2025MNRAS.537.3145M -
Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc., 537, 3145-3159 (2025/March-2)
The Gefion Asteroid Family: parent body puzzles and ordinary chondrite pieces.
McGRAW A., REDDY V. and SANCHEZ J.A.
Abstract (from CDS):
Asteroid families provide critical clues to the nature of their original parent bodies. Ordinary chondrites, the most common meteorites to reach Earth, consist of three subtypes: H, L, and LL chondrites, offering valuable insights into the Solar system's geochemical history. The Gefion Asteroid Family (GAF) has been proposed as a source for some L chondrites. In this study, we present the results of a spectroscopic campaign on dynamically defined members of the GAF, testing the hypothesis that L chondrites may originate from this family. Our new observations, combined with near-infrared (NIR) spectra from previous work, provide data for 18 asteroids. Compositional analysis reveals a range of meteorite analogues, including H (1 object, 6 per cent), L (8 objects, 43 per cent), and LL (1 object, 6 per cent). Objects with L chondrite-like compositions were the most common in our sample. Accounting for uncertainties, we also observed intermediate subtypes, such as H/L (5 objects, 28 per cent) and L/LL (3 objects, 17 per cent). Based on these results, we conclude that the GAF is a viable source for some L chondrite meteorites. However, further investigations are needed to fully understand the family's contribution to the broader meteorite population.
Abstract Copyright:
© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society.
Journal keyword(s):
instrumentation: spectrograph - meteorites - asteroids
Simbad objects:
4
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