Unravelling lunar mantle source processes via the Ti isotope composition of lunar basalts

1S. Kommescher,1,2R.O.C. Fonseca,1,3F. Kurzweil,1,3M.M. Thiemens,1C. Münker,1,4P. Sprung
Geochemical Perspectives 13, (In Press) Link to Article [doi: 10.7185/geochemlet.2007]
1Institut für Geologie und Mineralogie, Universität zu Köln, Germany
2Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Geophysik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany
3G-TIME Laboratory, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
4Hot Laboratory Division (AHL), Paul Scherer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland

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Orbit and origin of the LL7 chondrite Dishchii’bikoh (Arizona)

1,2Peter Jenniskens et al. (>10)
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13452]
1SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Mountain View, California, 94043 USA
2NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, 94035 USA
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

The trajectory and orbit of the LL7 ordinary chondrite Dishchii’bikoh are derived from low‐light video observations of a fireball first detected at 10:56:26 UTC on June 2, 2016. Results show a relatively steep ~21° inclined orbit and a short 1.13 AU semimajor axis. Following entry in Earth’s atmosphere, the meteor luminosity oscillated corresponding to a meteoroid spin rate of 2.28 ± 0.02 rotations per second. A large fragment broke off at 44 km altitude. Further down, mass was lost to dust during flares at altitudes of 34, 29, and 25 km. Surviving meteorites were detected by Doppler weather radar and several small 0.9–29 g meteorites were recovered under the radar reflection footprint. Based on cosmogenic radionuclides and ground‐based radiometric observations, the Dishchii’bikoh meteoroid was 80 ± 20 cm in diameter assuming the density was 3.5 g/cm3. The meteoroid’s collisional history confirms that the unusual petrologic class of LL7 does not require a different parent body than three previously observed LL chondrite falls. Dishchii’bikoh was ejected 11 Ma ago from parent body material that has a 4471 ± 6 Ma U‐Pb age, the same as that of Chelyabinsk (4452 ± 21 Ma). The distribution of the four known pre‐impact LL chondrite orbits is best matched by dynamical modeling if the source of LL chondrites is in the inner asteroid belt in a low inclined orbit, with the highly inclined Dishchii’bikoh being the result of interactions with Earth before impacting.

Visible–near infrared spectral indices for mapping mineralogy and chemistry with OSIRIS‐REx

1Hannah H. Kaplan et al. (>10)
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13461]
1Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado, 80302 USA
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

The primary objective of the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS‐REx) mission is to return to Earth a pristine sample of carbonaceous material from the primitive asteroid (101955) Bennu. To support compositional mapping of Bennu as part of sample site selection and characterization, we tested 95 spectral indices on visible to near infrared laboratory reflectance data from minerals and carbonaceous meteorites. Our aim was to determine which indices reliably identify spectral features of interest. Most spectral indices had high positive detection rates when applied to spectra of pure, single‐component materials. The meteorite spectra have fewer and weaker absorption features and, as a result, fewer detections with the spectral indices. Indices targeting absorptions at 0.7 and 2.7–3 μm, which are attributable to hydrated minerals, were most successful for the meteorites. Based on these results, we identified a set of 17 indices that are most likely to be useful at Bennu. These indices detect olivines, pyroxenes, carbonates, water/OH‐bearing minerals, serpentines, ferric minerals, and organics. Particle size and albedo are known to affect band depth but had a negligible impact on interpretive success with spectral indices. Preliminary analysis of the disk‐integrated Bennu spectrum with these indices is consistent with expectations given the observed absorption near 3 μm. Our study prioritizes spectral indices to be used for OSIRIS‐REx spectral analysis and mapping and informs the reliability of all index‐derived data products, including a science value map for sample site selection.