Origin of asteroid (101955) Bennu and its connection to the New Polana family

Abstract

The asteroid (142) Polana is classified as a B-type asteroid located in the inner Main Belt. This asteroid is the parent of the New Polana family, which has been proposed to be the likely source of primitive near-Earth asteroids such as the B-type asteroid (101955) Bennu. To investigate the compositional correlation between Polana and Bennu at the 3 µm band and their aqueous alteration histories, we analyzed the spectra of Polana in the ~ 2.0–4.0 µm spectral range using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility in Hawai’i. Our findings indicate that Polana does not exhibit discernable 3 µm hydrated mineral absorption (within 2σ), which is in contrast to asteroid Bennu. Bennu displayed a significant 3 µm absorption feature similar to CM- and CI-type carbonaceous chondrites. This suggests two possibilities: either Bennu did not originate from the New Polana family parented by asteroid Polana or the interior of Bennu’s parent body was not homogenous, with diverse levels of aqueous alteration. Several explanations support the latter possibility, including heating due to shock waves and pressure, which could have caused the current dehydrated state of Bennu’s parent body.