X-type asteroid

The X-group of asteroids collects together several types with similar spectra, but probably quite different compositions.

Tholen classification

In the Tholen classification, the X-group consists of the following types:

E-type – with high albedo (> 0.30), composed of enstatite, forsterite and feldspar. They are found in the inner main belt.
M-type – the largest grouping, intermediate albedo, "metallic", composed of iron and nickel, thought to be the progenitors of nickel–iron meteorites. They are found around 3.0 AU and in the Hungaria region (innermost main-belt).
P-type – low albedos (< 0.10) with featureless red spectra; presumably composed of carbonaceous chondrites, and found in the outer main-belt and the Jupiter trojan region.

Since in this scheme, the albedo is crucial in discriminating between the above types, some objects for which albedo information was not available were assigned an X-type. An example of this is 50 Virginia.^{[citation needed]}

SMASS classification

The SMASS classification does not use albedo, but several spectral types are distinguished on the basis of spectral features which were too subtle to be visible in the broad-band ECAS survey used for the Tholen scheme. The X-group contains the types:

core X-type containing the asteroids with the most "typical" spectra
Xe-type of asteroids whose spectra exhibit a moderately broad absorption band around 0.49 μm. It has been suggested that this indicates the presence of troilite (FeS). There is some correlation between this group and the Tholen E-type.
Xc- and Xk-type asteroids, which contain a broad convex spectral feature in the range 0.55 μm to 0.8 μm (i.e. increased flux in this range). These spectra tend to be intermediate between the core X-type and the C and K-type.
Xn-type asteroids, whose spectra exhibit a sharp absorption band at 0.9 μm. This subclass was introduced to the SMASS classification system in 2019. The asteroid 44 Nysa is the prototype of the Xn class.

Apart from the Xe-type, there is no significant correlation between the split into these SMASS types and the Tholen E, M, and P-types. All the types in the X-group contain a mixture of asteroids classified as either type E, M, or P.

References

1 2 3 4 Fornasier, S.; Clark, B. E.; Dotto, E. (July 2011). "Spectroscopic survey of X-type asteroids". Icarus. 214 (1): 131–146. arXiv:1105.3380. Bibcode:2011Icar..214..131F. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2011.04.022.
1 2 Binzel, R. P.; DeMeo, F. E.; Turtelboom, E. V.; Bus, S. J.; Tokunaga, A.; Burbine, T. H.; et al. (May 2019). "Compositional distributions and evolutionary processes for the near-Earth object population: Results from the MIT-Hawaii Near-Earth Object Spectroscopic Survey (MITHNEOS)". Icarus. 324: 41–76. arXiv:2004.05090. Bibcode:2019Icar..324...41B. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2018.12.035.
1 2 Burbine, Thomas H.; Khanani, Iman; Kumawat, Deepika; Hussain, Ahlay; Wallace, Sydney M.; Dyar, M. Darby (September 2024). "Testing the Bus–DeMeo Asteroid Taxonomy Using Meteorite Spectra". The Planetary Science Journal. 5 (9): 194. Bibcode:2024PSJ.....5..194B. doi:10.3847/PSJ/ad57b6.

S. J. Bus & R. P. Binzel (2002). "Phase II of the Small Main-belt Asteroid Spectroscopy Survey: A feature-based taxonomy". Icarus. 158 (1): 146. Bibcode:2002Icar..158..146B. doi:10.1006/icar.2002.6856.

[Fornasier-2011a-1] 1 2 3 4 Fornasier, S.; Clark, B. E.; Dotto, E. (July 2011). "Spectroscopic survey of X-type asteroids". Icarus. 214 (1): 131–146. arXiv:1105.3380. Bibcode:2011Icar..214..131F. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2011.04.022.

[Binzel2019-2] 1 2 Binzel, R. P.; DeMeo, F. E.; Turtelboom, E. V.; Bus, S. J.; Tokunaga, A.; Burbine, T. H.; et al. (May 2019). "Compositional distributions and evolutionary processes for the near-Earth object population: Results from the MIT-Hawaii Near-Earth Object Spectroscopic Survey (MITHNEOS)". Icarus. 324: 41–76. arXiv:2004.05090. Bibcode:2019Icar..324...41B. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2018.12.035.

[Burbine2024-3] 1 2 Burbine, Thomas H.; Khanani, Iman; Kumawat, Deepika; Hussain, Ahlay; Wallace, Sydney M.; Dyar, M. Darby (September 2024). "Testing the Bus–DeMeo Asteroid Taxonomy Using Meteorite Spectra". The Planetary Science Journal. 5 (9): 194. Bibcode:2024PSJ.....5..194B. doi:10.3847/PSJ/ad57b6.

X-type asteroid

Tholen classification

SMASS classification

See also

References