A Probabilistic Approach to Determination of Ceres' Average Surface Composition From Dawn Visible‐Infrared Mapping Spectrometer and Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector Data

• Published in: Journal of geophysical research. Planets Vol. 125; no. 12
• Main Authors: Kurokawa, H., Ehlmann, B. L., De Sanctis, M. C., Lapôtre, M. G. A., Usui, T., Stein, N. T., Prettyman, T. H., Raponi, A., Ciarniello, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.12.2020
• Subjects: carbonaceous chondrites; Ceres; elemental chemistry; infrared spectra; mineralogy

The Visible‐Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIR) on board the Dawn spacecraft revealed that aqueous secondary minerals—Mg‐phyllosilicates, NH4‐bearing phases, and Mg/Ca carbonates—are ubiquitous on Ceres. Ceres' low reflectance requires dark phases, which were assumed to be amorphous carbon and/...