itokawa asteroid particles returned by the Hayabusa space probe

Abstract

The analysis of ateroid’s surface grains allows to match remote observations and modeling of its history and current properties with laboratory experiments. Mass spectrometry and electron microscopy of the dust enables detailed study of the history of asteroidal regolith and compare the results with theoretical considerations of the evolution of rubble piles in the inner solar system. A correlated study including consequential Raman and infrared microspectroscopy, synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy (SRXTM) and noble gas mass spectroscopy has been implemented for the determination of cosmic-ray exposure ages and trapped Xe content in a few particles returned by the JAXA’s Hayabusa space probe from the near-Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa, the first successful sample return mission to an asteroid. New data support the uniformly short exposure to cosmic rays of the Itokawa regolith of <8 Ma suggesting a freshly rejuvenated regolith.