The 3 μm Spectrum of Jupiter's Irregular Satellite Himalia
- Creators
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Brown, M. E.
- Rhoden, A. R.
Abstract
We present a medium resolution spectrum of Jupiter's irregular satellite Himalia covering the critical 3 μm spectral region. The spectrum shows no evidence for aqueously altered phyllosilicates, as had been suggested from the tentative detection of a 0.7 μm absorption, but instead shows a spectrum strikingly similar to the C/CF type asteroid 52 Europa. 52 Europa is the prototype of a class of asteroids generally situated in the outer asteroid belt between less distant asteroids which show evidence for aqueous alteration and more distant asteroids which show evidence for water ice. The spectral match between Himalia and this group of asteroids is surprising and difficult to reconcile with models of the origin of the irregular satellites.
Additional Information
© 2014 The American Astronomical Society. Received 2014 August 6; accepted 2014 September 3; published 2014 September 19. We thank Andy Rivkin and Josh Emery for illuminating conversations about the nature of 3μm absorptions in dark asteroids and for providing the spectra of Themis and Europa. Driss Takir made excellent suggestions which improved the Letter. This research was supported by grant NNX09AB49G from the NASA Planetary Astronomy Program. A. Rhoden was partially supported through an appointment to the NASA Postdoctoral Program at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities. The data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation. The authors wish to recognize and acknowledge the very significant cultural role and reverence that the summit of Mauna Kea has always had within the indigenous Hawaiian community. We are most fortunate to have the opportunity to conduct observations from this mountain.Attached Files
Published - 2041-8205_793_2_L44.pdf
Submitted - 1409.1261v1.pdf
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Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 50312
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20141009-130826252
- NNX09AB49G
- NASA
- NASA Postdoctoral Program
- W. M. Keck Foundation
- Created
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2014-10-09Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-10Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Caltech groups
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences