Abstract

The Promise of JWST for Asteroid Studies

Andrew Rivkin (JHU/APL)

Cristina Thomas (PSI) Heidi Hammel (AURA) Stefanie Milam (GSFC)

Many aspects of small body science that are of great current interest are addressable by JWST, and just as HST observations of asteroids set the stage for in situ measurements of these objects, we expect JWST to extend our understanding further still. In particular, NIRSpec observations in the 3-µm region and MIRI observations will provide data unobtainable from the ground save for a handful of the brightest asteroids. In contrast, JWST will allow these measurements to be made for practically every known main belt asteroid and a large fraction of near-Earth asteroids, enabling study of their mineralogies and volatile inventories. We will describe the science cases for several possible JWST asteroid projects, including study of a Ceres-like asteroid and members of its dynamical family, a reconnaissance of objects co-orbiting with major planets, and observations of select, intriguing near-Earth objects unrepresented in our meteorite collections, all at wavelengths and with a sensitivity unachievable from Earth. These possible projects will all provide high-priority planetary science and showcase JWST’s unique capabilities.

Talk