Mid-infrared spectral variability for compositionally similar asteroids: Implications for asteroid particle size distributions

International audienceWe report an unexpected variability among mid-infrared spectra (IRTF and Spitzer data) of eight S-type asteroids for which all other remote sensing interpretations (e.g. VNIR spectroscopy, albedo) yield similar compositions. Compositional fitting making use of their mid-IR spectra only yields surprising alternative conclusions: (1) these objects are not ''compositionally similar" as the inferred abundances of their main surface minerals (olivine and pyroxene) differ from one another by 35% and (2) carbonaceous chondrite and ordinary chondrite meteorites provide an equally good match to each asteroid spectrum. Following the laboratory work of Ramsey and Christensen (Ramsey, M.S., Christensen, P.R. [1998]. J. Geo-phys. Res. 103, 577-596), we interpret this variability to be physically caused by differences in surface particle size and/or the effect of space weathering processes. Our results suggest that the observed asteroids must be covered with very fine (