Space weathering of asteroids

TL;DR

Laboratory experiments show space weathering alters asteroid spectra rapidly, but ongoing impacts continually rejuvenate surfaces, explaining the prevalence of chondritic asteroids despite quick weathering timescales.

Contribution

This study combines laboratory simulations and impact modeling to demonstrate that asteroid surface rejuvenation prevents spectral aging, challenging previous assumptions about space weathering effects.

Findings

Space weathering alters asteroid spectra in ~0.1 Myr.

Impact-driven regolith movement counteracts weathering.

Spectroscopic parameters can identify chondritic surfaces.

Abstract

Analysis of laboratory experiments simulating space weathering optical effects on atmosphereless planetary bodies reveals that the time needed to alter the spectrum of an ordinary chondrite meteorite to resemble the overall spectral shape and slope of an S-type asteroid is about ~ 0.1 Myr. The time required to reduce the visible albedo of samples to ~ 0.05 is ~ 1 Myr. Since both these timescales are much less than the average collisional lifetime of asteroids larger than several kilometers in size, numerous low-albedo asteroids having reddish spectra with subdued absorption bands should be observed instead of an S-type dominated population. It is not the case because asteroid surfaces cannot be considered as undisturbed, unlike laboratory samples. We have estimated the number of collisions occurring in the time of 105 yr between asteroids and projectiles of various sizes and show that impact-activated motions of regolith particles counteract the progress of optical maturation of asteroid surfaces. Continual rejuvenation of asteroid surfaces by impacts does not allow bodies with the ordinary chondrite composition to be masked among S asteroids. Spectroscopic analysis, using relatively invariant spectral parameters, such as band centers and band area ratios, can determine whether the surface of an S asteroid has chondritic composition or not. Differences in the environment of the main asteroid belt versus that at 1 AU, and the physical difference between the Moon and main belt asteroids (i.e., size) can account for the lack of lunar-type weathering on main belt asteroids.