Regolith depth, mobility, and variability on Vesta from Dawn's low altitude mapping orbit

Denevi, B. and Coman, E and Blewett, D. and Mittlefehldt, David W. and Buczkowski, D.L. and Combe, J. P. and De Sanctis, Maria Cristina and Jaumann, R. and Li, J. Y. and Marchi, S. and Nathues, A. and Petro, Noah E. and Pieters, Carle M. and Schenk, P. and Schmedemann, Nico and Schröder, S. and Sunshine, J.M. and Williams, D.A. and Raymond, C.A. and Russell, C.T. (2012) Regolith depth, mobility, and variability on Vesta from Dawn's low altitude mapping orbit. Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2012, 2012-03-19 - 2012-03-23, The Woodlands, Texas, USA.

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Abstract

Regolith, the fragmental debris layer formed from impact events of all sizes, covers the surface of all asteroids imaged by spacecraft to date. Here we use Framing Camera (FC) images [1] acquired by the Dawn spacecraft [2] from its low-altitude mapping orbit (LAMO) of 210 km (pixel scales of ~20 m) to characterize regolith depth, variability, and mobility on Vesta, and to locate areas of especially thin regolith and exposures of competent material. These results will help to evaluate how the surface of this differentiated asteroid has evolved over time, and provide key contextual information for understanding the origin and degree of mixing of the surficial materials for which compositions are estimated [3,4] and the causes of the relative spectral immaturity of the surface [5]. Vestan regolith samples, in the form of howardite meteorites, can be studied in the laboratory to provide complementary constraints on the regolith process [6].

Item URL in elib:

https://elib.dlr.de/76117/

Document Type:

Conference or Workshop Item (Speech)

Title:

Regolith depth, mobility, and variability on Vesta from Dawn's low altitude mapping orbit

Authors:

Authors	Institution or Email of Authors	Author's ORCID iD	ORCID Put Code
Denevi, B.	Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd. Laurel, MD 20723-6099, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Coman, E	Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Blewett, D.	Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd. Laurel, MD 20723-6099, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Mittlefehldt, David W.	NASA, Johnson Space Center, mail code KR, 2101 NASA Parkway, Houston, TX 77058	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Buczkowski, D.L.	Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd. Laurel, MD 20723-6099, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Combe, J. P.	Space Science Inst., Winthrop WA, USA, Lab. de Planetologie et de Geodynamique, U. de Nantes, Nantes, France	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
De Sanctis, Maria Cristina	Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Rome, Italy.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Jaumann, R.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Li, J. Y.	University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Marchi, S.	INAF, Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica,Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Nathues, A.	Max-Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Petro, Noah E.	NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, United States.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Pieters, Carle M.	Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Schenk, P.	Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Schmedemann, Nico	Inst. of Geosciences, Free University Berlin, Germany	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Schröder, S.	Institute for Solar System Research, Max-Planck Str. 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Sunshine, J.M.	Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Williams, D.A.	Department of Geology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Raymond, C.A.	Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109-8099, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Russell, C.T.	Institute of Geophysics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED

Date:

2012

Open Access:

Yes

Gold Open Access:

In SCOPUS:

In ISI Web of Science:

Status:

Published

Keywords:

Dawn, Vesta, asteroids

Event Title:

Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2012

Event Location:

The Woodlands, Texas, USA

Event Type:

international Conference

Event Start Date:

19 March 2012

Event End Date:

23 March 2012

HGF - Research field:

Aeronautics, Space and Transport

HGF - Program:

Space

HGF - Program Themes:

Space Exploration

DLR - Research area:

Raumfahrt

DLR - Program:

R EW - Space Exploration

DLR - Research theme (Project):

R - Project DAWN (old)

Location:

Berlin-Adlershof

Institutes and Institutions:

Institute of Planetary Research > Planetary Geology

Deposited By:

Pieth, Susanne

Deposited On:

19 Sep 2012 09:56

Last Modified:

24 Apr 2024 19:42

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