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Dawn; the Vesta– HED connection; and the geologic context for eucrites, diogenites, and howardites
Author(s) -
M Harry Y.,
Binzel Richard P.,
De Sanctis M. Cristina,
Ammannito Eleonora,
Prettyman Thomas H.,
Beck Andrew W.,
Reddy Vishnu,
Corre Lucille,
Gaffey Michael J.,
McCord Thomas B.,
Raymond Carol A.,
Russell Christopher T.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
meteoritics and planetary science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.09
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1945-5100
pISSN - 1086-9379
DOI - 10.1111/maps.12108
Subject(s) - meteorite , regolith , astrobiology , geology , asteroid , context (archaeology) , parent body , space weathering , geochemistry , chondrite , physics , paleontology
Abstract The Dawn mission has provided new evidence strengthening the identification of asteroid Vesta as the parent body of the howardite, eucrite, and diogenite ( HED ) meteorites. The evidence includes Vesta's petrologic complexity, detailed spectroscopic characteristics, unique space weathering, diagnostic geochemical abundances and neutron absorption characteristics, chronology of surface units and impact history, occurrence of exogenous carbonaceous chondritic materials in the regolith, and dimensions of the core, all of which are consistent with HED observations and constraints. Global mapping of the distributions of HED lithologies by Dawn cameras and spectrometers provides the missing geologic context for these meteorites, thereby allowing tests of petrogenetic models and increasing their scientific value.