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太陽系内惑星の初期進化過程を年代学的に研究することを目的とし、太陽系初期に分化した小惑星天体ベスタの地殻部に由来すると考えられている隕石種であるダイオジェナイトの形成年代を測定する手法の確立を行った。従来の87Rbや147Smなどの長寿命放射性核種の放射壊変系を利用した年代測定の適用が困難なダイオジェナイトに対して、半減期260万年の短寿命放射性核種60Feから60Niへの壊変系は、分化惑星物質中においてFe/Ni元素存在比がより高くなるために有利であると考えられる。本研究では、Fe-Ni壊変系を用いたダイオジェナイトの形成年代決定に先駆け、それに必要となるNi同位体精密測定法ならびに惑星物質からNiを効率よく化学分離する手法の確立を目指した。複数検出器を搭載した高分解能ICP質量分析計（MC-ICP-MS）を用い、質量分解能Ｍ/ΔM=1100に調整することにより、各Ni同位体比について0.01%以下の繰り返し誤差での測定精度を実現可能とした。また、3種類のイオン交換カラムを用いた4段階の化学分離操作により、惑星物質中の微量Niを90％以上の回収率で化学分離する手法を確立させた。

Meteorites provide a unique insight into early Solar System processes. However, to fully interpret this record requires that these meteorites are related back to their source asteroids and ultimately to the original planetesimal population that formed early in Solar System history. As a first step in this process an assessment has been undertaken of the likely number of distinct source asteroids sampled by meteorites and related extraterrestrial materials. The results of this survey indicate that there are between 95 and 148 parent bodies represented in our sample collections. This number has been steadily increasing as new “anomalous” meteorites are characterized. Attempts to link these parent bodies to identified asteroidal sources has so far been of limited success, due to the non-unique reflectance spectra of almost all known asteroids. Asteroid (4) Vesta and the HEDs (howardites, eucrite, diogenite) meteorites is the best example of a relatively non-disputed asteroid-meteorite linkage.\ud \ud As part of this study the “parent body” concept has been examined and it is found to be a widely, but loosely, used term in the literature to designate “a body that supplies meteorites to Earth.” This concept could be rendered more meaningful by discriminating between primary and secondary parent bodies. A primary parent body is the source asteroid from which the meteorite is ultimately derived, and a secondary parent body is an asteroid derived through impact or break-up of the primary body. A clear example of this usage is provided by (4) Vesta, with the main asteroid being the primary parent body and the Vestoids representing secondary parent bodies. The concept of primary vs. secondary parent bodies may have important implications for early Solar System evolution. Chondritic parent bodies are known to have accreted between 1 and 4 Myr after CAIs. This timing difference may reflect the fact that their source asteroids, particularly those of the carbonaceous chondrites, are secondary bodies, with the original CAI-bearing primary bodies destroyed during early collisional processing.\ud \ud The number of primary parent bodies represented by meteorites (95 to 148) appears low when compared to the estimated number of asteroids in the main belt (> 100,000 with diameters exceeding ∼2 km). A range of potential reasons may explain this apparent mismatch: i) meteorites provide an unrepresentative sampling of the main belt, ii) the belt may only contain a limited number of primary parent bodies, iii) meteorites may be preferentially derived from the ∼120 identified asteroid families, iv) loosely consolidated types are filtered by Earth’s atmosphere, v) multiple, near-identical, “clone” parent bodies may be present in the belt. At present, it is not possible to determine which of these potential mechanisms are dominant and all may be operating to a greater or lesser extent.\ud \ud Based on classical accretion models the meteorite record appears to be highly unrepresentative of the primordial asteroid population. In contrast, pebble accretion models suggest that these first-generation bodies may have been relatively large, in which case meteorites may provide a more unbiased record of early Solar System processes.

Diogenites are a group of meteorites that are derived from the interior of the largest protoplanet Vesta. They provide a unique opportunity to understanding together the internal structure and dynamic evolution of this protoplanet. Northwest Africa (NWA) 8321 was suggested to be an unbrecciated noritic diogenite meteorite, which is confirmed by our oxygen and chromium isotopic data. Here, we find that olivine in this sample has been partly replaced by orthopyroxene, troilite, and minor metal. The replacement texture of olivine is unambiguous evidence of sulfur-involved metasomatism in the interior of Vesta. The presence of such replacement texture suggests that in NWA 8321, the olivine should be of xenolith origin while the noritic diogenite was derived from partial melting of pre-existing rocks and had crystallized in the interior of Vesta. The post-Rheasilvia craters in the north-polar region on Vesta could be the potential source for NWA 8321., The authors here analyse the petrology of the meteorite NWA 8321 (parent body Vesta). They find sulfidation processes of olivine suggesting metasomatism in the Vestan interior and a partial melting origin for the host noritic diogenite.

International audience; Although Solar System bodies exhibit large variations in their volatile element abundances, the mechanisms and conditions that lead to these variations remain ambiguous. The howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) meteorites that likely sample the asteroid 4 Vesta, provide evidence for extensive volatile depletion on their parent body. Isotopic variations in moderately volatile elements, such as Zn, have been used to track the origin of such volatile loss. Although not nominally volatile, Cr is useful because it has several oxidized gas species that render it volatile under the oxidizing conditions that characterize planetary accretion. As such, volatile loss of Cr has the potential to produce an isotopically light evaporation residue under an equilibrium regime. This contrasts with other moderately volatile elements that show heavy isotope enrichments in the residue following both kinetic or equilibrium fractionation. Here, we report the Cr stable isotope composition of 11 eucrites and four diogenites. The eucrites possess systematically lighter Cr isotope compositions than diogenites, which is onset by the accumulation of isotopically heavy Cr3+-rich orthopyroxene and spinel in diogenites during their magmatic evolution. We estimate for the primary eucrite melt with Mg# approximate to 50, a delta Cr-53 (Cr-53/Cr-52 deviation relative to NIST SRM 979 in per mile) of -0.22 +/- 0.03 parts per thousand (2SD), lighter than any chondritic meteorite group by similar to 0.1 parts per thousand This deficit may result from either partial melting with residual Cr3+-bearing phases (e.g. chromite) that retain heavy isotopes, or from vapor loss that occurred at equilibrium with a magma ocean on Vesta. Isotopic fractionation during partial melting would necessitate implausibly high Cr contents in the Vestan mantle, and oxygen fugacities high enough to stabilize chromite in the mantle source. Isotopic fractionation during evaporation would require an oxidized vapor and a reduced residue, as predicted by thermodynamic constraints on the composition of the vapor phase above a silicate magma ocean. Therefore, this Cr isotopic deficit between Vesta and chondrites may be caused by Cr loss at relatively high oxygen fugacity in a gas phase at equilibrium with the liquid from which it evolved. Temperatures of volatile loss are estimated to be lower than 2300 K, consistent with loss from a large-scale magma ocean model for formation of Vesta, which may be a common evolutionary stage in accreting planetesimals. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

We report new high-precision stable K isotope data for three martian meteorites, one lunar meteorite, one ordinary chondrite, four terrestrial igneous United States Geological Survey (USGS) reference materials, and twenty howardite–eucrite–diogenite [HED] meteorites. The three martian meteorites define a relatively narrow δ41K range with an average of −0.36 ± 0.12‰ (2 SD) that is slightly heavier than the Bulk Silicate Earth (BSE) K isotopic composition (−0.48 ± 0.03‰). Except for the four Northwest Africa samples which were terrestrially contaminated, all HED meteorites reveal substantial 41K enrichment compared to BSE, lunar samples, martian meteorites, and chondrites. We propose that the average δ41K (+0.36 ± 0.16‰) obtained from HED meteorites is representative of Bulk Silicate 4-Vesta. The coupled volatile depletion and heavy K isotope enrichment in 4-Vesta could be attributed to both nebula-scale processes and parent-body events. The asteroid 4-Vesta is likely to have accreted from planetary feedstocks that have been significantly volatile-depleted prior to the major phases of planetary accretion in the early Solar System, with secondary effects of K loss during accretionary growth and magma ocean degassing.

The genesis of diogenites and olivine-bearing diogenites has been debated for decades, with current models favouring formation via either mineral settling in a homogeneous magma ocean, or as late stage intrusions into the crust of asteroid 4 Vesta. Using pMELTS, both equilibrium and fractional crystallisation modelling was conducted on a large range of melt compositions generated by varied extent of batch melt extraction from 11 bulk Vesta starting compositions at a range of fO2 conditions to simulate the magma ocean concept. The resulting mineral compositions were compared with those of 200 diogenite meteorites in an attempt to resolve this debate. Models that involve

The June 2, 2018, impact of asteroid 2018 LA over Botswana is only the second asteroid detected in space prior to impacting over land. Here, we report on the successful recovery of meteorites. Additional astrometric data refine the approach orbit and define the spin period and shape of the asteroid. Video observations of the fireball constrain the asteroid's position in its orbit and were used to triangulate the location of the fireball's main flare over the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. 23 meteorites were recovered. A consortium study of eight of these classifies Motopi Pan as a HED polymict breccia derived from howardite, cumulate and basaltic eucrite, and diogenite lithologies. Before impact, 2018 LA was a solid rock of about 156 cm diameter with high bulk density about 2.85 g/cm3, a relatively low albedo pV about 0.25, no significant opposition effect on the asteroid brightness, and an impact kinetic energy of about 0.2 kt. The orbit of 2018 LA is consistent with an origin at Vesta (or its Vestoids) and delivery into an Earth-impacting orbit via the nu_6 resonance. The impact that ejected 2018 LA in an orbit towards Earth occurred 22.8 +/- 3.8 Ma ago. Zircons record a concordant U-Pb age of 4563 +/- 11 Ma and a consistent 207Pb/206Pb age of 4563 +/- 6 Ma. A much younger Pb-Pb phosphate resetting age of 4234 +/- 41 Ma was found. From this impact chronology, we discuss what is the possible source crater of Motopi Pan and the age of Vesta's Veneneia impact basin., Comment: Meteoritics & Planetary Science (2021)

The occurrence of pitted impact deposits (PIDs) and widespread OH-bearing minerals on the differentiated asteroid Vesta shows that volatiles delivered by exogenic sources play an important role for surface appearance and processes on airless bodies. The young, large crater Marcia features widely spread PIDs in its crater-fill and ejecta deposits. In order to derive more details on their formation, we studied the spectral and geomorphological properties of PIDs associated with Marcia. Our observations imply that the formation of PIDs is linked to topography-controlled accumulation of ejecta and the accompanying increase of deposit thickness as well as internal heat. This is best illustrated where PIDs are located within pre-existing craters (i.e., pre-Marcia), enabling the estimation of pre-impact topography and deposit thickness. Previous studies reported a lower than average reflectance at visible wavelengths for the crater-fill PIDs, which we confirm. However, several PIDs outside the crater exhibit higher reflectance and pyroxene band strength than the average Vesta and the majority of PIDs exhibit higher reflectance and pyroxene band strength with respect to their immediate surroundings (which belong to the same impact deposit). Furthermore, at least six PIDs (many are ambiguous) show resolvable, diminished absorption bands at 2.8 μm, corresponding to a depletion in OH. These spectral observations are most consistent with less contamination by exogenic carbonaceous chondrite materials, i.e., a loss of hydroxyl groups as well as dark components. Our observations are inconsistent with differences in grain size, pyroxene composition, glass content or age-related differences. Regarding reflectance at 750 nm and pyroxene band depth (750/917 [nm]), we present a unique spectral trend for PIDs with respect to ‘typical Vestan’ materials, suggesting a likewise unique formation process occurring on this asteroid. The crater-fill PIDs display ambiguous spectral characteristics that we attribute to post-impact inflow of dark material from the crater rim. PIDs are ubiquitous in the Marcia region (>100 individual clusters). Yet volatiles lost at these sites might only represent a minor fraction (

Combined phase equilibrium and thermal modelling has been used to investigate the evolution of asteroid 4 Vesta. Orthopyroxene compositions of 200 natural diogenite meteorites are used as a basis for constructing a staged mantle melting model for Vesta, which is then used to develop a staged thermal evolution model. Our pMELTS models find that removal of 15–20% of a mean eucrite component from an initial Vestan mantle composition allows a second stage of melting that crystallises low-calcium orthopyroxenes that match the observed compositions of those in natural diogenites, whereas single stage melting produces orthopyroxenes that are too calcic. Using the compositions generated by the pMELTS modelling, THERMOCALC models were created for an initial Vestan mantle composition and an evolved composition generated by a melt extraction stage. These models suggest that melt production for second-stage diogenite generation required considerably hotter temperatures (>1340 °C) than for eucrites (

We use data collected by the Dawn Gamma-Ray and Neutron Detector (GRaND) at Vesta to map compositions corresponding to nearly pure igneous lithologies in the howardite, eucrite, diogenite (HED) meteorite clan (samples likely from Vesta). At the ∼300-km spatial scale of GRaND measurements, basaltic eucrite occurs on only 3% of the surface, whereas cumulate eucrite and orthopyroxenitic diogenite are not detected. The basaltic eucrite region is generally coincident with an area of the surface with thick regolith, elevated H, and moderate crater density, and may represent the best compositional sample of primordial vestan crust. We observe an absence of pure orthopyroxenitic diogenite terrains in the Rheasilvia basin and its ejecta, an observation corroborated by VIR (0.1%), which suggests the south-polar crust was a polymict mixture of igneous lithologies (howardite) at the time of the Rheasilvia impact, or was a thick basaltic eucrite crust with heterogeneously distributed orthopyroxenitic diogenite plutons. The most dominant igneous composition detected (11% of the surface) corresponds to one of the least-abundant igneous lithologies in the HED meteorite collection, the Yamato Type B diogenites (plagioclase-bearing pyroxenites). The distribution of Type B diogenite is spatially correlated with post-Rheasilvia craters in the north-polar region that are in close proximity to the Rheasilvia basin antipode. This suggests that north-polar Type B plutonism may have been associated with the Rheasilvia impact event. We propose that this was either through 1) uplift of pre-existing plutons at the antipode through focusing of Rheasilvia impact stress, or 2) Rheasilvia impact antipodal crustal melting, creating magmas that underwent fractionation to produce Type B plutons.

The large collection of howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) meteorites allows us to study the initial magmatic differentiation of a planetesimal. We report Pb-Pb ages of the unequilibrated North West Africa (NWA) 4215 and Dhofar 700 diogenite meteorites and their mass-independent 26Mg isotope compositions (26Mg*) to better understand the timing of differentiation and crystallization of their source reservoir(s). NWA 4215 defines a Pb-Pb age of 4484.5 ± 7.9 Myr and has a 26Mg* excess of +2.3 ± 1.6 ppm whereas Dhofar 700 has a Pb-Pb age of 4546.4 ± 4.7 Myr and a 26Mg* excess of +25.5 ± 1.9 ppm. We interpret the young age of NWA 4215 as a thermal overprint, but the age of Dhofar 700 is interpreted to represent a primary crystallization age. Combining our new data with published Mg isotope and trace element data suggests that approximately half of the diogenites for which such data are available crystallized within the first 1–2 Myr of our solar system, consistent with a short-lived, early-formed magma ocean undergoing convective cooling. The other half of the diogenites, including both NWA 4215 and Dhofar 700, are best explained by their crystallization in slowly cooled isolated magma chambers lasting over at least ~20 Myr.

International audience; 18 Northwest Africa (NWA) 4255 is a meteorite found in the region of Tindouf (southwestern 19 Algeria), classified as brecciated olivine diogenite. Based on textural observations and 20 orthopyroxene compositions, two different lithologies were determined: harzburgitic and 21 orthopyroxenitic. The orthopyroxenitic lithology contains orthopyroxene (Mg no. 73.99-22 75.68) and spinel (Cr no. 83.09-85.11, Mg no. 15.57-22.45). On the other hand, the 23 harzburgitic lithology contains orthopyroxene (Mg no. 74.54-77.14) and olivine (Mg no. 24 70.94-72.57). The iron metal and the sulfides (Troilites) of this sample are present in both 25 lithologies and are low in Ni (Ni < 0.1wt%). The Fe/Mn ratio of orthopyroxenes ranges from 26 22.28 to 32.64 and show a large overlap between both lithologies. Lowest ratios are unusual; 27 they are below the defined field for diogenites and olivine diogenites. Δ17O values are − 28 0.234 ± 0.003 (1σ) and confirm that the NWA 4255 originated from 4Vesta. The results of 29 this study show that there is a genetic linkage between the two lithologies of NWA 4255 and 30 correspond to in situ crystallization processes. This olivine diogenite reflects transition 31 between two major magmatic processes in 4Vesta. The magma ocean of 4Vesta crystallized at 32 equilibrium, allowing the formation of a dunitic and harzburgitic mantle. This late lithology is 33 linked to the peritectic reaction between the olivines formed and the evolved liquid. Our 34 sample then reflects this crucial step of separating this mantle from the residual liquid. This 35 melt evolving on the peritectic allowed the formation of the observed harzburgitic assemblage 36 and then evolves out from the peritectic reaction to proceed to a fractional crystallization 37 process involving the formation of orthopyroxenite. 38 39 Introduction 40

Serra Pelada is a newly discovered eucrite from an observed fall. Eucrites belong to the meteorite group HED. The HED represent the largest clan among the achondrites, which are extraterrestrial rocks that have gone through the process of planetary differentiation. Although few specific asteroids have been identified as meteorite sources, there is an association between asteroid (4) Vesta and the Howardite, Eucrite, Diogenite (HED) clan of achondrites. The main objective of this work is to characterize the mineralogical composition of the Serra Pelada eucrite and verify if it is petrologically consistent with eucrite meteorites. Raman and X-ray diffraction were used to search for mineralogical information. The main reason for using both techniques is the rapid acquisition of data and because they are considered non-destructive techniques. The results obtained through the techniques of Raman and XRD generated information on the chemical and mineralogical compositions consistent with those of an eucrite meteorite. Furthermore, the information generated by both techniques, as well as with existing data on the asteroid (4) Vesta, contributed greatly to better understand the Serra Pelada eucrite and its relation with its parental body. Currently, there is no article published in an international journal that has characterized the Serra Pelada meteorite, providing mineralogical information on the material. The characterization of the mineralogical composition of the Serra Pelada eucrite is important to understand the process of origin, formation and evolution of differentiated planetaries bodies such as (4) Vesta, which can even generate relevant information for terrestrial planets like Earth.

We introduce an innovative three-dimensional spectral approach (three band parameter space with polyhedrons) that can be used for both qualitative and quantitative analyses improving the characterization of surface heterogeneity of (4) Vesta. It is an advanced and more robust methodology compared to the standard two-dimensional spectral approach (two band parameter space). The Dawn Framing Camera (FC) color data obtained during High Altitude Mapping Orbit (resolution ~ 60 m/pixel) is used. The main focus is on the howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) lithologies containing carbonaceous chondritic material, olivine, and impact-melt. The archived spectra of HEDs and their mixtures, from RELAB, HOSERLab and USGS databases as well as our laboratory-measured spectra are used for this study. Three-dimensional convex polyhedrons are defined using computed band parameter values of laboratory spectra. Polyhedrons based on the parameters of Band Tilt (R0.92{\mu}m/R0.96{\mu}m), Mid Ratio ((R0.75{\mu}m/R0.83{\mu}m)/(R0.83{\mu}m/R0.92{\mu}m)) and reflectance at 0.55 {\mu}m (R0.55{\mu}m) are chosen for the present analysis. An algorithm in IDL programming language is employed to assign FC data points to the respective polyhedrons. The Arruntia region in the northern hemisphere of Vesta is selected for a case study because of its geological and mineralogical importance. We observe that this region is eucrite-dominated howarditic in composition. The extent of olivine-rich exposures within an area of 2.5 crater radii is ~ 12% larger than the previous finding (Thangjam et al., 2014). Lithologies of nearly pure CM2-chondrite, olivine, glass, and diogenite are not found in this region. Our spectral approach can be extended to the entire Vestan surface to study the heterogeneous surface composition and its geology., Comment: manuscript accepted for publication (Icarus/YICAR11819)

Vesta, the second-largest body in the asteroid belt, is believed to be a prime example of a rocky protoplanet. Studies of the HED (Howardite–Eucrite–Diogenite) meteorite suite, considered to be sourced from the mantle of Vesta, provide insight into protoplanet differentiation processes. Eucrites and diogenites are depleted in many volatile elements, but the depletions of many volatile siderophile elements are not well constrained. Although previous work indicated that the Vestan core equilibrated with its mantle in a global melting event, the possible contribution of core formation to the volatile budget of HED meteorites has not been assessed to date. This prohibits an assessment of the overall volatile depletion systematics of Vesta. Here, we use a compilation of published volatile siderophile element (VSE; C, S, Zn, As, Se, Cd, In, Sb, Te, Tl, Pb, Bi) abundances in diogenites and eucrites to constrain their depletions in the Vestan mantle. We assess to what extent these depletions may be volatility-related, caused by partitioning into sulfides in the mantle, and/or a result of their preferential partitioning into the Vestan core during core-mantle equilibration. Our new estimates for VSE depletions in the Vestan mantle show no correlation with condensation temperature, suggesting the depletions are difficult to reconcile with partial condensation or degassing during accretionary processes only. Sulfide saturation of the diogenite and eucrite source region is also unlikely because of low indigenous S abundances in these samples compared to calculated S contents at sulfide saturation. Consideration of the metal-silicate partitioning behaviour of the VSE shows that most of these elements are sufficiently siderophile to explain a significant part of their observed depletions in the Vestan mantle by their preferential partitioning into a S-rich core. Moderately volatile elements As and Sb both appear more abundant in the Vestan mantle than expected from their highly siderophile behaviour in systems with basaltic melts. These apparent overabundances may be related to strong silicate melt compositional effects on their metal-silicate partitioning behaviour. On the other hand, Zn, and to a lesser extent Te and Tl are significantly more depleted than expected from metal-silicate partitioning alone. This could be evidence for volatile loss of these elements from Vesta through kinetic loss in a hard vacuum. Alternatively, the perceived loss of Zn may be the result of a Zn-poor Vestan bulk composition and/or partly by preferential partitioning of Zn into spinel. The additional depletion of Tl and by extension other highly chalcophile elements such as Se and Te may be explained by segregation of sulfides in the eucritic melt source region(s), if significant amounts of S degassed from eucritic melts after sulfide segregation. Our results underline the feasibility of planetary cores being a major reservoir for many volatile elements that are depleted in planetary mantles, and that are currently assumed to have suffered incomplete condensation during accretion or (partial) degassing after accretion.

We aim to determine the distribution of basaltic asteroids (classified as V-types) based on the spectrophotometric data reported in the MOVIS-C catalogue. A total of 782 asteroids were identified. The observations with all four filters (Y, J, H, Ks), available for 297 of these candidates, allow a reliable comparison with the laboratory data of howardite, eucrite, and diogenite meteorites. We found that the majority of the basaltic candidates (≈95${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$) are located in the inner main belt, while only 29 (≈4${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$) and 8 (≈1${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$) are located in the middle (MMB) and outer main belt (OMB), respectively. A fraction of ≈33${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ from the V-type candidates is associated with the Vesta family (with respect to AstDyS). We also identified four MMB V-type candidates belonging to (15) Eunomia family, and another four low inclination ones corresponding to (135) Hertha. We report differences between the colour indices and albedo distributions of the V-type candidates located in the inner main belt compared to those from the MMB and OMB. These results support the hypothesis of a different origin for the basaltic asteroids with a semimajor axis beyond 2.5 au. Furthermore, lithological differences are present between the vestoids and the inner low inclination basaltic asteroids. The data allow us to estimate the unbiased distribution of basaltic asteroids across the main asteroid belt. We highlight that at least 80${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the ejected basaltic material from (4) Vesta is missing or is not yet detected because it is fragmented in sizes smaller than 1 km.

Regolithic howardites are analogs for the surface materials of asteroid 4 Vesta, recently mapped by the Dawn spacecraft. Rigorously evaluating pairing of howardites recovered in 1995 in the Grosvenor Mountains (GRO 95), Antarctica, enables an examination of a larger, more representative regolith sample. Previous work on two of the howardites studied here concluded that GRO 95602 and GRO 95535 are solar wind-rich surface regolith samples and that they are not paired with each other, leading to uncertainty regarding pairing relationships between the other GRO 95 howardites. Based on petrology, cosmic-ray exposure history, and terrestrial age, four GRO 95 howardites are paired. The paired howardites (GRO 95534, 95535, 95574, 95581) were from a meteoroid with radius of 10–15 cm, a preatmospheric size comparable to that of Kapoeta, the largest known regolithic howardite. The paired GRO 95 howardites contain clasts of at least 18 separate HED lithologies, providing evidence they were assembled from diverse source materials. The total eucrite:diogenite mixing ratio (ratio of all eucrite lithologies to all diogenite lithologies) in the paired GRO 95 howardites is ~2:1. Petrographically determined basaltic eucrite:cumulate eucrite ratios in regolithic howardites, studied here and previously, vary more widely than total eucrite:diogenite ratios. Relative to eucritic pyroxene, plagioclase is depleted in these howardites, which provides evidence that plagioclase is preferentially comminuted in the vestan regolith. The extent of plagioclase depletion could be an indicator of regolith maturity.

Two meteorites impacted in 1925 around the town of Serooskerke on the isle of Schouwen, the Netherlands. The largest mass is widely known as the “Ellemeet” diogenite, while a second mass, heavily weathered due to environmental exposure, also survived until the present day. This work aims to reconstruct the history of the 1925 fall and for the first time documents the second mass, known as the “Serooskerke,” by integrating a historical and experimental approach. The study of historical news archives and cadastral records redefined the 1925 impact site at N 51°42.086′ E 3°49.789′. Environmental exposure experiments reproducing the effects of rainfall and frost weathering identified the latter as the main cause for the second mass' reported disintegration in the field sometime during the 1925–1926 winter. The bulk mineralogy of the second mass was established using XRD powder diffraction for a 2θ range of 3–70° and was found to be identical to an Ellemeet reference sample. UV/VIS/nIR spectroscopy (300–2500 nm) was subsequently used to broadly compare the second mass to HED clan meteorites Bouvante, EET87503, Johnstown and asteroid 4 Vesta in order to corroborate its vestan origin. The historical and geographic relationship of the two masses and the comparable bulk mineralogy supported the pairing of these two meteorites. This makes the Serooskerke a valuable legacy of the 1925 fall, especially as the location of ~50% of the remaining Ellemeet mass is presently unknown.

Reliable quantitative mapping of minerals exposed on Vesta's surface is crucial for understanding the crustal composition, petrologic evolution, and surface modification of the howardite, eucrite, and diogenite (HED) parent body. However, mineral abundance estimates derived from visible–near infrared (VIS–NIR) reflectance spectra are complicated by multiple scattering, particle size, and nonlinear mixing effects. Radiative transfer models can be employed to accommodate these issues, and here we assess the utility of such models to accurately and efficiently determine modal mineralogy for a suite of eucrite and olivine-bearing (harzburgitic) diogenite meteorites. Hapke and Shkuratov radiative transfer models were implemented to simultaneously estimate mineral abundances and particle size from VIS–NIR reflectance spectra of these samples. The models were tested and compared for laboratory-made binary (pyroxene–plagioclase) and ternary mixtures (pyroxene–olivine–plagioclase) as well as eucrite and diogenite meteorite samples. Results for both models show that the derived mineral abundances are commonly within 5–10% of modal values and the estimated particle sizes are within the expected ranges. Results for the Hapke model suggest a lower detection limit for olivine in HEDs when compared with the Shkuratov model (5% versus 15%). Our current implementation yields lower uncertainties in mineral abundance (commonly

More than 200 years after its discovery, asteroid (4) Vesta is thought to be the parent body for the howardite, eucrite and diogenite (HED) meteorites. The Dawn spacecraft spent ∼14 months in orbit around this largest, intact differentiated asteroid to study its internal structure, geology, mineralogy and chemistry. Carrying a suite of instruments that included two framing cameras, a visible-near infrared spectrometer, and a gamma-ray and neutron detector, coupled with radio tracking for gravity, Dawn revealed a geologically and geochemically complex world. A constrained core size of ∼110–130 km radius is consistent with predictions based on differentiation models for the HED meteorite parent body. Hubble Space Telescope observations had already shown that Vesta is scarred by a south polar basin comparable in diameter to that of the asteroid itself. Dawn showed that the south polar Rheasilvia basin dominates the asteroid, with a central uplift that rivals the large shield volcanoes of the Solar System in height. An older basin, Veneneia, partially underlies Rheasilvia. A series of graben-like equatorial and northern troughs were created during these massive impact events 1–2 Ga ago. These events also resurfaced much of the southern hemisphere and exposed deeper-seated diogenitic lithologies. Although the mineralogy and geochemistry vary across the surface for rock-forming elements and minerals, the range is small, suggesting that impact processes have efficiently homogenized the surface of Vesta at scales observed by the instruments on the Dawn spacecraft. The distribution of hydrogen is correlated with surface age, which likely results from the admixture of exogenic carbonaceous chondrites with Vesta's basaltic surface. Clasts of such material are observed within the surficial howardite meteorites in our collections. Dawn significantly strengthened the link between (4) Vesta and the HED meteorites, but the pervasive mixing, lack of a convincing and widespread detection of olivine, and poorly-constrained lateral and vertical extents of units leaves unanswered the central question of whether Vesta once had a magma ocean. Dawn is continuing its mission to the presumed ice-rich asteroid (1) Ceres.

The howardite, eucrite and diogenite (HED) meteorites are genetically related and represent the most voluminous group of achondrites. They are the closest analog materials to Vesta and V-type asteroids. Many of these meteorites were the focus of intense petrologic and visible to near infrared spectral studies. As ground-based and orbital observations of basaltic asteroids have increased, an improved understanding of HEDs is needed. For this study, we investigated 24 HED samples, mainly new finds from Northwest Africa (NWA). Visible to near infrared (up to 2.5 μm) spectral measurements under varying illumination and observation geometries were acquired for 4 samples. Phase reddening and bluing (i.e., increase and decrease in spectral slope) is observed for the visible slope as phase angle increase. Monotonic phase reddening can occur for the near infrared slope as phase angle increase. Non-systematic changes with phase angle are found for the Band Area Ratio parameter. At phase angles higher than ∼60°, the decrease of reflectance and decrease of pyroxene bands depth are undistinguishable from admixture of low albedo material to HED samples. To assess the precision of empirical equations relating spectral properties and composition, the pyroxenes, feldspar, and olivine chemistry of the samples was determined. Using previous calibrations, systematic overestimations of the ferrosilite (Fs) and wollastonite (Wo) contents are found, especially in the 15–40 Fs range. To overcome such discrepancies, a new set of empirical equations is proposed. For an application of the new calibration, we selected two compositional end-member areas on Vesta on the basis of their iron content. For the iron-poor terrain we found an average pyroxene composition of Fs30Wo5 and for the iron-rich terrain an average of Fs47Wo14.

The research is an integrated effort beginning with telescopic observations and extending through detailed mineralogical characterizations to provide constraints on the composition and meteorite affinities of a subset of fourteen asteroids in/near the 3:1 Kirkwood Gap. Eight asteroids were identified as having either one or two absorption features, while six were deemed featureless. The compositional analysis of Asteroids (355) Gabriella and (1447) Utra reveal Fs and Fa values which are consistent with values for the L-type ordinary chondrites (Fs19–22 and Fa22–26). The location of these two bodies with respect to each other and to the previously identified L-chondrite parent body Asteroid (1722) Goffin, suggests a small L-chondrite genetic family. These results support the model that the L-chondrites come from an asteroid family rather than from a single object. Asteroids (1368) Numidia, (1587) Kahrstadt, (1854) Skvortsov, (2497) Kulikovskij, and (5676) Voltaire were analyzed and determined to have “basaltic” silicate mineralogies similar to those of the HED (howardite–eucrite–diogenite) meteorite group. In particular, we found that the compositions of (1368), (1587) and (1854) are consistent with olivine-orthopyroxenitic diogenites, while (2497) and (5676)’s compositions are consistent with harzburgitic diogenites. The Band I and Band II absorption feature depths are much shallower than seen in diogenite spectra, typically ∼70% depth (Burbine, T.H. et al. [2000]. Forging asteroid–meteorite relationships through reflectance spectroscopy. Lunar Planet. Sci. XXXI. Abstract 1844). The nature of the weak features seen in the asteroid spectra when compared to measured band depths of in situ diogenite samples indicate an additional mechanism(s) acting to weaken the features, most likely space weathering. The aforementioned five asteroids are plausible sources for the olivine-orthopyroxenitic diogenites and harzburgitic diogenites, and very well may be fragments of Vesta. Asteroid (46) Hestia is an interesting object whose surface minerals may be consistent with a CR2 chondrite; however, the unique spectrum deserves further study in the future. Featureless Asteroids (248) Lameia, (1960) Guisan, (3345) Tarkovskij and (6212) 1993 MS1 surface materials are likely organic assemblages consistent with the Type 1 or 2 carbonaceous chondrite meteorite class; however specific terrestrial meteorite analog could not be identified. The spectra of Asteroids (3228) Pire and (3999) Aristarchus are consistent with each other and have been assigned to the Eulalia by Walsh et al. (Walsh, K.J. et al. [2013]. Icarus 225, 283–297). Spectrally they are similar to (495) in terms of blue-slope and albedo (Fieber-Beyer, S.K., et al. [2012]. Icarus 221, 593–602), thus increasing our confidence the three bodies are truly related dynamically and genetically. By extrapolation and due to their location adjacent to the 3:1 Kirkwood Gap, (3228) and (3999) are plausible sources of the CV3OXB carbonaceous chondrites.

Here, we construct a comprehensive howardite, eucrite, and diogenite (HED) bulk chemistry data set to compare with Dawn data. Using the bulk chemistry data set, we determine four gamma-ray/neutron parameters in the HEDs (1) relative fast neutron counts (fast counts), (2) macroscopic thermal neutron absorption cross section (absorption), (3) a high-energy gamma-ray compositional parameter (Cp), and (4) Fe abundance. These correspond to the four measurements of Vesta made by Dawn's Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector (GRaND) that can be used to discern HED lithologic variability on the Vestan surface. We investigate covariance between fast counts and average atomic mass ( ) in the meteorite data set, where a strong correlation (r2 = 0.99) is observed, and we demonstrate that systematic offsets from the fast count/ trend are linked to changes in Fe and Ni concentrations. To compare the meteorite and GRaND data, we investigate and report covariance among fast counts, absorption, Cp, and Fe abundance in the HED meteorite data set. We identify several GRaND measurement spaces where the Yamato type B diogenites are distinct from all other HED lithologies, including polymict mixtures. The type B's are diogenites that are enriched in Fe + pigeonite + diopside ± plagioclase, relative to typical, orthopyroxenitic diogenites. We then compare these results to GRaND data and demonstrate that regions north of ~70°N latitude on Vesta (including the north pole) are consistent with type B diogenites. We propose two models to explain type B diogenite compositions in the north (1) deposition as Rheasilvia ejecta, or (2) type B plutons that were emplaced at shallow depths in the north polar region and sampled by local impacts. Lastly, using principal component (PC) analysis, we identify unique PC spaces for all HED lithologies, indicating that the corresponding GRaND measurables may be used to produce comprehensive lithologic maps for Vesta.

The observations of the surface of 4 Vesta by the Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIR) onboard the Dawn spacecraft reveals that its composition is dominated by pyroxenes with olivine in very localized spots. To derive new constraints on the surface composition of the asteroid, we apply a scattering model to VIR reflectance spectra. The model is first calibrated by performing a non-linear deconvolution of laboratory spectra of mineral mixtures and howardite, eucrite, diogenite (HED) meteorites. Abundance estimates of minerals are accurate to within 15–25% for the analyzed samples, while the estimated particle sizes are within the intervals of actual sizes. Grain size effects complicate spectral deconvolution and estimation of modal abundances of samples (both HED and mineral mixtures) that contain olivine. The magnesium-rich olivine detection threshold is 10–20% for large grain sizes (100s μm) and several 10s% for small grain sizes (

The howardite, eucrite and diogenite (HED) clan of meteorites are ultramafic and mafic igneous rocks and impact-engendered fragmental debris derived from a thoroughly differentiated asteroid. Earth-based telescopic observation and data returned from vestan orbit by the Dawn spacecraft make a compelling case that the asteroid (4) Vesta is the parent asteroid of HEDs, although this is not universally accepted. Diogenites are petrologically diverse and include dunitic, harzburgitic and noritic lithologic types in addition to the traditional orthopyroxenites. Diogenites form the lower crust of Vesta. Cumulate eucrites are gabbroic rocks formed by accumulation of pigeonite and plagioclase from a mafic magma at depth within the crust, while basaltic eucrites are melt compositions that likely represent shallow-level dikes and sills, and flows. Some basaltic eucrites are richer in incompatible trace elements compared to most eucrites, and these may represent mixed melts contaminated by partial melts of the mafic crust. Differentiation occurred within a few Myr of formation of the earliest solids in the Solar System. Evidence from oxygen isotope compositions and siderophile element contents favor a model of extensive melting of Vesta forming a global magma ocean that rapidly (period of a few Myr) segregated and crystallized to yield a metallic core, olivine-rich mantle, orthopyroxene-rich lower crust and basaltic upper crust. The igneous lithologies were subjected to post-crystallization thermal processing, and most eucrites show textural and mineral-compositional evidence for metamorphism. The cause of this common metamorphism is unclear, but may have resulted from rapid burial of early basalts by later flows caused by high effusion rates on Vesta. The observed surface of Vesta is covered by fragmental debris resulting from impacts, and most HEDs are brecciated. Many eucrites and diogenites are monomict breccias indicating a lack of mixing. However, many HEDs are polymict breccias. Howardites are the most thoroughly mixed polymict breccias, yet only some of them contain evidence for residence in the true regolith. Based on the numbers of meteorites, compositions of howardites, and models of magma ocean solidification, cumulate eucrites and their residual ferroan mafic melts are minor components of the vestan crust.

Visible and near-infrared (VNIR) reflectance is an important spectroscopic technique to identify minerals, and their associations, on planetary body surfaces. Howardites, eucrites, and diogenites (HED) are a class of igneous-like meteorites whose genetic connection with asteroid 4 Vesta has since long been inferred and recently confirmed by Dawn mission results. Pyroxene and olivine are the two major mafic minerals present in HED which can be identified with VNIR reflectance measurements. Thus, studying the compositional variability of those phases and their mixtures by means of laboratory spectroscopic measurements on different diogenitic or eucritic samples is one of the prime methods to better understand the evolution of 4 Vesta's crust. Here, we report the VNIR reflectance spectral analysis of a harzburgitic olivine diogenite, Northwest Africa 6232 (probably paired with Northwest Africa 5480), containing variable amounts of olivine as small grains or aggregates. We found that the olivine diogenite spectral parameters (e.g., band position) of powdered samples and polished slabs are in agreement. Moreover, the olivine diogenite band position shifts from synthetic orthopyroxene in accordance with the presence of olivine and chromite. In particular, the presence of a large olivine clast permits us to determine a linear variation of the band position from synthetic orthopyroxene and olivine, but underestimates the presence of olivine in the olivine diogenite spot.

The magmatism characterizing the early history of the asteroid Vesta has long been investigated with the mafic and ultramafic meteorites howardite, eucrite, and diogenite (HED). The lack of geologic context for the meteorites, however, has limited its understanding. Here we use the visible to near-IR (VIR) orbital observations of Vesta's surface to detect relative enrichments in olivine and to study the associated geologic features. Because the near-IR signature of olivine on Vesta's surface is subtle relative to the widespread pyroxene absorption bands, a method was developed to distinguish olivine enrichments from admixture of pyroxenes with high Fe2+/M1, dark material, and potential Fe-bearing glass. Relative enrichment of olivine (~

We report noble gas data of helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr) and xenon (Xe), cosmic ray exposure (CRE) ages and nominal gas retention (K–Ar, U–Th–He) ages for seven howardites (CRE 01400, EET 87513, EET 87518, EET 99400, GRO 95535, GRO 95602, SAN 03472), in continuing research to identify regolithic samples, and better understand the vestan regolith. In our previous work, we found little correlation between suggested regolith parameters of Ni > 300 μg/g, Al_2O_3 8–9 wt% and eucrite/diogenite (E:D) ratio of 2:1 (Warren et al., 2009), and trapped solar wind (SW), fractionated solar wind (FSW) or planetary noble gas components (from impacted material) – noble gas indicators of a regolithic origin. Here, we have expanded our data set to include samples outside of these parameters to further explore composition, and the differences in Ni content as indicators for the presence of non-Vesta material. In addition, our sample set includes two potentially paired meteorites from the GRO suite. Finally, in our petrographic studies, the samples selected showed no evidence for carbonaceous chondrite fragments, which should reduce the effect of “contamination” by planetary noble gas components, and will allow us to better identify SW/FSW components, where present. Of the samples studied here, three howardites GRO 95535, GRO 95602 and EET 87513 show evidence for a regolithic origin, with both isotopic and element noble gas ratios clearly pointing to the presence of trapped components similar to SW/FSW or planetary. The two GRO howardites, GRO 95535 and GRO 95602, show similar noble gas ratios to our previously defined SW/FSW dominated regolithic group (LEW 85313 and MET 00423), suggesting a surface origin for these samples. However, interestingly, the GRO samples show vastly different cosmogenic noble gas abundances, and thus different CRE ages, which suggests that they are not paired. For howardite EET 87513, the data hint to the presence of CM-material, with a neon release pattern similar to our defined planetary/FSW dominated regolithic group (CM-rich samples PRA 04401, SCO 06040). Our petrological investigations found no evidence for CM fragments within EET 87513, though a single clast was reported previously (Buchanan et al., 1993). Aside from the Ne release pattern, the remaining noble gas data show more similarity with SW/FSW components. The remaining four howardites CRE 01400, EET 87518, EET 99400, and SAN 03472 and are dominated by cosmogenic noble gases, and show no evidence for a regolithic origin. Our data suggest that a CM-composition is likely present in all samples to some degree, but that this can be overprinted by SW components or cosmogenic components obtained in situ on the vestan surface or during transit to Earth respectively. The presence of CM material is an important parameter for understanding the evolution of Vesta’s surface. While we have uncovered three further regolithic howardites (∼13 regolithic total, of ∼41 analysed), further noble gas analysis of HED meteorites is needed to not only determine regolithic origins, but to better characterise the abundance of carbonaceous chondrite material and its effect on the noble gas signatures of such samples.

Numerous petrologic and geochemical studies so far on the howardite, eucrite, and diogenite (HED) meteorites have produced various crystallization scenarios for their parent body, believed to be the differentiated asteroid 4 Vesta. Structural analyses of diogenites can reveal important insights into postcrystallization deformation on the parent body. Recently published results (Tkalcec et al. 2013) of structural analysis on the olivine-rich diogenite NWA 5480 reveal that it underwent solid-state plastic deformation, although not at the base of a magma chamber. Dynamic mantle downwelling has been proposed as a plausible deformation mechanism (Tkalcec et al. 2013). The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the plastic deformation found in NWA 5480 is an isolated case. We expand the structural analysis on NWA 5480 and extend it to NWA 5784 and MIL 07001,6, two other samples of rare olivine-rich diogenites, using electron-backscattered-diffraction (EBSD) techniques. Our EBSD results show that the diogenites analyzed in this study underwent solid-state plastic deformation, confirming that the observed deformation of NWA 5480 was not an isolated case on the diogenite parent body. The lattice-preferred orientations (LPOs) of olivine in NWA 5784 and NWA 5480 are clearly distinct from that typical for cumulate rocks at the base of magma chambers, indicating a different stress environment and a different deformation mechanism. The LPO of olivine in MIL 07001 is less conclusive. The structural results of this study suggest that plastic deformation occurred on the diogenite parent body at high temperatures (1273

Howardite–eucrite–diogenite meteorites are believed to originate in the crust of the asteroid 4 Vesta, whose differentiation processes are still controversial. In this study, the first 176Lu–176Hf isotopic data of nine diogenites are presented together with their 87Rb–87Sr isotopic compositions and rare earth element (REE) abundances to investigate the differentiation process of diogenites. The 176Lu–176Hf data sets of nine diogenites revealed the significantly higher initial 176Hf/177Hf ratio of diogenites than that of eucrites, while there are no resolvable differences between their ages. Based on the high initial ratio and the early formation of diogenites, their source material is estimated to be the Vestan mantle. The 87Rb–87Sr systematics of nine diogenites are entirely disturbed probably due to impact events on Vesta. The significant variation observed in the REE abundances of nine diogenites suggests their crystallization from compositionally diverse melts. Based on the mantle origin and compositional diversity of diogenites, we propose the crystallization of diogenites from partial melts of the Vestan mantle. The variation of the trace element abundances of diogenites can be explained by the variation of the degree of the partial melting. The timescale between the crystallization and partial melting of the Vestan mantle is estimated to be ~100–600 Ma from the 176Lu–176Hf isotopic data of nine diogenites, while a heat source for the partial melting is uncertain.

We present lithium (Li) abundances and isotope compositions in a suite of howardites, eucrites and diogenites (HEDs). These meteorites most likely originated from asteroid Vesta and were delivered to Earth by a series of independent impact events. The Li concentrations show striking differences between Li-poor diogenites plus cumulate eucrites and Li-enriched eucrites whilst howardites have Li abundances intermediate between eucrites and diogenites. Contrary to Li elemental inter-group differences, Li isotope compositions are irresolvable among these individual groups of HED meteorites despite their wildly distinct petrography, attesting to insignificant Li isotope fractionation during formation of a thick basaltic crust by melting of the Vestan mantle. The mean Li isotope composition of Bulk Silicate Vesta is estimated at 3.7 ± 0.6‰ (1σ), intermediate to that of the Earth versus Mars and Moon but identical with these terrestrial bodies within uncertainty. This further validates largely homogeneous inner Solar System solids from the Li isotope perspective and supports the lack of loss of moderately volatile elements from planetary embryos during their magmatic histories because Li does not follow depletion trends inferred from more volatile elements. Pasamonte eucrite has the same Li isotope composition as other eucrites although it may not be directly linked to Vesta. These observations are also important for generating Li elemental and isotope signatures in juvenile basaltic crusts of large terrestrial planets and numerous planetary embryos in the early Solar System. A combination of CV + L chondrites may be less suitable for building Vesta from Li perspective but this may face sampling bias of available data and only further analyses may resolve this issue. Alternatively, significant shift of ∼1‰ towards heavier Li isotope compositions must have occurred during thermal processing of CV + L (2.2–2.8‰) mixture in order to account for the observed Li isotope systematics in HED meteorites. No correlation is observed between Li versus Zn, Fe or Si isotopes, respectively, implying unrelated processes of forming stable isotope variations observed in HED meteorites.

Although olivine was expected to occur within the deep, south-pole basins of asteroid Vesta, which are thought to be excavated mantle rocks, spectral data from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft show that it instead occurs as near-surface materials in Vesta’s northern hemisphere. Between July 2011 and September 2012, NASA's Dawn spacecraft was in orbit around the asteroid Vesta. In this paper, Dawn's Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIR) team presents a surprising finding — the signature of olivine on the asteroid's surface. Olivine is a major component of the mantle of differentiated bodies, including Earth. Vesta is a large asteroid, large enough to have differentiated into an Earth-like layered structure and the expectation was that olivine would be found within Vesta's deep, south-pole basins, thought to be excavated mantle rocks. Yet the spectroscopic data reveal olivine-rich material close to the surface in the northern hemisphere. An understanding of the differentiation processes that have occurred on Vesta will be invaluable as a window on the primordial Solar System, but these latest findings show that Vesta's evolutionary history is more complicated than was thought. Olivine is a major component of the mantle of differentiated bodies, including Earth. Howardite, eucrite and diogenite (HED) meteorites represent regolith, basaltic-crust, lower-crust and possibly ultramafic-mantle samples of asteroid Vesta, which is the lone surviving, large, differentiated, basaltic rocky protoplanet in the Solar System1. Only a few of these meteorites, the orthopyroxene-rich diogenites, contain olivine, typically with a concentration of less than 25 per cent by volume2. Olivine was tentatively identified on Vesta3,4, on the basis of spectral and colour data, but other observations did not confirm its presence5. Here we report that olivine is indeed present locally on Vesta’s surface but that, unexpectedly, it has not been found within the deep, south-pole basins, which are thought to be excavated mantle rocks6,7,8. Instead, it occurs as near-surface materials in the northern hemisphere. Unlike the meteorites, the olivine-rich (more than 50 per cent by volume) material is not associated with diogenite but seems to be mixed with howardite, the most common7,9 surface material. Olivine is exposed in crater walls and in ejecta scattered diffusely over a broad area. The size of the olivine exposures and the absence of associated diogenite favour a mantle source, but the exposures are located far from the deep impact basins. The amount and distribution of observed olivine-rich material suggest a complex evolutionary history for Vesta.

The Dawn mission has provided new evidence strengthening the identification of asteroid Vesta as the parent body of the howardite, eucrite, and diogenite (HED) meteorites. The evidence includes Vesta's petrologic complexity, detailed spectroscopic characteristics, unique space weathering, diagnostic geochemical abundances and neutron absorption characteristics, chronology of surface units and impact history, occurrence of exogenous carbonaceous chondritic materials in the regolith, and dimensions of the core, all of which are consistent with HED observations and constraints. Global mapping of the distributions of HED lithologies by Dawn cameras and spectrometers provides the missing geologic context for these meteorites, thereby allowing tests of petrogenetic models and increasing their scientific value.

Global maps of the macroscopic thermal neutron absorption cross section of Vesta's regolith by the Gamma Ray and Neutron Detector (GRaND) on board the NASA Dawn spacecraft provide constraints on the abundance and distribution of Fe, Ca, Al, Mg, and other rock-forming elements. From a circular, polar low-altitude mapping orbit, GRaND sampled the regolith to decimeter depths with a spatial resolution of about 300 km. At this spatial scale, the variation in neutron absorption is about seven times lower than that of the Moon. The observed variation is consistent with the range of absorption for howardite whole-rock compositions, which further supports the connection between Vesta and the howardite, eucrite, and diogenite meteorites. We find a strong correlation between neutron absorption and the percentage of eucritic materials in howardites and polymict breccias, which enables petrologic mapping of Vesta's surface. The distribution of basaltic eucrite and diogenite determined from neutron absorption measurements is qualitatively similar to that indicated by visible and near infrared spectroscopy. The Rheasilvia basin and ejecta blanket has relatively low absorption, consistent with Mg-rich orthopyroxene. Based on a combination of Fe and neutron absorption measurements, olivine-rich lithologies are not detected on the spatial scales sampled by GRaND. The sensitivity of GRaND to the presence of mantle material is described and implications for the absence of an olivine signature are discussed. High absorption values found in Vesta's “dark” hemisphere, where exogenic hydrogen has accumulated, indicate that this region is richer in basaltic eucrite, representative of Vesta's ancient upper crust.

Surface composition information from Vesta is reported using fast neutron data collected by the gamma ray and neutron detector on the Dawn spacecraft. After correcting for variations due to hydrogen, fast neutrons show a compositional dynamic range and spatial variability that is consistent with variations in average atomic mass from howardite, eucrite, and diogenite (HED) meteorites. These data provide additional compositional evidence that Vesta is the parent body to HED meteorites. A subset of fast neutron data having lower statistical precision show spatial variations that are consistent with a 400 ppm variability in hydrogen concentrations across Vesta and supports the idea that Vesta's hydrogen is due to long-term delivery of carbonaceous chondrite material.

The polymict breccias of the howardite, eucrite and diogenite (HED) clan of meteorites preserve records of regolith processes that occur on Vesta, their putative home world. These breccias -- howardites, polymict eucrites and polymict diogenites -- are impact-engendered mixtures of diogenites and eucrites. The compositions of polymict breccias can be used to constrain the lithologic diversity of the vestan crust and the excavation depths of these materials. We have done petrological and compositional studies of multiple samples of 5 polymict eucrites and 28 howardites to investigate these issues. Older analyses were done on samples of approx 0.5 gram mass by INAA; newer analyses on samples of approx 5 gram mass by XRF and ICP-MS. We estimate the percentage of eucritic material (POEM) of polymict breccias by comparing their Al and/or Ca contents to those of average basaltic eucrite and diogenite. Our samples have POEM ranging from 28 to 98; adding two polymict diogenites from extends the range to POEM 10. One hypothesis is that ancient, well-mixed vestan regolith has POEM approx 67 and has a higher content of admixed impactor material. Several of our howardites have POEM of 59-74 (Al and/or Ca contents +/- 10% of POEM 67); about a third have Ni contents >300 micro g/g suggesting they contain >2% chondritic material (CM and/or CR). These may be regolithic howardites. Only one (LEW 85313) contains Ne dominated by a solar wind (SW) component. PCA 02066 is dominated by impact-melt material of polymict parentage and petrologically appears to be a mature regolith breccia, yet it does not contain SW-Ne. GRO 95602 falls within the POEM window, contains SW-Ne], yet has a Ni content of 193 micro g/g. Its petrologic characteristics suggest it was formed from immature regolith (no polymict breccia clasts; no glass). Trace element characteristics of the polymict breccias demonstrate the dominance of main-group eucrites as the basaltic component. Mixing diagrams of Zr, Nb, Ba, Hf and Ta with Al show no evidence for a significant contribution from Stannern-trend eucrites. An exception is polymict eucrite LEW 86001 (POEM 92), which is dominated by Stannern-trend basaltic debris. Howardite LAP 04838 (POEM 84) has higher incompatible trace concentrations than other polymict breccias (excluding LEW 86001), and either contains a Stannern-trend basaltic component, or has a significant contributions from evolved eucrites like Nuevo Laredo.

Dawn has recently revealed that the surface of Vesta is heterogeneously covered by polymictic regoliths represented by mixtures of howardite, eucrite, and diogenite (HED) meteorites. Mixing relations of the HED suite are examined here using a new computational statistical approach of independent component analysis (ICA). We performed eight-component ICA (Si, Ti, Al, Cr, Fe, Mn, Mg, and Ca) for 209 HED bulk-rock compositions. The ICA results indicate that the HED bulk-rock compositions can be reduced into three independent components (IC) and these IC vectors can reasonably explain compositional variation, petrographic observations, and the mixing relations of the HED suite. The IC-1 vector represents a eucrite variation that extends from cumulate eucrite toward main-group (MG) and incompatible-element enriched eucrites. The IC-2 vector represents a compositional variation of howardites that extends from diogenites to MG-eucrites, indicating the well-known two-component mixing trend of diogenite and eucrite. The IC-3 vector represents a compositional variation defined by diogenites and olivine-bearing diogenites, suggesting mixing of olivine and orthopyroxene. Among the three ICs, the diogenite-eucrite mixing trend IC-2 is most statistically robust and dominates the compositional variations of the HED suite. Our ICA study further indicates that the combination of only three elements (Mg, Si, and Fe) approximates the eight-component ICA model, and that the limited number of resolvable γ-ray spectra obtained by the Dawn mission possibly discriminates olivine lithologies from the olivine-free regolith breccias on the surface of Vesta.

We present global lithological maps of the Vestan surface based on Dawn mission's Visible InfraRed (VIR) Spectrometer acquisitions with a spatial sampling of 200 m. The maps confirm the results obtained with the data set acquired by VIR with a spatial sampling of 700 m, that the reflectance spectra of Vesta's surface are dominated by pyroxene absorptions that can be interpreted within the context of the distribution of howardites, eucrites, and diogenites (HEDs). The maps also partially agree with the ground and Hubble Space Telescope observations: they confirm the background surface being an assemblage of howardite or polymict eucrite, as well as the location of a diogenitic-rich spot; however, there is no evidence of extended olivine-rich regions in the equatorial latitudes. Diogenite is revealed on the Rheasilvia basin floor, indicating that material of the lower crust/mantle was exposed. VIR also detected diogenites along the scarp of Matronalia Rupes, and the rims of Severina and a nearby, unnamed crater, and as ejecta of Antonia crater. The diogenite distribution is fully consistent with petrological constraints; although the mapped distribution does not provide unambiguous constraints, it favors the hypothesis of a magma ocean.

Identifying and mapping olivine on asteroid 4 Vesta are important components to understanding differentiation on that body, which is one of the objectives of the Dawn mission. Harzburgitic diogenites are the main olivine-bearing lithology in the howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) meteorites, a group of samples thought to originate from Vesta. Here, we examine all the Antarctic harzburgites and estimate that, on scales resolvable by Dawn, olivine abundances in putative harzburgite exposures on the surface of Vesta are likely at best in the 10–30% range, but probably lower due to impact mixing. We examine the visible/near-infrared spectra of two harzburgitic diogenites representative of the 10–30% olivine range and demonstrate that they are spectrally indistinguishable from orthopyroxenitic diogenites, the dominant diogenitic lithology in the HED group. This suggests that the visible/near-infrared spectrometer onboard Dawn (VIR) will be unable to resolve harzburgites from orthopyroxenites on the surface of Vesta, which may explain the current lack of identification of harzburgitic diogenite on Vesta.

Reflectance spectra of multiple grain sizes and slabs of a suite of 13 howardite–eucrite–diogenite (HED) meteorites have been characterized from 1.7 to 25.4 μm. The 4.5–5.1 μm region, which is accessible by the Dawn VIR spectrometer, shows multiple absorption bands that vary among the HED groups and can be related to underlying mineralogy. These bands are overtones of asymmetric Si–(Al–)O fundamental stretches in the 9–11 μm region. They appear in HED reflectance spectra ranging from fine-grained powders to slabs. The strongest absorption bands in eucrite spectra are found in the 4.74–4.78, 4.86–4.91, and 4.99–5.05 μm regions, and are attributable to the various pyroxenes in eucrites. Less frequent bands are found near 4.35, 4.47, and 4.64–4.67 μm in larger grain size eucrite spectra, and are likely attributable to high-An plagioclase feldspar. A shocked eucrite (JaH626) shows some differences from presumed unshocked samples, with bands near 4.68, 4.83, and 5.02 μm, the first two of which fall outside the range of the presumed unshocked eucrites. The strongest absorption bands in diogenite spectra are found near 4.70 and 4.83–485 μm, and are attributable to the abundant low-Ca pyroxene. At larger grain sizes and in slabs, an additional band can appear near 4.79 μm. When olivine is dominant, an absorption band is found near 4.93 μm, which coincides with the strongest olivine absorption band in this region. The addition of olivine can lead to a progressive shift of the 4.70 μm diogenite band toward 4.65 μm (where olivine has an additional weaker absorption band). Howardite spectra, as expected, are more diverse. The most persistent absorption features are in the 4.73–4.77, 4.84–4.85, and 4.94–5.00 μm regions, and can be attributed to contributions by both diogenitic and eucritic components. For all of the HEDs, with the exception of PRA 04401, a CM xenolith-bearing howardite, the