Peter Kusnirak

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.

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.

Near-Earth asteroid (3200) Phaethon: Characterization of its orbit, spin state, and thermophysical parameters

Context. The near-Earth asteroid (3200) Phaethon is an intriguing object: its perihelion is at only 0.14 au and is associated with the Geminid meteor stream. Aims. We aim to use all available disk-integrated optical data to derive a reliable convex shape model of Phaethon. By interpreting the available space- and ground-based thermal infrared data and Spitzer spectra using a thermophysical model, we also aim to further constrain its size, thermal inertia, and visible geometric albedo. Methods. We applied the convex inversion method to the new optical data obtained by six instruments and to previous observations. The convex shape model was then used as input for the thermophysical modeling. We also studied the long-term stability of Phaethon’s orbit and spin axis with a numerical orbital and rotation-state integrator. Results. We present a new convex shape model and rotational state of Phaethon: a sidereal rotation period of 3.603958(2) h and ecliptic coordinates of the preferred pole orientation of (319°, −39°) with a 5° uncertainty. Moreover, we derive its size ( D = 5.1 ± 0.2 km), thermal inertia (Γ = 600 ± 200 J m –2 s –1/2 K –1 ), geometric visible albedo ( p V = 0.122 ± 0.008), and estimate the macroscopic surface roughness. We also find that the Sun illumination at the perihelion passage during the past several thousand years is not connected to a specific area on the surface, which implies non-preferential heating.

Link between the potentially hazardous Asteroid (86039) 1999 NC43 and the Chelyabinsk meteoroid tenuous

We explored the statistical and compositional link between Chelyabinsk meteoroid and potentially haz- ardous Asteroid (86039) 1999 NC43 to investigate their proposed relation proposed by Borovicka et al. (Borovicka, J., et al. (2013). Nature 503, 235-237). First, using a slightly more detailed computation we confirm that the orbit of the Chelyabinsk impactor is anomalously close to the Asteroid 1999 NC43. We find � (1-3) � 10 � 4 likelihood of that to happen by chance. Taking the standpoint that the Chelya- binsk impactor indeed separated from 1999 NC43 by a cratering or rotational fission event, we run a for- ward probability calculation, which is an independent statistical test. However, we find this scenario is unlikely at the � (10 � 3 -10

The young Datura asteroid family - Spins, shapes, and population estimate

Context. Asteroid families are the outcomes of disruption or cratering events on a size and energy scales that are not reproducible in laboratory experiments. Overall structure, as well as properties of individual members, in the old families could have been changed since their formation. Therefore young families preserve best the characteristics of the initial event. Aims. We study the most suitable known asteroid family with an age of less than 1 Myr, the Datura family. We aim (i) to obtain information about rotation state and shape of the largest members in the family; and (ii) to constrain its debiased population down to couple of hundreds of meters in size. Methods. We have analyzed the up-to-date catalog of orbital elements of main belt asteroids. We evaluated the detection efficiency of Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) in regard to detections of members in the Datura family, and we have used our photometric observations and lightcurve inversion methods to determine the rotation states and shapes of the largest members of the family. Results. We determined rotation periods of the seven largest members of the Datura family, and we also derived accurate mean absolute magnitudes for six of them. Except for the largest fragment (1270) Datura, the asteroids tend to have long rotation periods and large amplitude of the lightcurve, witnessing an elongated shape. For the four largest asteroids, our observations allow us to resolve rotation pole and a rough shape. All of them are prograde-rotating and have the latitude of the rotation pole >50°. Our search in orbital catalogs resulted in the discovery of many small, sub-kilometer members of the Datura family. Using the CSS detection efficiency, we inverted this information into the debiased population of Datura family members. We show that the mass and angular momentum content in small fragments is negligible compared to the largest fragment (1270) Datura. These findings may help to constrain the formation mechanism of the family.

Spin states of asteroids in the Eos collisional family

Abstract Eos family was created during a catastrophic impact about 1.3 Gyr ago. Rotation states of individual family members contain information about the history of the whole population. We aim to increase the number of asteroid shape models and rotation states within the Eos collision family, as well as to revise previously published shape models from the literature. Such results can be used to constrain theoretical collisional and evolution models of the family, or to estimate other physical parameters by a thermophysical modeling of the thermal infrared data. We use all available disk-integrated optical data (i.e., classical dense-in-time photometry obtained from public databases and through a large collaboration network as well as sparse-in-time individual measurements from a few sky surveys) as input for the convex inversion method, and derive 3D shape models of asteroids together with their rotation periods and orientations of rotation axes. We present updated shape models for 15 asteroids and new shape model determinations for 16 asteroids. Together with the already published models from the publicly available DAMIT database, we compiled a sample of 56 Eos family members with known shape models that we used in our analysis of physical properties within the family. Rotation states of asteroids smaller than  ∼ 20 km are heavily influenced by the YORP effect, whilst the large objects more or less retained their rotation state properties since the family creation. Moreover, we also present a shape model and bulk density of asteroid (423) Diotima, an interloper in the Eos family, based on the disk-resolved data obtained by the Near InfraRed Camera (Nirc2) mounted on the W.M. Keck II telescope.

Asteroids 87887 – 415992: the youngest known asteroid pair?

Context. Pairs of asteroids, that is, couples of single bodies on tightly similar heliocentric orbits, were recently postulated as a new category of objects in the solar system. They are believed to be close twins to binary and multiple systems. Aims. Ages of the known pairs range from about 15 kyr to nearly a million years. Beyond the upper limit, the pairs disperse in the background population of asteroids and become difficult to detect. Below the lower limit, the pairs should be easily recognizable if they exist and are discovered by surveys. Using the available data, we analyze the possible existence of very young asteroid pairs with clearly proven ages ≤ 10 kyr. Methods. We searched for candidate very young asteroid pairs in the current catalog of asteroid orbits. After a preliminary analysis, we selected the most promising case of the small asteroids (87887) 2000 SS286 and (415992) 2002 AT49. We collected photometric observations to determine their rotation periods and absolute magnitudes. Results. The rotation period of (87887) 2000 SS286 is 5.7773 ± 0.0004 h. Analysis of the data for (415992) 2002 AT49 indicates as the most probable period 2.6366 ± 0.0003 h, but other solutions are still possible. The composite light curves of the two asteroids have very low amplitudes, 0.22 and 0.12 mag, suggesting roundish shapes. Our observations also allow us to determine the absolute magnitude in R band H R = 14.99 ± 0.04 and H R = 16.24 ± 0.03 for the primary and secondary components. A transformation to the visible band provides H = 15.44 ± 0.05 and H = 16.69 ± 0.04. These two asteroids experienced a very close encounter, probably a formation event, some 7.4 ± 0.3 kyr ago. The formal extension of our numerical runs backward in time reveal that these close encounters may have continued, starting from ≃ 45 kyr ago. However, based on tests using synthetic fission events, we argue that the older age solutions might be the true solution only at ≃ (10−15)% level, assuming their low initial separation velocity is of between 10−20 cm s -1 . This means that 87887–415992 probably is the youngest known asteroid pair in our dataset with a reliable determined age.

THE SCHULHOF FAMILY: SOLVING THE AGE PUZZLE

The Schulhof family, a tight cluster of small asteroids around the central main belt body (2384)Schulhof, belongs to a so far rare class of very young families (estimated ages less than 1Myr). Characterization of these asteroid clusters may provide important insights into the physics of the catastrophic disruption of their parent body. The case of the Schulhof family has been up to now complicated by the existence of two proposed epochs of its origin. In this paper, we first use our own photometric observations, as well as archival data, to determine the rotation rate and spin axis orientation of the largest fragment (2384)Schulhof. Our data also allow us to better constrain the absolute magnitude of this asteroid, and thus also improve the determination of its geometric albedo. Next, using the up-to-date catalog of asteroid orbits, we perform a new search of smaller members in the Schulhof family, increasing their number by 50%. Finally, the available data are used to access Schulhofʼs family age anew. We now find that the younger of the previously proposed two ages of this family is not correct, resulting from a large orbital uncertainty of single-opposition members. Our new runs reveal a single age solution of about 800 kyr with a realistic uncertainty of 200 kyr.

Rotation state of 495 Eulalia and its implication

Context. The low-albedo part of the Nysa-Polana-Hertha asteroid complex has recently been found to consist of at least two families. The larger of them has been associated with asteroid 495 Eulalia, hereafter named the Eulalia family. The unstable location of this body very close to Jupiter’s 3:1 mean motion resonance (J3/1 resonance) at the periphery of the associated family in the space of proper orbital elements makes this case peculiar. Aims. We consider the possibility that 495 Eulalia was originally positioned farther from the J3/1 resonance when the family formed via a catastrophic impact than it is today. It was then transported to its current orbit by the Yarkovsky thermal forces over hundreds of millions of years. This requires that 495 Eulalia had a prograde rotation state. Methods. We use photometric observations and lightcurve inversion methods to determine the rotation pole of 495 Eulalia. Numerical simulation accounting for perturbations from the Yarkovsky effect then reveals the possible pathways of Eulalia orbital evolution. Results. We find that both of the possible pole solutions are prograde, in accordance with our initial hypothesis. In studying the long-term evolution of Eulalia’s spin state, we show that the obliquity can oscillate over a large interval of values yet always remain <90◦. We estimate that Eulalia could have migrated by as much as ∼0.007 au toward the J3/1 resonance within the past 1 Gyr. Our numerical runs show that it could have originated in the orbital zone well aligned with other family members in proper eccentricity, whichafter it gained its current orbit by chaotic evolution along the J3/1 resonance.