Analysis of the OMEGA 0.4-2.5 μm spectra of the martian satellite Phobos

This thesis work starts with a description of asteroids taxonomy and meteorites classification, followed by an overview of the main physical and spectral characteristics of the martian satellite Phobos, with a review of the main scientific results obtained until now. The main problem is to understand Phobos' origin. There are a few main theories proposed, but so far no one has been completely ruled out: Capture Theory, Co-accretion with Mars, Impact Theory. For this reason, studies of Phobos' composition and mineralogy have been conducted, in order to clarify how the moon could have been formed. We present an analysis of four OMEGA data-cubes with the software ENVI, in the spectral region 0.4-2.5 μm, in order to determine some compositional constraints or spectral characteristics that could be used to find a meteoric or asteroidal analogue. Linear mathematical combinations of laboratory spectra are proposed and compared with Phobos' spectra, in order to find a laboratory analogue that could mimic Phobos' spectral response.