Exploring Spectroscopic Links between Giant Planet Irregular Satellites and Trojans

Irregular satellites and Trojan asteroids of gas and ice giants are interesting because they help place constraints on models of Solar System formation and the transport of primitive material.. Here we present the results of a targeted visible and near-infrared spectroscopic survey of small Jovian irregular satellites, Uranian irregular satellites, and Neptunian Trojans. Among the Jovian irregulars, we extend comparisons between and within different orbital families to assess their spectral variability. Our spectral observations of the Uranian and Neptunian objects are the first of their kind, and we discuss how such observations build upon previous photometric studies to characterize their surfaces. We highlight how interpretations of dark small bodies in the outer solar system, particularly those with ambiguous compositions, benefit from comparison with material from dark, hydrated meteorites. Both composition and grain size can have large effects on meteorite spectra, and we argue that these effects must be considered in tandem when considering the relationship between C/P/D type surfaces.