Spectra of bolides produced by meteoroids from (3200) phaeton

Abstract

The Geminids is the densest annual meteoroid stream whose parent body is asteroid (3200) Phaethon, which was considered by some researchers as an extinct cometary nucleus rather than a regular asteroid [1]. On the basis of spectral and dynamical similarities, it has been recently proposed that asteroid 2 Pallas is the likely parent body of asteroid (3200) Phaeton [2, 3]. The asteroidal origin of the Geminids suggests that this stream could be a potential meteorite producer. The analysis of several Geminid fireballs observed between 2009 and 2010 from Spain supports this idea [4]. In this work we present the preliminary analysis of four emission spectra produced by meteoroids from the Geminids stream. These were obtained in the framework of the continuous spectroscopic campaign developed by the SPanish Meteor Network (SPMN).