Surface Composition of Vesta: Issues and Integrated Approach

The instruments on the Dawn spacecraft are exceptionally well suited to characterize and map the surface composition of Vesta in an integrated manner. These include a framing camera with multispectral capabilities, a high spectral resolution near-infrared imaging spectrometer, and a gamma-ray and ne...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Space Science Reviews
Main Authors: Pieters, Carle M., McFadden, Lucy A., Prettyman, Thomas, De Sanctis, Christina, McCord, Thomas B., Hiroi, Takahiro, Klima, Rachel, Li, Jian-Yang, Jaumann, Ralf
Format: Other Non-Article Part of Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Springer 2011
Subjects:
Institut für Planetenforschung
South Pole
South pole
Online Access:http://elib.dlr.de/73848/
http://elib.dlr.de/73848/1/Pieter_SpaceSciRev163.pdf
http://www.springerlink.com/content/30n823lw76v30853/
Description
Summary:The instruments on the Dawn spacecraft are exceptionally well suited to characterize and map the surface composition of Vesta in an integrated manner. These include a framing camera with multispectral capabilities, a high spectral resolution near-infrared imaging spectrometer, and a gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer. Three examples of issues addressed at Vesta are: (1) What is the composition of Vesta�s interior and differentiation state as exposed by the Great South Crater? (2) How has space weathering affected Vesta, both globally and at a local scale? and (3) Are volatiles or hydrated material present on Vesta�s surface? We predict that Dawn finds many surprises, such as an olivine-bearing mantle exposed near the south-pole, a weakly or un-weathered surface that has been relatively recently resurfaced, and a very thin layer of surficial volatiles derived from interaction with the solar wind.

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