{
  "abstract": "Context. The composition of Phobos’ blue unit is poorly constrained due a lack of diagnostic spectral features. A ≈1 μm absorption was tentatively identified in past studies, but there has not been a conclusive detection. This situation has precluded the identification of spectroscopic analogs, thus preventing accurate compositional analyses.\n\nAims. The aim of this study is to validate the ≈1 μm absorption in the Phobos blue unit and identify novel asteroidal spectral analogs that fully reproduce its spectral shape.\n\nMethods. We validated a Phobos blue unit spectrum from Mars Express/OMEGA with TGO/CaSSIS photometry, whose absolute accuracy is well established, and identified novel asteroidal analogs.\n\nResults. The OMEGA and CaSSIS datasets show agreement within 1 σ , confirming the 1 μm band at ≥3 σ for the first time. We identified novel improved asteroidal analogs belonging to the C-complex and Xc types in the SMASSII taxonomy.\n\nConclusions. The 1 μm absorption, suggesting the presence of mafic silicates in the Phobos blue unit, and the identification of C and Xc-type analogs support an exogenous origin, providing key compositional information for the future JAXA/MMX mission.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "INAF Astronomical Observatory of Padova",
    "CISAS, Università degli Studi di Padova",
    "LIRA, Université Paris Cité, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS",
    "Physikalisches Institut",
    "School of Physical Sciences, The Open University",
    "Brown University, Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences",
    "Institute for Earth and Space Exploration, University of Western Ontario, Dept. of Earth Sciences"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 19,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "G. Munaretto",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7904-2657"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "J. Beccarelli",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-9418-8301"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "M. Pajola",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3144-1277"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "G. Cremonese"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "P. Borin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "S. Fornasier"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "A. Lucchetti",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7413-3058"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "F. Tusberti",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-9290-1679"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "A. Tullo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "C. Re"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "M. Almeida",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4632-1830"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "M. Read"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "K. Mason-Piercy",
      "orcid": "0009-0001-9151-0270"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "N. Thomas",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0146-0071"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "C. Rossi",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5120-8894"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "L. Penasa",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6394-3108"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "M. R. Patel",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8223-3566"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "A. Valantinas"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "L. L. Tornabene",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1479-6711"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/241wzybk5w1j2.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1051/0004-6361/202661396",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "241wzybk5w1j2",
  "issns": [
    "0004-6361",
    "1432-0746"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.aanda.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202661396",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3103|Planetary Science and Exploration"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7214935553",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-15",
  "publisher": "EDP Sciences",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/241wzybk5w1j2.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:18Z",
      "native_id": "10.1051/0004-6361/202661396",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.aanda.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202661396"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "astronomy",
      "origin": "openalex:3103|Planetary Science and Exploration",
      "subfield": "planetary"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Evidence of mafic silicates in the blue unit of Phobos: Vis-NIR analogs within the C and Xc-type asteroid taxonomy",
  "title_text": "Evidence of mafic silicates in the blue unit of Phobos: Vis-NIR analogs within the C and Xc-type asteroid taxonomy",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:18Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/241wzybk5w1j2",
  "venue": "Astronomy & Astrophysics",
  "versions": []
}