Trojan asteroid spectroscopy and space weathering
Name
57560414-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
1.53 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
9fc927283723a8bbf97166a372c900c8
Author(s)
Russell, April A. (April Anne), 1981-
Advisor(s)
Richard P. Binzel.
Date Issued
2004
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Trojan asteroids orbit the Sun at Jupiter's L4 and L5 stability points. They are included in the D-class group of asteroids because of their characteristically steep spectral slope. In accordance with spectra of other asteroid classes, we expected that the larger the diameter is of a D-class asteroid, the redder (visually) the asteroid should be in the visible spectrum. Approximately ninety Trojan asteroids have been examined, fourteen of which come from our own observations, and five of which are small and come from the SMASS I data set. The results did not confirm our original hypothesis. Instead, space weathering appears to affect Trojans in a different way than it does other asteroid classes due to their different composition.
Description
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2004.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 48-49).
Subjects
Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Terms of Use
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