Surface water-ice deposits in the northern shadowed regions of Ceres

T. Platz; A. Nathues; N. Schorghofer; F. Preusker; E. Mazarico; S. E. Schröder; S. Byrne; T. Kneissl; N. Schmedemann; J. P. Combe; M. Schäfer; G. S. Thangjam; M. Hoffmann; P. Gutierrez-Marques; M. E. Landis; W. Dietrich; J. Ripken; K. D. Matz; C. T. Russell

doi:10.1038/S41550-016-0007

Surface water-ice deposits in the northern shadowed regions of Ceres

T. Platz, A. Nathues, N. Schorghofer, F. Preusker, E. Mazarico, S. E. Schröder, S. Byrne, T. Kneissl, N. Schmedemann, J. P. Combe, M. Schäfer, G. S. Thangjam, M. Hoffmann, P. Gutierrez-Marques, M. E. Landis, W. Dietrich, J. Ripken, K. D. Matz, C. T. Russell

Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review

76 Scopus citations

Abstract

Ceres, a dwarf planet located in the main asteroid belt, has a low bulk density¹, and models predict that a substantial amount of water ice is present in its mantle and outer shell^2–4. The Herschel telescope and the Dawn spacecraft⁵ have observed the release of water vapour from Ceres^6,7, and exposed water ice has been detected by Dawn on its surface at mid-latitudes⁸. Water molecules from endogenic and exo-genic sources can also be cold-trapped in permanent shadows at high latitudes^9–11, as happens on the Moon^12,13 and Mercury^14,15. Here we present the first image-based survey of Ceres’s northern permanent shadows and report the discov-ery of bright deposits in cold traps. We identify a minimum of 634 permanently shadowed craters. Bright deposits are detected on the floors of just 10 of these craters in multi-scattered light. We spectroscopically identify one of the bright deposits as water ice. This detection strengthens the evidence that permanently shadowed areas have preserved water ice on airless planetary bodies.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	7
Journal	Nature Astronomy
Volume	1
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/S41550-016-0007
State	Published - Jan 2017

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics

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Platz, T., Nathues, A., Schorghofer, N., Preusker, F., Mazarico, E., Schröder, S. E., Byrne, S., Kneissl, T., Schmedemann, N., Combe, J. P., Schäfer, M., Thangjam, G. S., Hoffmann, M., Gutierrez-Marques, P., Landis, M. E., Dietrich, W., Ripken, J., Matz, K. D., & Russell, C. T. (2017). Surface water-ice deposits in the northern shadowed regions of Ceres. Nature Astronomy, 1(1), Article 7. https://doi.org/10.1038/S41550-016-0007

Platz, T, Nathues, A, Schorghofer, N, Preusker, F, Mazarico, E, Schröder, SE, Byrne, S, Kneissl, T, Schmedemann, N, Combe, JP, Schäfer, M, Thangjam, GS, Hoffmann, M, Gutierrez-Marques, P, Landis, ME, Dietrich, W, Ripken, J, Matz, KD & Russell, CT 2017, 'Surface water-ice deposits in the northern shadowed regions of Ceres', Nature Astronomy, vol. 1, no. 1, 7. https://doi.org/10.1038/S41550-016-0007

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abstract = "Ceres, a dwarf planet located in the main asteroid belt, has a low bulk density1, and models predict that a substantial amount of water ice is present in its mantle and outer shell2–4. The Herschel telescope and the Dawn spacecraft5 have observed the release of water vapour from Ceres6,7, and exposed water ice has been detected by Dawn on its surface at mid-latitudes8. Water molecules from endogenic and exo-genic sources can also be cold-trapped in permanent shadows at high latitudes9–11, as happens on the Moon12,13 and Mercury14,15. Here we present the first image-based survey of Ceres{\textquoteright}s northern permanent shadows and report the discov-ery of bright deposits in cold traps. We identify a minimum of 634 permanently shadowed craters. Bright deposits are detected on the floors of just 10 of these craters in multi-scattered light. We spectroscopically identify one of the bright deposits as water ice. This detection strengthens the evidence that permanently shadowed areas have preserved water ice on airless planetary bodies.",

author = "T. Platz and A. Nathues and N. Schorghofer and F. Preusker and E. Mazarico and Schr{\"o}der, {S. E.} and S. Byrne and T. Kneissl and N. Schmedemann and Combe, {J. P.} and M. Sch{\"a}fer and Thangjam, {G. S.} and M. Hoffmann and P. Gutierrez-Marques and Landis, {M. E.} and W. Dietrich and J. Ripken and Matz, {K. D.} and Russell, {C. T.}",

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AU - Platz, T.

AU - Nathues, A.

AU - Schorghofer, N.

AU - Preusker, F.

AU - Mazarico, E.

AU - Schröder, S. E.

AU - Byrne, S.

AU - Kneissl, T.

AU - Schmedemann, N.

AU - Combe, J. P.

AU - Schäfer, M.

AU - Thangjam, G. S.

AU - Hoffmann, M.

AU - Gutierrez-Marques, P.

AU - Landis, M. E.

AU - Dietrich, W.

AU - Ripken, J.

AU - Matz, K. D.

AU - Russell, C. T.

PY - 2017/1

Y1 - 2017/1

N2 - Ceres, a dwarf planet located in the main asteroid belt, has a low bulk density1, and models predict that a substantial amount of water ice is present in its mantle and outer shell2–4. The Herschel telescope and the Dawn spacecraft5 have observed the release of water vapour from Ceres6,7, and exposed water ice has been detected by Dawn on its surface at mid-latitudes8. Water molecules from endogenic and exo-genic sources can also be cold-trapped in permanent shadows at high latitudes9–11, as happens on the Moon12,13 and Mercury14,15. Here we present the first image-based survey of Ceres’s northern permanent shadows and report the discov-ery of bright deposits in cold traps. We identify a minimum of 634 permanently shadowed craters. Bright deposits are detected on the floors of just 10 of these craters in multi-scattered light. We spectroscopically identify one of the bright deposits as water ice. This detection strengthens the evidence that permanently shadowed areas have preserved water ice on airless planetary bodies.

AB - Ceres, a dwarf planet located in the main asteroid belt, has a low bulk density1, and models predict that a substantial amount of water ice is present in its mantle and outer shell2–4. The Herschel telescope and the Dawn spacecraft5 have observed the release of water vapour from Ceres6,7, and exposed water ice has been detected by Dawn on its surface at mid-latitudes8. Water molecules from endogenic and exo-genic sources can also be cold-trapped in permanent shadows at high latitudes9–11, as happens on the Moon12,13 and Mercury14,15. Here we present the first image-based survey of Ceres’s northern permanent shadows and report the discov-ery of bright deposits in cold traps. We identify a minimum of 634 permanently shadowed craters. Bright deposits are detected on the floors of just 10 of these craters in multi-scattered light. We spectroscopically identify one of the bright deposits as water ice. This detection strengthens the evidence that permanently shadowed areas have preserved water ice on airless planetary bodies.

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Surface water-ice deposits in the northern shadowed regions of Ceres

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