  The asteroid (16) Psyche is of scientific interest because it contains ~ 1%
of the total mass of the asteroid belt and is thought to be the remnant
metallic core of a protoplanet. Radar observations have indicated the
significant presence of metal on the surface with a small percentage of
silicates. Prior ground-based observations showed rotational variations in the
near-infrared (NIR) spectra and radar albedo of this asteroid. However, no
comprehensive study that combines multi-wavelength data has been conducted so
far. Here we present rotationally resolved NIR spectra (0.7-2.5 microns) of
(16) Psyche obtained with the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. These data have
been combined with shape models of the asteroid for each rotation phase.
Spectral band parameters extracted from the NIR spectra show that the pyroxene
band center varies from ~ 0.92 to 0.94 microns. Band center values were used to
calculate the pyroxene chemistry of the asteroid, whose average value was found
to be Fs30En65Wo5. Variations in the band depth were also observed, with values
ranging from 1.0 to 1.5%. Using a new laboratory spectral calibration we
estimated an average orthopyroxene content of 6+/-1%. The mass-deficit region
of Psyche, which exhibits the highest radar albedo, also shows the highest
value for spectral slope and the minimum band depth. The spectral
characteristics of Psyche suggest that its parent body did not have the typical
structure expected for a differentiated body or that the sequence of events
that led to its current state was more complex than previously thought.
