Ceres: Sulfur deposits and graphitized carbon
Abstract We report new results from observations of the dwarf planet Ceres using the Hubble Space Telescope in the spectral range 1160–5700 Å. Comparisons between Ceres' UV‐visible spectra and laboratory measurements indicate that both sulfur species and graphitized carbon are important on Cere...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2016-09-01
|
| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL070240 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850271858880937984 |
|---|---|
| author | Amanda R. Hendrix Faith Vilas Jian‐Yang Li |
| author_facet | Amanda R. Hendrix Faith Vilas Jian‐Yang Li |
| author_sort | Amanda R. Hendrix |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract We report new results from observations of the dwarf planet Ceres using the Hubble Space Telescope in the spectral range 1160–5700 Å. Comparisons between Ceres' UV‐visible spectra and laboratory measurements indicate that both sulfur species and graphitized carbon are important on Ceres' surface. We find a latitudinal gradient in UV absorption, with northern latitudes being more UV absorbing than southern latitudes, a trend that can be explained by increasing abundances of sulfur and SO2 toward northern latitudes. The presence of graphitized carbon is consistent with the surface of this airless body being carbonized in response to processes such as charged particle bombardment. The presence of volatile sulfur species is consistent with the idea that Ceres exhibits geothermal activity. Spectral differences with previous UV observations are likely due to the changing sulfurous and carbonaceous surface of Ceres. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b58142b028194e5d82b47f60acf8f0b7 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2016-09-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-b58142b028194e5d82b47f60acf8f0b72025-08-20T01:52:04ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072016-09-0143178920892710.1002/2016GL070240Ceres: Sulfur deposits and graphitized carbonAmanda R. Hendrix0Faith Vilas1Jian‐Yang Li2Planetary Science Institute Tucson Arizona USAPlanetary Science Institute Tucson Arizona USAPlanetary Science Institute Tucson Arizona USAAbstract We report new results from observations of the dwarf planet Ceres using the Hubble Space Telescope in the spectral range 1160–5700 Å. Comparisons between Ceres' UV‐visible spectra and laboratory measurements indicate that both sulfur species and graphitized carbon are important on Ceres' surface. We find a latitudinal gradient in UV absorption, with northern latitudes being more UV absorbing than southern latitudes, a trend that can be explained by increasing abundances of sulfur and SO2 toward northern latitudes. The presence of graphitized carbon is consistent with the surface of this airless body being carbonized in response to processes such as charged particle bombardment. The presence of volatile sulfur species is consistent with the idea that Ceres exhibits geothermal activity. Spectral differences with previous UV observations are likely due to the changing sulfurous and carbonaceous surface of Ceres.https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL070240dwarf planetCeres |
| spellingShingle | Amanda R. Hendrix Faith Vilas Jian‐Yang Li Ceres: Sulfur deposits and graphitized carbon Geophysical Research Letters dwarf planet Ceres |
| title | Ceres: Sulfur deposits and graphitized carbon |
| title_full | Ceres: Sulfur deposits and graphitized carbon |
| title_fullStr | Ceres: Sulfur deposits and graphitized carbon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ceres: Sulfur deposits and graphitized carbon |
| title_short | Ceres: Sulfur deposits and graphitized carbon |
| title_sort | ceres sulfur deposits and graphitized carbon |
| topic | dwarf planet Ceres |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL070240 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT amandarhendrix ceressulfurdepositsandgraphitizedcarbon AT faithvilas ceressulfurdepositsandgraphitizedcarbon AT jianyangli ceressulfurdepositsandgraphitizedcarbon |