Evidence of N2-ice on the surface of the icy dwarf Planet 136472 (2005 FY9)

We present high signal precision optical reflectance spectra of 2005 FY9 taken with the Red Channel Spectrograph and the 6.5-m MMT telescope on 2006 March 4 UT (5000-9500 Å; 6.33 Å pixel⁻¹) and 2007 February 12 UT (6600-8500 Å; 1.93 Å pixel⁻¹). From cross-correlation experiments between the 2006 March 4 spectrum and a pure CH₄-ice Hapke model, we find the CH₄-ice bands in the MMT spectrum are blueshifted by 3 ± 4 Å relative to bands in the pure CH₄-ice Hapke spectrum. The higher resolution MMT spectrum of 2007 February 12 UT enabled us to measure shifts of individual CH₄-ice bands. We find the 7296, 7862, and 7993 Å CH₄-ice bands are blueshifted by 4 ± 2, 4 ± 4, and 6 ± 5 Å. From four measurements we report here and one of our previously published measurements, we find the CH₄-ice bands are shifted by 4 ± 1 Å. This small shift is important because it suggest the presence of another ice component on the surface of 2005 FY9. Laboratory experiments show that CH₄-ice bands in spectra of CH₄ mixed with other ices are blueshifted relative to bands in spectra of pure CH₄-ice. A likely candidate for the other component is N₂-ice because its weak 2.15 μm band and blueshifted CH₄ bands are seen in spectra of Triton and Pluto. Assuming the shift is due to the presence of N₂, spectra taken on two consecutive nights show no difference in CH₄/N₂. In addition, we find no measurable difference in CH₄/N₂ at different depths into the surface of 2005 FY9.     

Spectroscopy, morphometry, and photoclinometry of Titan's dunefields from Cassini/VIMS

Fine-resolution (500 m/pixel) Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) T20 observations of Titan resolve that moon's sand dunes. The spectral variability in some dune regions shows that there are sand-free interdune areas, wherein VIMS spectra reveal the exposed dune substrate. The interdunes from T20 are, variously, materials that correspond to the equatorial bright, 5-μm-bright, and dark blue spectral units. Our observations show that an enigmatic “dark red” spectral unit seen in T5 in fact represents a macroscopic mixture with 5-μm-bright material and dunes as its spectral endmembers. Looking more broadly, similar mixtures of varying amounts of dune and interdune units of varying composition can explain the spectral and albedo variability within the dark brown dune global spectral unit that is associated with dunes. The presence of interdunes indicates that Titan's dunefields are both mature and recently active. The spectrum of the dune endmember reveals the sand to be composed of less water ice than the rest of Titan; various organics are consistent with the dunes' measured reflectivity. We measure a mean dune spacing of 2.1 km, and find that the dunes are oriented on the average in an east-west direction, but angling up to 10° from parallel to the equator in specific cases. Where no interdunes are present, we determine the height of one set of dunes photoclinometrically to be between 30 and 70 m. These results pave the way for future exploration and interpretation of Titan's sand dunes.     

Rebuttal to “Comment on the paper “Comparison of the composition of the Tempel 1 ejecta to the dust in Comet C/Hale-Bopp 1995 O1 and YSO HD 100546” by C.M. Lisse, K.E. Kraemer, J.A. Nuth III, A. Li, and D. Joswiak"

This response is to address the comments made by Drs. J. Crovisier and D. Bockelee-Morvan concerning the spectral analysis of Lisse et al. [Lisse, C.M., Kraemer, K.E., Nuth, J.A., Li, A., Joswiak, D., 2007. Icarus 187, 69-86] of the mid-IR ISO SWS spectrum of Comet Hale-Bopp 1995 O1 taken on October 6, 1996, and to support the conclusions made in Lisse et al. concerning the positive detection of PAHs in this comet. We also present some additional information determined from the Deep Impact and STARDUST missions, demonstrating the presence of PAHs in other comets, to support the plausibility of the Hale-Bopp PAH detection.     

Simultaneous mapping of H2O and H2O2 on Mars from infrared high-resolution imaging spectroscopy

New maps of martian water vapor and hydrogen peroxide have been obtained in November-December 2005, using the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) at the NASA Infra Red Telescope facility (IRTF) at Mauna Kea Observatory. The solar longitude Ls was 332° (end of southern summer). Data have been obtained at 1235-1243 cm⁻¹, with a spectral resolution of 0.016 cm⁻¹ (R=8×¹⁰⁴). The mean water vapor mixing ratio in the region [0°-55° S; 345°-45° W], at the evening limb, is 150±50 ppm (corresponding to a column density of 8.3±2.8 pr-μm). The mean water vapor abundance derived from our measurements is in global overall agreement with the TES and Mars Express results, as well as the GCM models, however its spatial distribution looks different from the GCM predictions, with evidence for an enhancement at low latitudes toward the evening side. The inferred mean H₂O₂ abundance is 15±10 ppb, which is significantly lower than the June 2003 result [Encrenaz, T., Bézard, B., Greathouse, T.K., Richter, M.J., Lacy, J.H., Atreya, S.K., Wong, A.S., Lebonnois, S., Lefèvre, F., Forget, F., 2004. Icarus 170, 424-429] and lower than expected from the photochemical models, taking in account the change in season. Its spatial distribution shows some similarities with the map predicted by the GCM but the discrepancy in the H₂O₂ abundance remains to be understood and modeled.     

IRCS/Subaru observations of water in the inner coma of Comet 73P-B/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3: Spatially resolved rotational temperatures and ortho-para ratios

Comet 73P-B/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 was observed with IRCS/Subaru at geocentric distance of 0.074 AU on UT 10 May 2006. Multiple H₂O emission lines were detected in non-resonant fluorescence near 2.9 μm. No significant variation in total H₂O production rate was found during the (3 h) duration of our observations. H₂O rotational temperatures and ortho-to-para abundance ratios were measured for several positions in the coma. The temperatures extracted from two different time intervals show very similar spatial distributions. For both, the rotational temperature decreased from ∼110 to ∼90 K as the projected distance from the nucleus increased from ∼5 to ∼30 km. We see no evidence for OPR change in the coma. The H₂O ortho-para ratio is consistent with the statistical equilibrium value (3.0) for all spatially resolved measurements. This implies a nuclear spin temperature higher than ∼45 K.     

Experimental test of a radiative transfer model of the optical effects of space weathering

We compare laboratory measurements of the optical effects of nanophase iron on near-IR reflectance spectra of transparent silica gel infused with small iron particles [Noble, S.K., Pieters, C.M., Keller, L.P., 2007. Icarus 192, 629-642] with a radiative transfer model of the process [Hapke, B., 2001. J. Geophys. Res. 106 (E5), 10039-10074]. We find that the measurements exhibit reddening and darkening effects of nanophase (<50 nm) iron particles, a darkening effect of somewhat larger particles (>50 nm) and mixing effects of silica gel particles of varying total iron abundance. The radiative transfer model reproduces the effects of nanophase iron within the experimental uncertainties.     

Detection of C2HD and the D/H ratio on Titan

We report here the first detection of mono-deuterated acetylene (acetylene-d1, C₂HD) in Titan's atmosphere from the presence of two of its emission bands at 678 and 519 cm⁻¹ as observed in CIRS spectral averages of nadir and limb observations taken between July 2004 and mid-2007. By using new laboratory spectra for this molecule, we were able to derive its abundance at different locations over Titan's disk. We find the C₂HD value () to be roughly constant with latitude from the South to about 45° N and then to increase slightly in the North, as is the case for C₂H₂. Fitting the 678 cm⁻¹ν₅ band simultaneously with the nearby C₂H₂ 729 cm⁻¹ν₅ band, allows us to infer a D/H ratio in acetylene on Titan with an average of the modal values of 2.09±0.45×¹⁰⁻⁴ from the nadir observations, the uncertainties being mainly due to the vertical profile used for the fit of the acetylene band. Although still subject to significant uncertainty, this D/H ratio appears to be significantly larger than the one derived in methane from the CH₃D band (upper limit of 1.5×¹⁰⁻⁴; Bézard, B., Nixon, C.A., Kleiner, I., Jennings, D.E., 2007. Icarus, 191, 397-400; Coustenis, A., Achterberg, R., Conrath, B., Jennings, D., Marten, A., Gautier, D., Bjoraker, G., Nixon, C., Romani, P., Carlson, R., Flasar, M., Samuelson, R.E., Teanby, N., Irwin, P., Bézard, B., Orton, G., Kunde, V., Abbas, M., Courtin, R., Fouchet, Th., Hubert, A., Lellouch, E., Mondellini, J., Taylor, F.W., Vinatier, S., 2007. Icarus 189, 35-62). From the analysis of limb data we infer D/H values of (at 54° S), (at 15° S), (at 54° N) and (at 80° N), which average to a mean value of 1.63±0.27×¹⁰⁻⁴.     

First Spitzer observations of Neptune: Detection of new hydrocarbons

We present the first spectra of Neptune taken with the Spitzer Space Telescope, highlighting the high-sensitivity, moderate-resolution 10-20 μm (500-1000 cm⁻¹) spectra. We report the discovery of methylacetylene (CH₃C₂H) and diacetylene (C₄H₂) with derived 0.1-mbar volume mixing ratios of (1.2±0.1)×¹⁰⁻¹⁰ and (3±1)×¹⁰⁻¹² respectively.     

Dehydration experiments on natural omphacites: qualitative and quantitative characterization by various spectroscopic methods

A series of natural omphacites from a wide range of P, T occurrences were investigated by electron microprobe (EMP), infrared (IR)-, Mössbauer (MS)- and optical spectroscopy in the UV/VIS spectral range (UV/VIS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and single crystal structure refinement by X-ray diffraction (XRD) to study the influence of hydrogen loss on valence state and site occupancies of iron. In accordance with literature data we found Fe²⁺ at M1 as well as at M2, and in a first approach assigned Fe³⁺ to M1, as indicated by MS and XRD results. Hydrogen content of three of our omphacite samples were measured by SIMS. In combination with IR spectroscopy we determined an absorption coefficient: ε _i,tot = 65,000 ± 3,000 lmol_H2O ^?1 cm^?2. Using this new ε _i,tot value, we obtained water concentrations ranging from 60 to 700 ppm H₂O (by weight). Hydrogen loss was simulated by stepwise heating the most water rich samples in air up to 800°C. After heat treatment the samples were analyzed again by IR, MS, UV/VIS, and XRD. Depending on the type of the OH defect, the grade of dehydration with increasing temperature is significantly different. In samples relatively poor in Fe³⁺ (<0.1 Fe³⁺ pfu), hydrogen associated with vacancies at M2 (OH bands around 3,450 cm^?1) starts to leave the structure at about 550°C and is completely gone at 780°C. Hydrogen associated with Al³⁺ at the tetrahedral site (OH bands around 3,525 cm^?1, Koch-Müller et al., Am Mineral, 89:921–931, 2004) remains completely unaffected by heat treatment up to 700°C. But all hydrogen vanished at about 775°C. However, this is different for a more Fe³⁺-rich sample (0.2 Fe³⁺ pfu). Its IR spectrum is characterized by a very intense OH band at 3,515 cm^?1 plus shoulder at 3,450 cm^?1. We assign this intense high-energy band to vibrations of an OH dipole associated with Fe³⁺ at M1 and a vacancy either at M1 or M2. OH release during heating is positively correlated with decrease in Fe²⁺ and combined with increase in Fe³⁺. That dehydration is correlated with oxidation of Fe²⁺ is indirectly confirmed by annealing of one sample in a gas mixing furnace at 700°C under reducing conditions keeping almost constant OH^? content and giving no indication of Fe²⁺-oxidation. Obtained data indicate that in samples with a relatively high concentration of Fe²⁺ at M2 and low-water concentrations, i.e., at a ratio of Fe^{2+ M2}/H > 10 dehydration occurs by iron oxidation of Fe²⁺ exclusively at the M2 site following the reaction: \( {\left[ {{\text{Fe}}^{{{\text{2 + [ M2]}}}}{\text{OH}}^{ - } } \right]} = {\left[ {{\text{Fe}}^{{{\text{3 + [ M2]}}}} {\text{O}}^{{{\text{2}} - }} } \right]} + {\text{1/2}}\;{\text{H}}_{{\text{2}}} \uparrow . \) In samples having relatively low concentration of Fe²⁺ at M2 but high-water concentrations, i.e., ratio of Fe^{2+ M2}/H < 5.0 dehydration occurs through oxidation of Fe²⁺ at M1.     

An infrared spectroscopic and single-crystal X-ray study of malayaite, CaSnSiO5

Powder infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques on single crystals were used to study the thermal behaviour of malayaite, CaSnSiO₅. Infrared spectra show a discontinuity in the temperature evolution of phonon frequencies and absorbance near 500 K. However, crystal structure data collected at 300, 450, 550, 670, and 750 K show no evidence of a symmetry-breaking phase transition and no split positions. The most obvious change with heating is a tumbling motion of the SnO₆ octahedra and an increase of the anisotropic displacement factors of Ca. The thermal evolution of the mean-square vibrational amplitude of the Ca atom shows a pronounced change in slope near 500 K. The evidence suggests that the 500 K anomaly in malayaite is more similar in character to the 825 K (β-γ) transition as opposed to the 496 K (α-β) transition in synthetic titanite. Received: 26 March 1998 / Revised, accepted: 23 December 1998