Expected Characteristics of Cometary Meteorites
H. Campins (University of Florida), T. D. Swindle (LPL, University of Arizona)
The possible cometary origin of some meteorites has been discussed extensively. Recent developments provide new insights into this topic. These developments include a) the identification in Earth-crossing orbits of comet-asteroid transition objects such as 3200 Phaethon and 4015 Wilson-Harrington, b) information on the origin (Kuiper Belt) and the collisional history of Jupiter-family comets, and c) information on the composition of cometary solids. We revisit this question and conclude that comets do indeed yield meteorites, which have either not been found or recognized. We also consider the expected characteristics of cometary meteorites, with an emphasis on those that help identify and differentiate them from other types of meteorites.