The Massalia asteroid family as the origin of ordinary L chondrites

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Marsset, M.; Vernazza, P.; Broz, M.; Thomas, C. A.; DeMeo, F. E.; Burt, B.; Binzel, R. P.; Reddy, V.; McGraw, A.; Avdellidou, C.; Carry, B.; Slivan, S.; Polishook, D.
• 署名单位: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); Aix-Marseille Universite; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); Charles University Prague; Northern Arizona University; University of Arizona; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); Universite Cote d'Azur; Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur; University of Leicester; Weizmann Institute of Science
• 刊物名称: Nature
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0028-3779
• DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08007-6
• 发表日期: 2024-10-17
• 关键词: spectroscopic survey; physical-properties; spectral properties; dust bands; earth; meteorites; ages; distributions; fragments; abundance

摘要

Studies of micrometeorites in mid-Ordovician limestones and impact craters on Earth indicate that our planet witnessed a massive infall of ordinary L chondrite material about 466 million years ago1-3 that may have been at the origin of an Ordovician ice age and major turnover in biodiversity4. The breakup of a large asteroid in the main belt is the likely cause of this massive infall. Currently, material originating from this breakup still dominates meteorite falls (>20% of all falls)5. Here we provide spectroscopic observations and dynamical evidence that the Massalia collisional family is the only plausible source of this catastrophic event and the most abundant class of meteorites falling on Earth today. This family of asteroids is suitably located in the inner belt, at low-inclination orbits, which corresponds to the observed distribution of L-chondrite-like near-Earth objects and interplanetary dust concentrated at 1.4 degrees (refs. 6,7).