C. R. Nugent
California Institute of Technology
Network
Latest external collaboration on country level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots.
Publication
Featured researches published by C. R. Nugent.
The Astrophysical Journal | 2014
A. Mainzer; James Monie Bauer; Roc Michael Cutri; T. Grav; Joseph R. Masiero; R. Beck; P. Clarkson; T. Conrow; J. W. Dailey; Peter R. M. Eisenhardt; B. Fabinsky; Sergio Bernabe Fajardo-Acosta; John W. Fowler; Christopher R. Gelino; Carl J. Grillmair; I. Heinrichsen; Martha Kendall; J. Davy Kirkpatrick; Fengchuan Liu; Frank J. Masci; Howard L. McCallon; C. R. Nugent; M. Papin; E. Rice; D. Royer; T. Ryan; P. Sevilla; S. Sonnett; R. Stevenson; D. B. Thompson
NASAs Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft has been brought out of hibernation and has resumed surveying the sky at 3.4 and 4.6 um. The scientific objectives of the NEOWISE reactivation mission are to detect, track, and characterize near-Earth asteroids and comets. The search for minor planets resumed on December 23, 2013, and the first new near-Earth object (NEO) was discovered six days later. As an infrared survey, NEOWISE detects asteroids based on their thermal emission and is equally sensitive to high and low albedo objects; consequently, NEOWISE-discovered NEOs tend to be large and dark. Over the course of its three-year mission, NEOWISE will determine radiometrically-derived diameters and albedos for approximately 2000 NEOs and tens of thousands of Main Belt asteroids. The 32 months of hibernation have had no significant effect on the missions performance. Image quality, sensitivity, photometric and astrometric accuracy, completeness, and the rate of minor planet detections are all essentially unchanged from the prime missions post-cryogenic phase.
The Astrophysical Journal | 2013
James Monie Bauer; T. Grav; Erin K. Blauvelt; A. Mainzer; Joseph R. Masiero; R. Stevenson; Emily A. Kramer; Yan R. Fernandez; C. M. Lisse; Roc Michael Cutri; Paul R. Weissman; J. W. Dailey; Frank J. Masci; Russell G. Walker; Adam Waszczak; C. R. Nugent; Karen J. Meech; Andrew Lucas; George Pearman; Ashlee Wilkins; J. Watkins; S. R. Kulkarni; Edward L. Wright
The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) observed 52 Centaurs and scattered disk objects (SDOs) in the thermal infrared, including 15 new discoveries. We present analyses of these observations to estimate sizes and mean optical albedos. We find mean albedos of 0.08 ± 0.04 for the entire data set. Thermal fits yield average beaming parameters of 0.9 ± 0.2 that are similar for both SDO and Centaur sub-classes. Biased cumulative size distributions yield size-frequency distribution power law indices of ~–1.7 ± 0.3. The data also reveal a relation between albedo and color at the 3σ level. No significant relation between diameter and albedos is found.
The Astrophysical Journal | 2014
A. Mainzer; James Monie Bauer; T. Grav; Joseph R. Masiero; Roc Michael Cutri; E. L. Wright; C. R. Nugent; R. Stevenson; E. Clyne; G. Cukrov; Frank J. Masci
Only a very small fraction of the asteroid population at size scales comparable to the object that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia has been discovered to date, and physical properties are poorly characterized. We present previously unreported detections of 105 close approaching near-Earth objects (NEOs) by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) missions NEOWISE project. These infrared observations constrain physical properties such as diameter and albedo for these objects, many of which are found to be smaller than 100 m. Because these objects are intrinsically faint, they were detected by WISE during very close approaches to the Earth, often at large apparent on-sky velocities. We observe a trend of increasing albedo with decreasing size, but as this sample of NEOs was discovered by visible light surveys, it is likely that selection biases against finding small, dark NEOs influence this finding.
The Astrophysical Journal | 2015
C. R. Nugent; A. Mainzer; Joseph R. Masiero; James Monie Bauer; Roc Michael Cutri; T. Grav; Emily A. Kramer; S. Sonnett; R. Stevenson; E. L. Wright
We present preliminary diameters and albedos for 7,959 asteroids detected in the first year of the NEOWISE Reactivation mission. 201 are near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). 7,758 are Main Belt or Mars-crossing asteroids. 17% of these objects have not been previously characterized using WISE or NEOWISE thermal measurements. Diameters are determined to an accuracy of ~20% or better. If good-quality H magnitudes are available, albedos can be determined to within ~40% or better.
The Astrophysical Journal | 2015
James Monie Bauer; R. Stevenson; Emily A. Kramer; A. Mainzer; T. Grav; Joseph R. Masiero; Yan R. Fernandez; Roc Michael Cutri; J. W. Dailey; Frank J. Masci; Karen J. Meech; Russell G. Walker; C. M. Lisse; Paul R. Weissman; C. R. Nugent; Sarah Sonnett; Nathan Blair; Andrew Lucas; Robert S. McMillan; Edward L. Wright
The 163 comets observed during the WISE/NEOWISE prime mission represent the largest infrared survey to date of comets, providing constraints on dust, nucleus sizes, and CO+CO2 production. We present detailed analyses of the WISE/NEOWISE comet discoveries, and discuss observations of the active comets showing 4.6
The Astrophysical Journal | 2015
T. Grav; James Monie Bauer; A. Mainzer; Joseph R. Masiero; C. R. Nugent; Roc Michael Cutri; S. Sonnett; Emily A. Kramer
\mu
The Astronomical Journal | 2016
C. R. Nugent; A. Mainzer; James Monie Bauer; Roc Michael Cutri; Emily A. Kramer; T. Grav; Joseph R. Masiero; S. Sonnett; E. L. Wright
m band excess. We find a possible relation between dust and CO+CO2 production, as well as possible differences in the sizes of long and short period comet nuclei.
The Astrophysical Journal | 2015
Joseph R. Masiero; V. Carruba; A. Mainzer; James Monie Bauer; C. R. Nugent
We present thermal model fits for 11 Jovian and 3 Saturnian irregular satellites based on measurements from the WISE/NEOWISE data set. Our fits confirm spacecraft-measured diameters for the objects with in situ observations (Himalia and Phoebe) and provide diameters and albedo for 12 previously unmeasured objects, 10 Jovian and 2 Saturnian irregular satellites. The best-fit thermal model beaming parameters are comparable to what is observed for other small bodies in the outer solar system, while the visible, W1, and W2 albedos trace the taxonomic classifications previously established in the literature. Reflectance properties for the irregular satellites measured are similar to the Jovian Trojan and Hilda Populations, implying common origins.
The Astronomical Journal | 2017
C. R. Nugent; A. Mainzer; Joseph R. Masiero; E. L. Wright; James Monie Bauer; T. Grav; Emily A. Kramer; S. Sonnett
The Near-Earth Object Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) mission continues to detect, track, and characterize minor planets. We present diameters and albedos calculated from observations taken during the second year since the spacecraft was reactivated in late 2013. These include 207 near-Earth asteroids and 8,885 other asteroids.
The Astronomical Journal | 2018
Joshua Rosser; James Monie Bauer; A. Mainzer; Emily A. Kramer; Joseph R. Masiero; C. R. Nugent; S. Sonnett; Yanga R. Fernandez; K. Ruecker; P. Krings; Edward L. Wright; Neowise Teams
84\%