RETRACTED: X-ray fluorescence spectrometry of asteroid Itokawa by Hayabusa.
X-ray fluorescence spectrometry of asteroid 25143 Itokawa was performed by the x-ray spectrometer onboard Hayabusa during the first touchdown on 19 November 2005. We selected those data observed during relatively enhanced solar activity and determined average elemental mass ratios of Mg/Si = 0.78 +/- 0.09 and Al/Si = 0.07 +/- 0.03. Our preliminary results suggest that Itokawa has a composition consistent with that of ordinary chondrites, but primitive achondrites cannot be ruled out. Among ordinary chondrites, LL- or L-chondrites appear to be more likely than H-chondrites. No substantial regional difference was found on the asteroid surface, indicating its homogeneity in composition.
Okada
Tatsuaki
T
Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8510, Japan. okada@planeta.sci.isas.jaxa.jp
Shirai
Kei
K
Yamamoto
Yukio
Y
Arai
Takehiko
T
Ogawa
Kazunori
K
Hosono
Kozue
K
Kato
Manabu
M