224 research outputs found
ExploreNEOs VIII: Dormant Short-Period Comets in the Near-Earth Asteroid Population
We perform a search for dormant comets, asteroidal objects of cometary
origin, in the near-Earth asteroid (NEA) population based on dynamical and
physical considerations. Our study is based on albedos derived within the
ExploreNEOs program and is extended by adding data from NEOWISE and the Akari
asteroid catalog. We use a statistical approach to identify asteroids on orbits
that resemble those of short-period near-Earth comets using the Tisserand
parameter with respect to Jupiter, the aphelion distance, and the minimum
orbital intersection distance with respect to Jupiter. From the sample of NEAs
on comet-like orbits, we select those with a geometric albedo
as dormant comet candidates, and find that only 50% of NEAs on comet-like
orbits also have comet-like albedos. We identify a total of 23 NEAs from our
sample that are likely to be dormant short-period near-Earth comets and, based
on a de-biasing procedure applied to the cryogenic NEOWISE survey, estimate
both magnitude-limited and size-limited fractions of the NEA population that
are dormant short-period comets. We find that 0.3-3.3% of the NEA population
with , and % of the population with diameters km, are dormant short-period near-Earth comets.Comment: 23 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables; accepted for publication in A
Constraining the Physical Properties of Near-Earth Object 2009 BD
We report on Spitzer Space Telescope IRAC observations of near-Earth object
(NEO) 2009 BD that were carried out in support of the NASA Asteroid Robotic
Retrieval Mission (ARRM) concept. We did not detect 2009 BD in 25 hrs of
integration at 4.5 micron. Based on an upper-limit flux density determination
from our data, we present a probabilistic derivation of the physical properties
of this object. The analysis is based on the combination of a thermophysical
model with an orbital model accounting for the non-gravitational forces acting
upon the body. We find two physically possible solutions. The first solution
shows 2009 BD as a 2.9+/-0.3 m diameter rocky body (rho = 2.9+/-0.5 g cm-3)
with an extremely high albedo of 0.85(+0.20/-0.10) that is covered with
regolith-like material, causing it to exhibit a low thermal inertia (Gamma =
30(+20/-10) SI units). The second solution suggests 2009 BD to be a 4+/-1 m
diameter asteroid with pV = 0.45(+0.35/-0.15) that consists of a collection of
individual bare rock slabs (Gamma = 2000+/-1000 SI units, rho = 1.7(+0.7/-0.4)
g cm-3). We are unable to rule out either solution based on physical reasoning.
2009 BD is the smallest asteroid for which physical properties have been
constrained, in this case using an indirect method and based on a detection
limit, providing unique information on the physical properties of objects in
the size range smaller than 10 m.Comment: 28 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Physical Properties of Near-Earth Asteroid 2011 MD
We report on observations of near-Earth asteroid 2011 MD with the Spitzer
Space Telescope. We have spent 19.9 h of observing time with channel 2 (4.5
{\mu}m) of the Infrared Array Camera and detected the target within the
2{\sigma} positional uncertainty ellipse. Using an asteroid thermophysical
model and a model of nongravitational forces acting upon the object we
constrain the physical properties of 2011 MD, based on the measured flux
density and available astrometry data. We estimate 2011 MD to be 6 (+4/-2) m in
diameter with a geometric albedo of 0.3 (+0.4/-0.2) (uncertainties are
1{\sigma}). We find the asteroid's most probable bulk density to be 1.1
(+0.7/-0.5) g cm^{-3}, which implies a total mass of (50-350) t and a
macroporosity of >=65%, assuming a material bulk density typical of
non-primitive meteorite materials. A high degree of macroporosity suggests 2011
MD to be a rubble-pile asteroid, the rotation of which is more likely to be
retrograde than prograde.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figure
"TNOs are Cool": A survey of the trans-Neptunian region X. Analysis of classical Kuiper belt objects from Herschel and Spitzer observations
The classical Kuiper belt contains objects both from a low-inclination,
presumably primordial, distribution and from a high-inclination dynamically
excited population. Based on a sample of classical TNOs with observations at
thermal wavelengths we determine radiometric sizes, geometric albedos and
thermal beaming factors as well as study sample properties of dynamically hot
and cold classicals. Observations near the thermal peak of TNOs using infra-red
space telescopes are combined with optical magnitudes using the radiometric
technique with near-Earth asteroid thermal model (NEATM). We have determined
three-band flux densities from Herschel/PACS observations at 70.0, 100.0 and
160.0 m and Spitzer/MIPS at 23.68 and 71.42 m when available. We have
analysed 18 classical TNOs with previously unpublished data and re-analysed
previously published targets with updated data reduction to determine their
sizes and geometric albedos as well as beaming factors when data quality
allows. We have combined these samples with classical TNOs with radiometric
results in the literature for the analysis of sample properties of a total of
44 objects. We find a median geometric albedo for cold classical TNOs of 0.14
and for dynamically hot classical TNOs, excluding the Haumea family and dwarf
planets, 0.085. We have determined the bulk densities of Borasisi-Pabu (2.1
g/cm^3), Varda-Ilmare (1.25 g/cm^3) and 2001 QC298 (1.14 g/cm^3) as well as
updated previous density estimates of four targets. We have determined the
slope parameter of the debiased cumulative size distribution of dynamically hot
classical TNOs as q=2.3 +- 0.1 in the diameter range 100<D<500 km. For
dynamically cold classical TNOs we determine q=5.1 +- 1.1 in the diameter range
160<D<280 km as the cold classical TNOs have a smaller maximum size.Comment: 22 pages, 7 figures Accepted to be published in Astronomy and
Astrophysic
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