J. Pollock

Formation of asteroid pairs by rotational fission

Pairs of asteroids sharing similar heliocentric orbits, but not bound together, were found recently. Backward integrations of their orbits indicated that they separated gently with low relative velocities, but did not provide additional insight into their formation mechanism. A previously hypothesized rotational fission process may explain their formation—critical predictions are that the mass ratios are less than about 0.2 and, as the mass ratio approaches this upper limit, the spin period of the larger body becomes long. Here we report photometric observations of a sample of asteroid pairs, revealing that the primaries of pairs with mass ratios much less than 0.2 rotate rapidly, near their critical fission frequency. As the mass ratio approaches 0.2, the primary period grows long. This occurs as the total energy of the system approaches zero, requiring the asteroid pair to extract an increasing fraction of energy from the primarys spin in order to escape. We do not find asteroid pairs with mass ratios larger than 0.2. Rotationally fissioned systems beyond this limit have insufficient energy to disrupt. We conclude that asteroid pairs are formed by the rotational fission of a parent asteroid into a proto-binary system, which subsequently disrupts under its own internal system dynamics soon after formation.

A ring system detected around the Centaur (10199) Chariklo

Hitherto, rings have been found exclusively around the four giant planets in the Solar System. Rings are natural laboratories in which to study dynamical processes analogous to those that take place during the formation of planetary systems and galaxies. Their presence also tells us about the origin and evolution of the body they encircle. Here we report observations of a multichord stellar occultation that revealed the presence of a ring system around (10199) Chariklo, which is a Centaur—that is, one of a class of small objects orbiting primarily between Jupiter and Neptune—with an equivalent radius of 124  9 kilometres (ref. 2). There are two dense rings, with respective widths of about 7 and 3 kilometres, optical depths of 0.4 and 0.06, and orbital radii of 391 and 405 kilometres. The present orientation of the ring is consistent with an edge-on geometry in 2008, which provides a simple explanation for the dimming of the Chariklo system between 1997 and 2008, and for the gradual disappearance of ice and other absorption features in its spectrum over the same period. This implies that the rings are partly composed of water ice. They may be the remnants of a debris disk, possibly confined by embedded, kilometre-sized satellites.

New determination of the size and bulk density of the binary Asteroid 22 Kalliope from observations of mutual eclipses

Abstract In 2007, the M-type binary Asteroid 22 Kalliope reached one of its annual equinoxes. As a consequence, the orbit plane of its small moon, Linus, was aligned closely to the Suns line of sight, giving rise to a mutual eclipse season. A dedicated international campaign of photometric observations, based on amateur–professional collaboration, was organized and coordinated by the IMCCE in order to catch several of these events. The set of the compiled observations is released in this work. We developed a relevant model of these events, including a topographic shape model of Kalliope refined in the present work, the orbit solution of Linus as well as the photometric effect of the shadow of one component falling on the other. By fitting this model to the only two full recorded events, we derived a new estimation of the equivalent diameter of Kalliope of 166.2 ± 2.8 km , 8% smaller than its IRAS diameter. As to the diameter of Linus, considered as purely spherical, it is estimated to 28 ± 2 km . This substantial “shortening” of Kalliope, gives a bulk density of 3.35 ± 0.33 g / cm 3 , significantly higher than past determinations but more consistent with its taxonomic type. Some constraints can be inferred on the composition.

Multiple Asteroid Systems: Dimensions and Thermal Properties from Spitzer Space Telescope and Ground-based Observations

We collected mid-IR spectra from 5.2 to 38 lm using the Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Spectrograph of 28 asteroids representative of all established types of binary groups. Photometric lightcurves were also obtained for 14 of them during the Spitzer observations to provide the context of the observations and reliable estimates of their absolute magnitudes. The extracted mid-IR spectra were analyzed using a modified standard thermal model (STM) and a thermophysical model (TPM) that takes into account the shape and geometry of the large primary at the time of the Spitzer observation. We derived a reliable estimate of the size, albedo, and beaming factor for each of these asteroids, representing three main taxonomic groups: C, S, and X. For large (volume-equivalent system diameter Deq > 130 km) binary asteroids, the TPM analysis indicates a low thermal inertia (C 6 � 100 J s � 1/2 K � 1 m � 2 ) and their emissivity spectra display strong mineral features, implying that they are covered with a thick layer of thermally insulating regolith. The smaller (surface-equivalent system diameter Deff < 17 km) asteroids also show some emission lines of minerals, but they are significantly weaker, consistent with regoliths with coarser grains, than those of the large binary asteroids. The average bulk densities of these multiple asteroids vary from 0.7–1.7 g/cm 3

Long-term optical variations of 20 violently variable extragalactic radio sources

Photometric data for 20 optically violent variable extragalactic radio sources have been obtained during a continuous 11-year monitoring program. Light curves and photometric data, in some instances in more than one color, are presented and discussed. Evidence of temporal changes in the variability characteristics of particular sources is examined.

New insights on the binary Asteroid 121 Hermione

We report on the results of a six-month photometric study of the main-belt binary C-type asteroid 121 Hermione, performed during its 2007 opposition. We took advantage of the rare observational opportunity afforded by one of the annual equinoxes of Hermione occurring close to its opposition in June 2007. The equinox provides an edge-on aspect for an Earth-based observer, which is well suited to a thorough study of Hermiones physical characteristics. The catalog of observations carried out with small telescopes is presented in this work, together with new adaptive optics (AO) imaging obtained between 2005 and 2008 with the Yepun 8-m VLT telescope and the 10-m Keck telescope. The most striking result is confirmation that Hermione is a bifurcated and elongated body, as suggested by Marchis et al., (2005). A new effective diameter of 187 +/- 6 km was calculated from the combination of AO, photometric and thermal observations. The new diameter is some 10% smaller than the hitherto accepted radiometric diameter based on IRAS data. The reason for the discrepancy is that IRAS viewed the system almost pole-on. New thermal observations with the Spitzer Space Telescope agree with the diameter derived from AO and lightcurve observations. On the basis of the new AO astrometric observations of the small 32-km diameter satellite we have refined the orbit solution and derived a new value of the bulk density of Hermione of 1.4 +0.5/-0.2 g cm-3. We infer a macroscopic porosity of ~33 +5/-20%.

Analysis of the rotation period of asteroids (1865) Cerberus, (2100) Ra-Shalom, and (3103) Eger - search for the YORP effect

Context. The spin state of small asteroids can change on a long timescale by the Yarkovsky-O’Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack (YORP) effect, the net torque that arises from anisotropically scattered sunlight and proper thermal radiation from an irregularly-shaped asteroid. The secular change in the rotation period caused by the YORP effect can be detected by analysis of asteroid photometric lightcurves. Aims. We analyzed photometric lightcurves of near-Earth asteroids (1865) Cerberus, (2100) Ra-Shalom, and (3103) Eger with the aim to detect possible deviations from the constant rotation caused by the YORP effect. Methods. We carried out new photometric observations of the three asteroids, combined the new lightcurves with archived data, and used the lightcurve inversion method to model the asteroid shape, pole direction, and rotation rate. The YORP effect was modeled as a linear change in the rotation rate in time dω/dt .V alues of dω/dt derived from observations were compared with the values predicted by theory. Results. We derived physical models for all three asteroids. We had to model Eger as a nonconvex body because the convex model failed to fit the lightcurves observed at high phase angles. We probably detected the acceleration of the rotation rate of Eger dω/dt = (1.4 ± 0.6) × 10 −8 rad d −2 (3σ error), which corresponds to a decrease in the rotation period by 4. 2m s yr −1 . The photometry of Cerberus and Ra-Shalom was consistent with a constant-period model, and no secular change in the spin rate was detected. We could only constrain maximum values of |dω/dt| < 8 × 10 −9 rad d −2 for Cerberus, and |dω/dt| < 3 × 10 −8 rad d −2 for Ra-Shalom.

The binary near-Earth Asteroid (175706) 1996 FG3 - An observational constraint on its orbital evolution

Abstract Using our photometric observations taken between April 1996 and January 2013 and other published data, we derived properties of the binary near-Earth Asteroid (175706) 1996 FG3 including new measurements constraining evolution of the mutual orbit with potential consequences for the entire binary asteroid population. We also refined previously determined values of parameters of both components, making 1996 FG3 one of the most well understood binary asteroid systems. With our 17-year long dataset, we determined the orbital vector with a substantially greater accuracy than before and we also placed constraints on a stability of the orbit. Specifically, the ecliptic longitude and latitude of the orbital pole are 266 ° and - 83 ° , respectively, with the mean radius of the uncertainty area of 4 ° , and the orbital period is 16.1508 ± 0.0002 h (all quoted uncertainties correspond to 3σ). We looked for a quadratic drift of the mean anomaly of the satellite and obtained a value of 0.04 ± 0.20 deg / yr 2 , i.e., consistent with zero. The drift is substantially lower than predicted by the pure binary YORP (BYORP) theory of McMahon and Scheeres (McMahon, J., Scheeres, D. [2010]. Icarus 209, 494–509) and it is consistent with the tigidity and quality factor of μ Q = 1.3 × 10 7 Pa using the theory that assumes an elastic response of the asteroid material to the tidal forces. This very low value indicates that the primary of 1996 FG3 is a ‘rubble pile’, and it also calls for a re-thinking of the tidal energy dissipation in close asteroid binary systems.

A giant crater on 90 Antiope

Mutual event observations between the two components of 90 Antiope were carried out in 2007-2008. The pole position was refined to λ = 199.5 ± 0.5° and β = 39.8 ± 5° in J2000 ecliptic coordinates, leaving intact the physical solution for the components, assimilated to two perfect Roche ellipsoids, and derived after the 2005 mutual event season (Descamps et al., 2007). Furthermore, a large-scale geological depression, located on one of the components, was introduced to better match the observed lightcurves. This vast geological feature of about 68 km in diameter, which could be postulated as a bowl-shaped impact crater, is indeed responsible of the photometric asymmetries seen on the “shoulders” of the lightcurves. The bulk density was then recomputed to 1.28 ± 0.04 gcm to take into account this large-scale non-convexity. This giant crater could be the aftermath of a tremendous collision of a 100-km sized proto-Antiope with another Themis family member. This statement is supported by the fact that Antiope is sufficiently porous (∼50%) to survive such an impact without being wholly destroyed. This violent shock would have then imparted enough angular momentum for fissioning of proto-Antiope into two equisized bodies. We calculated that the impactor must have a diameter greater than ∼17 km, for an impact velocity ranging between 1 and 4 km/s. With such a projectile, this event has a substantial 50 % probability to have occurred over the age of the Themis family.

Multifrequency observations of the BL Lacertae object 0735+178

In each of the present four simultaneous spectra covering the radio-through-X-ray regimes, the IR-UV synchrotron continuum dominates the total observed power and presumably becomes opague between 10 to the 11th and 10 to the 13th Hz. Nonsimultaneous observations were also conducted, over a longer time period, in order to study long- and short-term variability at X-ray, optical, and radio frequencies. These data indicate that the rapid and dramatic variations evident at IR and optical wavelengths are absent at radio and X-ray frequencies, supporting a view of IR-UV flux emanation from a small region, while the X-rays are produced by the inverse Compton process in the radio-emitting region. Particles, photons and magnetic field may not be far from equipartition in this region. Theoretical suggestions are developed regarding the radial behavior of the electron density and magnetic field.