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- P21G-2679: Spitzer Observations of the Koronis Asteroid Family: Probing Size-Dependent Surface Evolution
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Board 2679‚ Hall EFG (Poster Hall)NOLA CC
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Annika Gustafsson, Northern Arizona University (First Author, Presenting Author)
Cristina Thomas, Northern Arizona University
David Trilling, Northern Arizona University
Nicolas Erasmus, South African Astronomical Observatory
Andrew Rivkin, JHU/APL
John Stansberry, Space Telescope Science Institute
Asteroid surfaces undergo continuous change driven by impacts and exposure to solar radiation. Regolith, the layer of loose, fragmented material on asteroid surfaces, plays a crucial role in controlling their thermal and spectral properties. Understanding how regolith characteristics evolve with asteroid size and surface age is essential for interpreting telescopic observations and modeling surface processes. This study focuses on the Koronis family, a main-belt asteroid family that shares a similar composition but varies in size and age, making it ideal for examining the effects of these variables. Using data from the Spitzer Space Telescope, we measured how these asteroids absorb and emit heat, which tells us about their surface properties like reflectivity and thermal behavior. Our analysis found that reflectivity (albedo) has no significant variation with size among our Koronis family targets. However, thermal behavior shows differences between- smaller and larger asteroids, suggesting changes in surface properties. Comparing the older Koronis family to the younger Karin subgroup revealed that these asteroid surfaces evolve over time, likely influenced by both regolith changes and space weathering. These findings help us better understand how main-belt asteroid surfaces develop and change, which is important for future exploration and hazard assessment.
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