Space Weathering Agent: Solar Wind

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Space Weathering Agent Solar Wind

• Bombardment of helium ions on olivine under
  vacuum conditions in the lab simulates space
  weathering of asteroids and other airless bodies.
  
• The observed effects are
• reddening of the spectral slope
• slight darkening of the olivine
• attenuation of the 1 µm absorption band
• formation of metallic iron in the outer layer of
  the mineral surface in powder and flat slab

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Space Weathering Agent Solar Wind
The more we understand the processes and
timescales of space weathering, the better we can

• Interpret reflectance spectra of the surfaces of
  airless planetary bodies
• Compare spectra of meteorites to spectra of
  asteroids, to determine meteorite parent bodies