It has long been known that the reflectance spectra of possible ordinary chondrite parent bodies (S-IV- and Q-asteroids) differ from ordinary chondrite spectra measured in the laboratory. This difference has been ascribed to space weathering, in which nanophase iron is produced by micrometeorite impacts and solar wind. The returned samples from Itokawa include a large number of olivine and low calcium pyroxene grains that contain nanophase iron and Fe-S-rich phases. This provides the first direct evidence that space weathering involving production of nanophase iron and FeS operates on asteroids. The goal of this project is to explore approaches that can be used to acquire pseudo-reflectance and Raman spectra of terrestrial olivine and pyroxene single mineral grains similar in size and composition to Itokawa while the samples are held in their controlled environments.
To do this, we are requesting TWO EMPTY Itokawa grain holders that will be used to develop best approaches to analysis of Itokawa grains.