Dr. Robert Jedicke will carry out a spectroscopic survey of selected Main Belt (MB) objects that will yield new and critical information on differentiation processes within planetary systems. There are two primary and related goals. The first is a search for evidence of differentiation of MB objects and a dependence of the differentiation process on heliocentric distance and the size or type of object. A deep targeted search for MB objects with Vesta-like spectra that are not members of the Vesta complex will be performed. Vesta-like spectra are consistent with a basaltic crust on the object. Only one such non-Vestoid is currently known. Likely targets for spectroscopy will be selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey's (SDSS) Moving Object Catalog (MOC). It provides a database of five accurate photometric colors for over 10,000 known asteroids. This database is 5-10 times larger than existing color databases and samples asteroids at much smaller sizes. It should allow a much better selection of Vesta-like candidates than has been achieved by earlier studies. The second goal is to obtain spectra and determine the taxonomic classification for many of the members of the interesting Iannini family. None of the members of this extremely young asteroid family currently have measured spectra or a well-determined taxonomic classification. As one of the youngest identified asteroid families a precise determination of the mean colors of the members of this family will nail down the space weathering rate for S or C type asteroids. Observations will likely take place using either the ESI spectrograph at Keck II or the WFGS2 spectrograph at the UH 2.2m on Mauna Kea.
Dr. Jedicke and other contributing members on this project have been active in public education in astronomy and physics through speaking to various community groups and through providing TV, radio, newspaper and magazine interviews and articles. The graduate student involved with this project will have the opportunity of learning state of the art spectroscopic techniques at a premier telescopic facility. The reduced spectra will be made available to the astronomical community through the Planetary Data System nodes (http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/about-pds.html) and all results will be announced in a timely fashion through publication in peer-reviewed journals. ***
