Space Weathering Investigations Enabled by NASA's Virtual Heliophysical Observatories

摘要

Space weathering by the plasma and energetic particle radiation environment of the heliosphere contributes to the physical and chemical evolution of exposed surfaces on airless bodies such as the Moon, asteroids, comets, and icy bodies of the outer solar system. The Multi-Source Spectral Plot (MSSP) service of the NASA Virtual Energetic Particle Observatory (VEPO) enables enhanced access and comparative global heliospheric analysis of ion flux spectra from the past and present fleet of interplanetary spacecraft for modeling of space weathering effects. Commonly red colors of low-inclination Classical Kuiper Belt Objects may be the result of specific compositional origin and spectral irradiation effects in the outer heliosphere. VEPO also enables easy comparison of flux spectra to check intercalibration issues.