SDSS photometry of Asteroids in Cometary Orbits

TL;DR

This study uses SDSS photometry to analyze the spectral properties of asteroids in cometary orbits, revealing their likely primitive origins based on Tisserand parameter analysis.

Contribution

It provides a detailed photometric analysis of asteroids in cometary orbits, linking their spectral slopes to their dynamical origins and populations.

Findings

Asteroids with Tisserand parameter below 2.9 are likely primitive.

Objects with Tisserand parameter above 2.9 are a mixed population.

Spectral slope analysis supports the primitive nature of low Tisserand parameter asteroids.

Abstract

Aiming at exploring the relationship between asteroids in cometary orbits and other minor body populations from the observational point of view, I explore the large photometric database of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey - Moving Objects Catalog. The sample of interest was carefully selected analyzing colors and orbital properties within the data in the catalog. I computed the spectral slope for each object and compared with published spectroscopic results of other Asteroids in Cometary Orbits, as well as with other populations of asteroids in the outer region of the Main belt and Trojans. Using this extended database I find that Asteroids in Cometary Orbits with Tisserand parameter below 2.9, and especially below 2.8, are most likely of primitive origin. The population of objects with Tisserand parameter larger than 2.9 is a mixture of populations ranging from the inner to the outer Main belt.