# # Program information file # PROGRAM_ID 2024B054 PROGRAM_TITLE LXD Observations of Relic Low-Albedo Asteroids PROGRAM_INV1 Andrew Rivkin PROGRAM_INV2 PROGRAM_INV3 PROGRAM_INV4 PROGRAM_INV5 PROGRAM_SCICAT main-belt / Trojan asteroids PROGRAM_ABSTRACT_BEG Dynamical studies suggest that the vast majority of asteroids belong to collisional families, each of which samples a single parent body. It has further been proposed that all but a small number of low-albedo asteroids belong to a single, ancient 'Primordial Family', and are thus related. By force of numbers, small members of the Primordial family should dominate the low-albedo NEO population and the meteorite collection. However, an estimated 11-19 large low-albedo objects are thought to be non-members of the Primordial Family, and thus have formed independently. Studying their composition, best done in the 3-micron region with SpeX LXD, will help us determine the true diversity of material available for accretion early in solar system history. Ten of these objects were observed in 2023B, and 5 of the 9 remaining potential Relics are observable [reaching V < 14.0 at solar elongations > 90 degrees] during the 2024B semester. We propose the equivalent of one night of observing, split into two half-nights, to allow these objects to be caught close to their peak 2024B brightness. We will spend 1-2 hours per target, depending on brightness, to obtain SNR > 50 near 3 microns after binning data to resolution ~150. This SNR will allow quantitative compositional measurements to be made in comparison to other relevant asteroid spectra. PROGRAM_ABSTRACT_END