Infrared Spectrophotometry of the NEAR Flyby Target 253 Mathilde
A. S. Rivkin, B. E. Clark, D. T. Britt and L. A. Lebofsky
Icarus, vol. 127, pp 255-257.
We have performed spectrophotometry of the NEAR flyby target 253 Mathilde using 5 filters from 1.25--3.35 microns. We present a synthesized spectrum of groundbased data for 253 Mathilde from 0.3--3.35 microns combining our data with that of Binzel et al. (1996). We find 253 Mathilde to have a spectrum consistent with C-class asteroids in the near-IR, though without the 3-microns water-of-hydration feature commonly (but not always) seen on asteroids of this class. We compare Mathilde to plausible meteorite analogs, and find that the surface of this asteroid is not consistent with a surface composition of common carbonaceous chondritic material. We suggest some alternative analogs on the basis of comparison of meteorite data
with a synthesis of ground-based observations of Mathilde.