Context. Most asteroid families are very homogeneous in physical properties. Some show greater diversity, however. The Flora family is the most intriguing of them. The Flora family is spread widely in the inner main belt, has a rich collisional history, and is one of the most taxonomically diverse regions in the main belt. As a result of its proximity to the asteroid (4) Vesta (the only currently known intact differentiated asteroid) and its family, migration between the two regions is possible. This dynamical path is one of the counter arguments to the hypothesis that there may be traces of a differentiated parent body other than Vesta in the inner main belt region. We here investigate the possibility that some of the V-and A-types (commonly interpreted as basaltoids and dunites -parts of the mantle and crust of differentiated parent bodies) in the Flora dynamical region are not dynamically connected to Vesta. Aims. The goal of this study is to investigate asteroids in the Flora dynamical region that may be witness to the differentiation of a parent body other than (4) Vesta. In particular, we aim at predicting which asteroids may be fragments of a differentiated body or bodies (taxonomical V-types). We also investigate their possible dynamical linkage to the nearby Vesta family. Methods. To predict the taxonomic types of asteroids we used the naive Bayes classifier. We studied their dynamical past through numerical integration including gravitational and Yarkovsky forces. Each asteroid was cloned, and average orbital elements were computed at each step. When possible, we used observationally constrained physical parameters for the thermal forces. Results. Most of the asteroids in the Flora region are predicted to originate from the S-complex (around 47.8%). Tens of asteroids with potentially differential origins are identified in the region, including 164 potential V-types. We investigated the dynamical evolution of selected objects to examine possible linkages of selected asteroids with the nearby Vesta family. In addition to the candidate differentiated objects, we also studied the dynamical evolution of those asteroids from the Flora family for which spectroscopic classification exist. In particular, we used all the physical parameters available for asteroid (809) Lundia to show that the asteroid is unlikely to originate in the Vesta region and that it resided on a stable orbit in the Flora dynamical region for at least 80 My. Its observationally constrained prograde rotation shows that asteroid (809) Lundia is unlikely to be a former Vesta family member. Conclusions. We found that the V-type candidates are plentiful in the Flora dynamical region. Dynamical investigations of selected objects showed that some of these objects were likely not connected to asteroid (4) Vesta and its family for at least 100 My. This adds another piece of evidence to the hypothesis that there are multiple differentiated parent bodies.

The population of known minor bodies in retrograde orbits (i > 90 • ) that are classified as asteroids is still growing. The aim of our study was to estimate the dynamical lifetimes of these bodies by use of the latest observational data, including astrometry and physical properties. We selected 25 asteroids with the best determined orbital elements. We studied their dynamical evolution in the past and future for ± 100 My (± 1 Gy for three particular cases).We first used orbit determination and cloning to produce swarms of test particles. These swarms were then input into long-term numerical integrations and orbital elements were averaged. Next, we collected the available thermal properties of our objects and used them in an enhanced dynamical model with Yarkovsky forces. We also used a gravitational model for comparison. Finally, we estimated the median lifetimes of 25 asteroids.We found three objects whose retrograde orbits were stable with a dynamical lifetime τ ∼ 10 ÷ 100 My. A large portion of the objects studied displayed smaller values of τ (τ ∼ 1 My). In addition, we studied the possible influence of the Yarkovsky effect on our results.We found that the Yarkovsky effect can have a significant influence on the lifetimes of asteroids in retrograde orbits. Due to the presence of this effect, it is possible that the median lifetimes of these objects are extended. Additionally, the changes in orbital elements, caused by Yarkovsky forces, appear to depend on the integration direction. To explain this more precisely, the same model based on new physical parameters, determined from future observations, will be required.

Context. Asteroid (2579) Spartacus is a small V-type object located in the inner main belt. This object shows spectral characteristics unusual for typical Vestoids, which may indicate an origin deeper than average within Vesta or an origin from an altogether different parent body. Aims. Our main goal is to study the origin of Spartacus. We derive the spin of Spartacus and a convex shape model of Spartacus in order to increase the knowledge of the body’s physical properties. The rotational parameters are then used to investigate dynamical evolution of the object as well as to distinguish regions sampled by spectral observations to determine whether its surface displays heterogeneity. Methods. We collected lightcurves available from the literature (oppositions of 2009, 2012) and obtained additional photometric observations at various telescopes in 2016, 2017, and 2018. We used the lightcurve inversion method to derive a spin and convex shape model. We have collected spectral observations over two rotational periods of Spartacus and determined its spectral parameters using the modified Gaussian model (MGM). We then dynamically integrated the orbital elements of Spartacus, taking into account existing information, including its thermal properties, size and the derived spin axis orientation. Results. We find two models for (2579) Spartacus: (a) λ = 312° ± 5°, β = −57° ± 5° and (b) λ = 113° ± 5°, β = −60° ± 5° both retrograde. We find that the drift direction for Spartacus is consistent with separation from Vesta, and after a backward integration of 1 Gyr the asteroid reaches the boundary of the family. We did not observe spectral variations with rotation, thus the body most likely has a homogeneous surface. Additionally, new spectral analysis indicates that the 1.0 and 2.0 μm band centers are within ranges that are typical for Vestoids while the area ratio of these bands is about half that of typical Vestoids. Conclusions. The asteroid (2579) Spartacus is in retrograde rotation and has a drift direction consistent with an origin from Vesta. The revised spectral band centers are within ranges typical for Vestoids, while band area ratio (BAR) is unusually low compared to that of other V-types. The dynamical model shows that the asteroid could have migrated to its current location from the edges of the Vesta family within 1 Gyr, but an origin from an earlier impact on Vesta could also be plausible.

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