Observations and Quantitative Compositional Analysis of Ceres, Pallas, and Hygiea Using JWST/NIRSpec
We present JWST Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) measurements of the three largest low-albedo main-belt asteroids: (1) Ceres, (2) Pallas, and (10) Hygiea. Their reflectance spectra all have very similar absorptions centered near 2.72 μ m attributed to Mg–OH in minerals. Within this band, Pallas...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | The Planetary Science Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad944c |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841543806265065472 |
|---|---|
| author | Andrew S. Rivkin Cristina A. Thomas Ian Wong Bryan Holler Helena C. Bates Ellen S. Howell Bethany L. Ehlmann Stefanie N. Milam Heidi B. Hammel |
| author_facet | Andrew S. Rivkin Cristina A. Thomas Ian Wong Bryan Holler Helena C. Bates Ellen S. Howell Bethany L. Ehlmann Stefanie N. Milam Heidi B. Hammel |
| author_sort | Andrew S. Rivkin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We present JWST Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) measurements of the three largest low-albedo main-belt asteroids: (1) Ceres, (2) Pallas, and (10) Hygiea. Their reflectance spectra all have very similar absorptions centered near 2.72 μ m attributed to Mg–OH in minerals. Within this band, Pallas also shows evidence of a sharper, deeper band, also centered near 2.72 μ m. These band positions are similar to those seen in the most aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites and samples from Ryugu and Bennu. Absorptions in the 2.7–2.9 μ m region due to other cation–OH combinations are weak, if present. The NIRSpec spectrum of Ceres is consistent with the global average spectrum of Dawn, and the similarity between Ceres and Hygiea seen in other wavelength regions continues into the 2.5–2.8 μ m region. This similarity in spectral properties, and thus in interpretations of surface composition, implies that the two bodies may have had similar processes occur and similar histories. This suggests that Hygiea, similar to Ceres, may be associated with the “ocean worlds” despite its relatively small mass. Quantitative estimates of the hydrogen concentrations on the surfaces suggest hydrogen concentrations of roughly 0.5–1 wt%, consistent with CM chondrites. Additional absorptions attributed to ammoniated minerals are seen in Ceres’s and Hygiea’s spectra, as has been reported by others, but are not seen in Pallas’s spectrum. Absorptions are also seen in the 2.5–2.7 μ m region in all three asteroids, likely due to OH combination bands, and from roughly 3.9 to 4.3 μ m in Hygiea, which could be due to carbonates plus an unidentified constituent. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-022f32ee09cc42cca0b59d7f869aa053 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2632-3338 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Planetary Science Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-022f32ee09cc42cca0b59d7f869aa0532025-01-13T05:20:22ZengIOP PublishingThe Planetary Science Journal2632-33382025-01-0161910.3847/PSJ/ad944cObservations and Quantitative Compositional Analysis of Ceres, Pallas, and Hygiea Using JWST/NIRSpecAndrew S. Rivkin0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9939-9976Cristina A. Thomas1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3091-5757Ian Wong2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9665-8429Bryan Holler3Helena C. Bates4Ellen S. Howell5Bethany L. Ehlmann6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2745-3240Stefanie N. Milam7https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7694-4129Heidi B. Hammel8Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory , 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD, 20723, USA ; andy.rivkin@jhuapl.eduNorthern Arizona University , Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science, PO Box 6010, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USANASA Goddard Space Flight Center , Astrochemistry Laboratory, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA; Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USASpace Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USAPlanetary Materials Group , Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UKLunar & Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona , Tucson, AZ 85721, USADivision of Geological & Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USANASA Goddard Space Flight Center , Astrochemistry Laboratory, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USAAssociation of Universities for Research in Astronomy , 1212 New York Avenue NW, Suite 450, Washington, DC 20005, USAWe present JWST Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) measurements of the three largest low-albedo main-belt asteroids: (1) Ceres, (2) Pallas, and (10) Hygiea. Their reflectance spectra all have very similar absorptions centered near 2.72 μ m attributed to Mg–OH in minerals. Within this band, Pallas also shows evidence of a sharper, deeper band, also centered near 2.72 μ m. These band positions are similar to those seen in the most aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites and samples from Ryugu and Bennu. Absorptions in the 2.7–2.9 μ m region due to other cation–OH combinations are weak, if present. The NIRSpec spectrum of Ceres is consistent with the global average spectrum of Dawn, and the similarity between Ceres and Hygiea seen in other wavelength regions continues into the 2.5–2.8 μ m region. This similarity in spectral properties, and thus in interpretations of surface composition, implies that the two bodies may have had similar processes occur and similar histories. This suggests that Hygiea, similar to Ceres, may be associated with the “ocean worlds” despite its relatively small mass. Quantitative estimates of the hydrogen concentrations on the surfaces suggest hydrogen concentrations of roughly 0.5–1 wt%, consistent with CM chondrites. Additional absorptions attributed to ammoniated minerals are seen in Ceres’s and Hygiea’s spectra, as has been reported by others, but are not seen in Pallas’s spectrum. Absorptions are also seen in the 2.5–2.7 μ m region in all three asteroids, likely due to OH combination bands, and from roughly 3.9 to 4.3 μ m in Hygiea, which could be due to carbonates plus an unidentified constituent.https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad944cAsteroidsCeresPallasMain belt asteroidsInfrared spectroscopy |
| spellingShingle | Andrew S. Rivkin Cristina A. Thomas Ian Wong Bryan Holler Helena C. Bates Ellen S. Howell Bethany L. Ehlmann Stefanie N. Milam Heidi B. Hammel Observations and Quantitative Compositional Analysis of Ceres, Pallas, and Hygiea Using JWST/NIRSpec The Planetary Science Journal Asteroids Ceres Pallas Main belt asteroids Infrared spectroscopy |
| title | Observations and Quantitative Compositional Analysis of Ceres, Pallas, and Hygiea Using JWST/NIRSpec |
| title_full | Observations and Quantitative Compositional Analysis of Ceres, Pallas, and Hygiea Using JWST/NIRSpec |
| title_fullStr | Observations and Quantitative Compositional Analysis of Ceres, Pallas, and Hygiea Using JWST/NIRSpec |
| title_full_unstemmed | Observations and Quantitative Compositional Analysis of Ceres, Pallas, and Hygiea Using JWST/NIRSpec |
| title_short | Observations and Quantitative Compositional Analysis of Ceres, Pallas, and Hygiea Using JWST/NIRSpec |
| title_sort | observations and quantitative compositional analysis of ceres pallas and hygiea using jwst nirspec |
| topic | Asteroids Ceres Pallas Main belt asteroids Infrared spectroscopy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad944c |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andrewsrivkin observationsandquantitativecompositionalanalysisofcerespallasandhygieausingjwstnirspec AT cristinaathomas observationsandquantitativecompositionalanalysisofcerespallasandhygieausingjwstnirspec AT ianwong observationsandquantitativecompositionalanalysisofcerespallasandhygieausingjwstnirspec AT bryanholler observationsandquantitativecompositionalanalysisofcerespallasandhygieausingjwstnirspec AT helenacbates observationsandquantitativecompositionalanalysisofcerespallasandhygieausingjwstnirspec AT ellenshowell observationsandquantitativecompositionalanalysisofcerespallasandhygieausingjwstnirspec AT bethanylehlmann observationsandquantitativecompositionalanalysisofcerespallasandhygieausingjwstnirspec AT stefanienmilam observationsandquantitativecompositionalanalysisofcerespallasandhygieausingjwstnirspec AT heidibhammel observationsandquantitativecompositionalanalysisofcerespallasandhygieausingjwstnirspec |