Near-infrared spectroscopy of 3:1 Kirkwood Gap asteroids: Mineralogical diversity and plausible meteorite parent bodies

The 3:1 Kirkwood gap asteroids are a mineralogically diverse set of asteroids located in a region that delivers meteoroids into Earth-crossing orbits. Mineralogical characterizations of asteroids in/near the 3:1 Kirkwood Gap can be used as a tool to “map” conditions and processes in the early Solar System. The chronological studies of the meteorite types provide a “clock” for the relative timing of those events and processes. By identifying the source asteroids of particular meteorite types, the “map” and “clock” can be combined to provide a much more sophisticated understanding of the history and evolution of the late solar nebula and the early Solar System.A mineralogical assessment of seven 3:1 Kirkwood Gap asteroids has been carried out using near-infrared spectral data obtained over the years 2006–2009 combined with visible spectral data (when available) to cover the spectral interval of 0.4–2.5 μm. We explore the diversity, uniqueness, and possible links between the asteroids (198) Ampella, (329) Svea, (495) Eulalia, (556) Phyllis, (623) Chimaera, (908) Buda, and (1772) Gagarin, which are located adjacent to the 3:1 resonance, and the meteorite types in the terrestrial collections.