Heating Saponite, Serpentine, and a Carbonaceous Chondrite Spectral Analogue Under Vacuum to Track the Spectral Variability of the 2.7 µm Band.

Abstract

The scientific significance of carbonaceous chondrites has been established as windows into our early Solar System [1]. The presence of phyllosilicates in CM2 carbonaceous chondrites indicates a history of aqueous alteration [2, 3]. Carbonaceous chondrites (CCs) exhibit spectral similarities to several C-complex asteroids, which may act as parent bodies [4, 5]. Several CCs (and therefore their parent body asteroids) have undergone thermal alteration following aqueous alteration [6, 7]. Here we present the reflectance spectra of heated saponite, serpentine, and a spectral analogue created at the Centre for Terrestrial and Planetary Exploration (C-TAPE) laboratory at the University of Winnipeg, Canada. The intent is to understand how thermal metamorphism affects their spectroscopic properties.