Long-term Spectral Monitoring of Active Asteroid (6478) Gault: Implications for the H Chondrite Parent Body
Active asteroid (6478) Gault underwent outbursts between late 2018 and early 2019 with tails morphologically similar to the ejecta from Dimorphous following the Double Asteroid Redirection Test impact. Multiple studies investigated the dust properties, confirmed that Gault is an S-type Phocaea-famil...
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IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | The Planetary Science Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ada286 |
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| author | Adam Battle Vishnu Reddy Juan A. Sanchez Neil Pearson Benjamin N. L. Sharkey Theodore Kareta |
| author_facet | Adam Battle Vishnu Reddy Juan A. Sanchez Neil Pearson Benjamin N. L. Sharkey Theodore Kareta |
| author_sort | Adam Battle |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Active asteroid (6478) Gault underwent outbursts between late 2018 and early 2019 with tails morphologically similar to the ejecta from Dimorphous following the Double Asteroid Redirection Test impact. Multiple studies investigated the dust properties, confirmed that Gault is an S-type Phocaea-family asteroid, and obtained a ∼2.5 hr rotation period consistent with being near the critical rotation period for breakup. We present results from near-infrared spectral monitoring of Gault on one night during a period of activity and five nights across 3 yr after activity ceased in order to understand the evolution of surface mineralogy over time. Spectral band parameters show an average Band I center of 0.920 ± 0.005 μ m, Band II center of 2.04 ± 0.13 μ m, and band area ratio of 1.33 ± 0.04. These values correspond to an olivine–pyroxene ratio of 0.40, 18.7 mol% fayalite, and 17.2 mol% ferrosilite—all of which are consistent with an H chondrite that has low levels of thermal metamorphism. Three meteorite analogs were identified that are H chondrites with petrologic types between H3.4 and H4. The low-level thermal metamorphism interpretation of Gault’s surface suggests that it formed from the outermost portion of the progenitor of the Phocaea family, assuming an “onion shell’ structure, which was catastrophically disrupted 1.2 Gyr ago. We discuss implications of Gault’s surface composition to better understand this H chondrite parent body, with the suggestion that more dynamical and spectral analyses be performed for members of the Phocaea family. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d2cfd86cd0bc447eacabbdc1fe62e44c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2632-3338 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
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| series | The Planetary Science Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-d2cfd86cd0bc447eacabbdc1fe62e44c2025-01-31T08:52:24ZengIOP PublishingThe Planetary Science Journal2632-33382025-01-01623110.3847/PSJ/ada286Long-term Spectral Monitoring of Active Asteroid (6478) Gault: Implications for the H Chondrite Parent BodyAdam Battle0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4412-5732Vishnu Reddy1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7743-3491Juan A. Sanchez2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0764-4672Neil Pearson3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0183-1581Benjamin N. L. Sharkey4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1383-1578Theodore Kareta5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1008-7499Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona , 1629 East University Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85721-0092, USA ; adambattle@arizona.eduLunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona , 1629 East University Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85721-0092, USA ; adambattle@arizona.eduPlanetary Science Institute , 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Tucson, AZ 85719, USAPlanetary Science Institute , 1700 East Fort Lowell Road, Tucson, AZ 85719, USADepartment of Astronomy, University of Maryland , 4296 Stadium Drive PSC (Building 415), College Park, MD 20742-2421, USALowell Observatory , 1400 West Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86004, USAActive asteroid (6478) Gault underwent outbursts between late 2018 and early 2019 with tails morphologically similar to the ejecta from Dimorphous following the Double Asteroid Redirection Test impact. Multiple studies investigated the dust properties, confirmed that Gault is an S-type Phocaea-family asteroid, and obtained a ∼2.5 hr rotation period consistent with being near the critical rotation period for breakup. We present results from near-infrared spectral monitoring of Gault on one night during a period of activity and five nights across 3 yr after activity ceased in order to understand the evolution of surface mineralogy over time. Spectral band parameters show an average Band I center of 0.920 ± 0.005 μ m, Band II center of 2.04 ± 0.13 μ m, and band area ratio of 1.33 ± 0.04. These values correspond to an olivine–pyroxene ratio of 0.40, 18.7 mol% fayalite, and 17.2 mol% ferrosilite—all of which are consistent with an H chondrite that has low levels of thermal metamorphism. Three meteorite analogs were identified that are H chondrites with petrologic types between H3.4 and H4. The low-level thermal metamorphism interpretation of Gault’s surface suggests that it formed from the outermost portion of the progenitor of the Phocaea family, assuming an “onion shell’ structure, which was catastrophically disrupted 1.2 Gyr ago. We discuss implications of Gault’s surface composition to better understand this H chondrite parent body, with the suggestion that more dynamical and spectral analyses be performed for members of the Phocaea family.https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ada286Main belt asteroidsInfrared spectroscopyMeteoritesChondritesAsteroid surfacesSolar system formation |
| spellingShingle | Adam Battle Vishnu Reddy Juan A. Sanchez Neil Pearson Benjamin N. L. Sharkey Theodore Kareta Long-term Spectral Monitoring of Active Asteroid (6478) Gault: Implications for the H Chondrite Parent Body The Planetary Science Journal Main belt asteroids Infrared spectroscopy Meteorites Chondrites Asteroid surfaces Solar system formation |
| title | Long-term Spectral Monitoring of Active Asteroid (6478) Gault: Implications for the H Chondrite Parent Body |
| title_full | Long-term Spectral Monitoring of Active Asteroid (6478) Gault: Implications for the H Chondrite Parent Body |
| title_fullStr | Long-term Spectral Monitoring of Active Asteroid (6478) Gault: Implications for the H Chondrite Parent Body |
| title_full_unstemmed | Long-term Spectral Monitoring of Active Asteroid (6478) Gault: Implications for the H Chondrite Parent Body |
| title_short | Long-term Spectral Monitoring of Active Asteroid (6478) Gault: Implications for the H Chondrite Parent Body |
| title_sort | long term spectral monitoring of active asteroid 6478 gault implications for the h chondrite parent body |
| topic | Main belt asteroids Infrared spectroscopy Meteorites Chondrites Asteroid surfaces Solar system formation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ada286 |
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