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Vesta and Ceres

Vesta and Ceres

Vesta and Ceres

Insights from the Dawn Mission for the Origin of the Solar System
Simone Marchi, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado
Carol A. Raymond, California Institute of Technology
Christopher T. Russell, University of California, Los Angeles
No date available
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9781108847735
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    The NASA Dawn mission, launched in 2007, aimed to visit two of the most massive protoplanets of the main asteroid belt: Vesta and Ceres. The aim was to further our understanding of the earliest days of the Solar System, and compare the two bodies to better understand their formation and evolution. This book summarises state-of-the-art results from the mission, and discusses the implications for our understanding not only of the asteroid belt but the entire Solar System. It comprises of three parts: Part 1 provides an overview of the main belt asteroids and provides an introduction to the Dawn mission; Part 2 presents key findings from the mission; and Part 3 discusses how these findings provide insights into the formation and evolution of the Solar System. This is a definitive reference for academic researchers and professionals of planetary science, asteroid science and space exploration.

    • Presents the scientific rationale for the Dawn mission to Vesta and Ceres
    • Describes the mission, its operation and science results
    • Collects new-found knowledge of the fundamental processes in the early Solar System, such as planetesimal differentiation and migration
    • Provides the most up-to-date understanding on these topics from meteorite studies, as well as geophysical and dynamical models

    Reviews & endorsements

    'As Vesta and Ceres are two of the most massive asteroids in the main belt, they are of significant interest for researchers who study theories of the formation of Earth and the other terrestrial planets. This work facilitates interdisciplinary study by astronomers, planetary scientists, astrobiologists, and others interested in the formation and evolution of the main belt asteroids … Highly recommended.' C. Palma, Choice

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    Product details

    No date available
    Adobe eBook Reader
    9781108847735
    0 pages

    Table of Contents

    • List of contributors
    • Preface
    • Part I. Remote Observations and Exploration of Main Belt Asteroids:
    • 1. Remote observations of the main belt Pierre Vernazza, Fumihiko Usui and Sunao Hasegawa
    • 2. Exploring Vesta and Ceres Christopher T. Russell and Marc D. Rayman
    • Part II. Key Results from Dawn Exploration of Vesta and Ceres:
    • 3. Protoplanet Vesta and HED meteorites Harry Y. McSween Jr. and Richard P. Binzel
    • 4. The internal evolution of Vesta Michael J. Toplis and Doris Breuer
    • 5. Vesta's geomorphology Debra L. Buczkowski, Ralf Jaumann and Simone Marchi
    • 6. The surface composition of Vesta Jean-Philippe Combe and Naoyuki Yamashita
    • 7. Ceres' surface composition Maria Cristina De Sanctis and Andrea Raponi
    • 8. Carbon and organic matter on Ceres Thomas Prettyman, Maria Cristina De Sanctis and Simone Marchi
    • 9. Ammonia on Ceres Eleonora Ammannito and Bethany Ehlmann
    • 10. Geomorphology of Ceres David A. Williams, Andreas Nathues and Jennifer E. C. Scully
    • 11. Ceres' internal evolution Julie Castillo-Rogez and Philip Bland
    • 12. Geophysics of Vesta and Ceres Anton I. Ermakov and Carol A. Raymond
    • Part III. Implications for the Formation and Evolution of the Solar System:
    • 13. Formation of main belt asteroids Hubert Klahr, Marco Delbo and Konstantin Gerbig
    • 14. Isotopic constraints on the formation of the main belt Katherine R. Bermingham and Thomas S. Kruijer
    • 15. Origin and dynamical evolution of main belt asteroids Sean N. Raymond and David Nesvorný
    • 16. Collisional evolution of the main belt as recorded by Vesta William F. Bottke and Martin Jutzi
    • 17. Epilogue: the renaissance of main belt science Simone Marchi, Carol A. Raymond and Christopher T. Russell
    • Index.
      Contributors
    • Pierre Vernazza, Fumihiko Usui, Sunao Hasegawa, Christopher T. Russell, Marc D. Rayman, Harry Y. McSween Jr., Richard P. Binzel, Michael J. Toplis, Doris Breuer, Debra L. Buczkowski, Ralf Jaumann, Simone Marchi, Jean-Philippe Combe, Naoyuki Yamashita, Maria Cristina De Sanctis, Andrea Raponi, Thomas Prettyman, Eleonora Ammannito, Bethany Ehlmann, David A. Williams, Andreas Nathues, Jennifer E. C. Scully, Julie Castillo-Rogez, Philip Bland, Anton I. Ermakov, Carol A. Raymond, Hubert Klahr, Marco Delbo, Konstantin Gerbig, Katherine R. Bermingham, Thomas S. Kruijer, Sean N. Raymond, David Nesvorný, William F. Bottke, Martin Jutzi

    • Editors
    • Simone Marchi , Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado

      Simone Marchi is a Principal Scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. He has been involved in several space missions and is the Deputy Project Scientist for the NASA Lucy mission, co-investigator for the NASA Psyche mission, co-investigator for instruments on board ESA BepiColombo and JUICE missions. He was co-investigator for the Dawn mission and associate scientist for instruments on board ESA Rosetta. He has won multiple awards including the Paolo Farinella Prize (2017), NASA's Susan Mahan Neibur Early Career Award (2014), and several Group Achievement Awards from NASA and ESA.

    • Carol A. Raymond , California Institute of Technology

      Carol A. Raymond is a Principal Scientist at Caltech's Jet Propulsion Lab. She has been involved in mission and instrument leadership for NASA and program science support at JPL. She was the Deputy Principal Investigator on the NASA Dawn Discovery Mission and Principal Investigator of the Europa Magnetometer System (ICEMAG) for the NASA Europa Clipper mission. Her research focuses on geophysics and interiors of small bodies and moons, and magnetic fields in the Solar System. She has received multiple awards including three NASA Exceptional Public Achievement Medals (2013, 2016, 2019), the Shoemaker Award from the American Geophysical Union (2018), and the National Aeronautic Association Collier Award to the Dawn Flight Team (2015).

    • Christopher T. Russell , University of California, Los Angeles

      Christopher T. Russell is a Distinguished Professor in the Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences department at the University of California, Los Angeles. He was the Principal Investigator of NASA's Dawn ion-propelled mission to Vesta and Ceres. He has been awarded the American Geophysical Union Macelwane Award and Fleming medal, COSPAR's Space Science Award, NASA's Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal (2012) and Distinguished Public Service Medal (2017), and the National Aeronautic Association Collier Award to the Dawn Flight Team (2015). He has built and operated instruments on many space missions.