Asteroid (101955) Bennu in the Laboratory: Properties of the Sample Collected by OSIRIS-REx
Abstrak
On 24 September 2023, the NASA OSIRIS-REx mission dropped a capsule to Earth containing approximately 120 g of pristine carbonaceous regolith from Bennu. We describe the delivery and initial allocation of this asteroid sample and introduce its bulk physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties from early analyses. The regolith is very dark overall, with higher-reflectance inclusions and particles interspersed. Particle sizes range from sub-micron dust to a stone about 3.5 cm long. Millimeter-scale and larger stones typically have hummocky or angular morphologies. A subset of the stones appears mottled by brighter material that occurs as veins and crusts. Hummocky stones have the lowest densities and mottled stones have the highest. Remote sensing of the surface of Bennu detected hydrated phyllosilicates, magnetite, organic compounds, carbonates, and scarce anhydrous silicates, all of which the sample confirms. We also find sulfides, presolar grains, and, less expectedly, Na-rich phosphates, as well as other trace phases. The sample composition and mineralogy indicate substantial aqueous alteration and resemble those of Ryugu and the most chemically primitive, low-petrologic-type carbonaceous chondrites. Nevertheless, we find distinct hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen isotopic compositions, and some of the material we analyzed is enriched in fluid-mobile elements. Our findings underscore the value of sample return, especially for low-density material that may not readily survive atmospheric entry, and lay the groundwork for more comprehensive analyses.
Topik & Kata Kunci
Penulis (53)
Dante S. Lauretta
Harold C. Connolly,
Joseph E. Aebersold
Conel M. O. D. Alexander
Ronald-L. Ballouz
Jessica J. Barnes
Helena C. Bates
Carina A. Bennett
Laurinne Blanche
Erika H. Blumenfeld
Simon J. Clemett
George D. Cody
Daniella N. DellaGiustina
Jason P. Dworkin
Scott A. Eckley
Dionysis I. Foustoukos
Ian A. Franchi
Daniel P. Glavin
Richard C. Greenwood
Pierre Haenecour
Victoria E. Hamilton
Dolores H. Hill
Takahiro Hiroi
Kana Ishimaru
Fred Jourdan
Hannah H. Kaplan
Lindsay P. Keller
Ashley J. King
Piers Koefoed
Melissa K. Kontogiannis
Loan Le
Robert J. Macke
Timothy J. McCoy
Ralph E. Milliken
Jens Najorka
Ann N. Nguyen
Maurizio Pajola
Anjani T. Polit
Heather L. Roper
Sara S. Russell
Andrew J. Ryan
Scott A. Sandford
Paul F. Schofield
Cody D. Schultz
Shogo Tachibana
Kathie L. Thomas-Keprta
Michelle S. Thompson
Valerie Tu
Filippo Tusberti
Kun Wang
Thomas J. Zega
C. W. V. Wolner
the OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team
Akses Cepat
- Tahun Terbit
- 2024
- Bahasa
- en
- Sumber Database
- arXiv
- Akses
- Open Access ✓