Cornell University

Title: Trojan Asteroids: Past, Present, and Future


Abstract: Jovian Trojan asteroids (hereafter, Trojans), located in Jupiter’s L4 and L5
Lagrange points, represent a critical population of small bodies in the Solar System, and
are the focus of NASA’s Lucy mission. Trojans are thought to have formed in the distant
reaches of the Solar System alongside Kuiper Belt Objects, before being scattered inward
during giant planet the migration. As such, Trojans offer a unique opportunity to study
some of the most primitive remnants of the outer Solar System. In this colloquium, Dr.
Audrey Martin will present compositional insights into the dynamic history of the Trojans,
based on mid-infrared (MIR: ~5 – 30 m) spectra obtained from the James Webb Space
Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope. These observations, which include several
Lucy mission targets, provide a deeper understanding of the Trojans' mineralogical
diversity and their evolutionary past. Dr. Martin will also highlight key milestones of the
Lucy mission as it journeys toward the Trojans, discussing the mission’s potential to validate
these MIR spectral findings and further refine our understanding of Trojan dynamics and
composition.
 

1 person is interested in this event


Monica Carpenter (mla20@cornell.edu) or Jason Jennings (jej34@cornell.edu)

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