Using spectral data from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, planetary scientists have detected hydroxyl molecules on the surface of the metallic asteroid Psyche. The presence of hydrated minerals suggests a complex history of Psyche.
Jarmuk othersThe web, shown in the lower right corner of this illustration, was used to confirm the presence of hydrated minerals on Psyche's surface. Image courtesy of Southwest Research Institute.
Psyche, a metallic asteroid about 226 kilometers (140 miles) in diameter, is one of the most intriguing targets in the main asteroid belt.
The object orbits the Sun at a distance of 378 to 497 million km (235 to 309 million miles) between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
It takes Psyche about five Earth years to go around the Sun, but just over four hours to rotate on its axis.
Unlike most other asteroids, which are made of rock and ice, planetary scientists believe Psyche is composed mostly of metallic iron and nickel, similar to Earth's core.
On October 13, 2023, NASA will launch its Psyche spacecraft, which will travel 3.5 billion km (2.2 billion miles) to arrive at the asteroid in August 2029.
“Our understanding of the evolution of the solar system is intimately tied to our interpretation of asteroid compositions, particularly M-type asteroids, which have high concentrations of metals,” said Dr. Stephanie Germak, a research scientist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
“These asteroids were initially thought to be the exposed cores of differentiated planetesimals, based on their spectral similarities to iron meteorites.”
Webb's data indicate that Psyche's surface contains hydroxyl groups and possibly water. The hydrated minerals could have come from an external source, including an impactor.
If hydration is natural or endogenous, Psyche may have a different evolutionary history than current models suggest.
“Asteroids are leftovers from the planetary formation process, so their composition varies depending on where in the solar nebula they formed,” said Dr. Anisia Arredondo, a research scientist at the Southwest Research Institute.
“Intrinsic water may suggest that Psyche is not the remnant core of a protoplanet.”
“Rather, it may suggest that Psyche may have formed beyond the 'snow line' – the minimum distance from the Sun where the temperature of the protoplanetary disk is low enough for volatile compounds to condense into a solid – and then migrated to the outer main belt.”
However, the authors found that variation in the intensity of hydration signatures across observations suggests a heterogeneous distribution of hydrated minerals.
This variation suggests a complex surface history that could be explained by the impact of carbonaceous chondritic asteroids, which may have been very wet.
Understanding the location of asteroids and their composition can tell us how material in the solar nebula is distributed and how it has evolved since its formation.
Knowing how water is distributed in our solar system gives us insight into the distribution of water in other planetary systems and, since water is essential for all life on Earth, it also directs our search for potential habitable sites within and beyond our solar system.
“By using a telescope that observes at different wavelengths of infrared light, the Southwest Research Institute-led research will provide different but complementary information to that studied by the Psyche spacecraft,” said Dr. Tracy Becker, a research scientist at Southwest Research Institute.
of Survey results will be displayed in Planetary Science Journal.
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Stephanie G. Jarmack others2024. Water and hydroxyl abundance estimates for asteroid (16) Psyche using JWST data. Planetary Science Journalin press; doi: 10.3847/PSJ/ad66b9
This article is based on a press release provided by the Southwest Research Institute.
Source: www.sci.news
