207 research outputs found
Prediction of transits of solar system objects in Kepler/K2 images: An extension of the Virtual Observatory service SkyBoT
All the fields of the extended space mission Kepler/K2 are located within the
ecliptic. Many solar system objects thus cross the K2 stellar masks on a
regular basis. We aim at providing to the entire community a simple tool to
search and identify solar system objects serendipitously observed by Kepler.
The SkyBoT service hosted at IMCCE provides a Virtual Observatory (VO)
compliant cone-search that lists all solar system objects present within a
field of view at a given epoch. To generate such a list in a timely manner,
ephemerides are pre-computed, updated weekly, and stored in a relational
database to ensure a fast access. The SkyBoT Web service can now be used with
Kepler. Solar system objects within a small (few arcminutes) field of view are
identified and listed in less than 10 sec. Generating object data for the
entire K2 field of view (14{\deg}) takes about a minute. This extension of the
SkyBot service opens new possibilities with respect to mining K2 data for solar
system science, as well as removing solar system objects from stellar
photometric time-series
Near-infrared spatially resolved spectroscopy of (136108) Haumea's multiple system
The transneptunian region of the solar system is populated by a wide variety
of icy bodies showing great diversity. The dwarf planet (136108) Haumea is
among the largest TNOs and displays a highly elongated shape and hosts two
moons, covered with crystalline water ice like Hamuea. Haumea is also the
largest member of the sole TNO family known to date. A catastrophic collision
is likely responsible for its unique characteristics. We report here on the
analysis of a new set of observations of Haumea obtained with SINFONI at the
ESO VLT. Combined with previous data, and using light-curve measurements in the
optical and far infrared, we carry out a rotationally resolved spectroscopic
study of the surface of Haumea. We describe the physical characteristics of the
crystalline water ice present on the surface of Haumea for both regions, in and
out of the Dark Red Spot (DRS), and analyze the differences obtained for each
individual spectrum. The presence of crystalline water ice is confirmed over
more than half of the surface of Haumea. Our measurements of the average
spectral slope confirm the redder characteristic of the spot region. Detailed
analysis of the crystalline water-ice absorption bands do not show significant
differences between the DRS and the remaining part of the surface. We also
present the results of applying Hapke modeling to our data set. The best
spectral fit is obtained with a mixture of crystalline water ice (grain sizes
smaller than 60 micron) with a few percent of amorphous carbon. Improvements to
the fit are obtained by adding ~10% of amorphous water ice. Additionally, we
used the IFU-reconstructed images to measure the relative astrometric position
of the largest satellite Hi`iaka and determine its orbital elements. An orbital
solution was computed with our genetic-based algorithm GENOID and our results
are in full agreement with recent results.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&
Extreme AO Observations of Two Triple Asteroid Systems with SPHERE
We present the discovery of a new satellite of asteroid (130) Elektra -
S/2014 (130) 1 - in differential imaging and in integral field spectroscopy
data over multiple epochs obtained with SPHERE/VLT. This new (second) moonlet
of Elektra is about 2 km across, on an eccentric orbit and about 500 km away
from the primary. For a comparative study, we also observed another triple
asteroid system (93) Minerva. For both systems, component-resolved reflectance
spectra of the satellites and primary were obtained simultaneously. No
significant spectral difference was observed between the satellites and the
primary for either triple system. We find that the moonlets in both systems are
more likely to have been created by sub-disruptive impacts as opposed to having
been captured.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, accepted to be published in the
Astrophysical Journal Letter
The Puzzling Mutual Orbit of the Binary Trojan Asteroid (624) Hektor
Asteroids with satellites are natural laboratories to constrain the formation
and evolution of our solar system. The binary Trojan asteroid (624) Hektor is
the only known Trojan asteroid to possess a small satellite. Based on W.M. Keck
adaptive optics observations, we found a unique and stable orbital solution,
which is uncommon in comparison to the orbits of other large multiple asteroid
systems studied so far. From lightcurve observations recorded since 1957, we
showed that because the large Req=125-km primary may be made of two joint
lobes, the moon could be ejecta of the low-velocity encounter, which formed the
system. The inferred density of Hektor's system is comparable to the L5 Trojan
doublet (617) Patroclus but due to their difference in physical properties and
in reflectance spectra, both captured Trojan asteroids could have a different
composition and origin.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, 2 table
Orbit determination of Transneptunian objects and Centaurs for the prediction of stellar occultations
The prediction of stellar occultations by Transneptunian objects and Centaurs
is a difficult challenge that requires accuracy both in the occulted star
position as for the object ephemeris. Until now, the most used method of
prediction involving tens of TNOs/Centaurs was to consider a constant offset
for the right ascension and for the declination with respect to a reference
ephemeris. This offset is determined as the difference between the most recent
observations of the TNO and the reference ephemeris. This method can be
successfully applied when the offset remains constant with time. This paper
presents an alternative method of prediction based on a new accurate orbit
determination procedure, which uses all the available positions of the TNO from
the Minor Planet Center database plus sets of new astrometric positions from
unpublished observations. The orbit determination is performed through a
numerical integration procedure (NIMA), in which we develop a specific
weighting scheme. The NIMA method was applied for 51 selected TNOs/Centaurs.
For this purpose, we have performed about 2900 new observations during
2007-2014. Using NIMA, we succeed in predicting the stellar occultations of 10
TNOs and 3 Centaurs between 2013 and 2015. By comparing the NIMA and JPL
ephemerides, we highlighted the variation of the offset between them with time.
Giving examples, we show that the constant offset method could not accurately
predict 6 out of the 13 observed positive occultations successfully predicted
by NIMA. The results indicate that NIMA is capable of efficiently refine the
orbits of these bodies. Finally, we show that the astrometric positions given
by positive occultations can help to further refine the orbit of the TNO and
consequently the future predictions. We also provide the unpublished
observations of the 51 selected TNOs and their ephemeris in a usable format by
the SPICE library.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, accepted in A&
Physical and dynamical properties of the main belt triple asteroid (87) Sylvia
We present the analysis of high angular resolution observations of the triple
Asteroid (87) Sylvia collected with three 8-10 m class telescopes (Keck, VLT,
Gemini North) and the Hubble Space Telescope. The moons' mutual orbits were
derived individually using a purely Keplerian model. We computed the position
of Romulus, the outer moon of the system, at the epoch of a recent stellar
occultation which was successfully observed at less than 15 km from our
predicted position, within the uncertainty of our model. The occultation data
revealed that the Moon, with a surface-area equivalent diameter
Ds=23.10.7km, is strongly elongated (axes ratio of
2.70.32.70.3), significantly more than single asteroids of similar
size in the main-belt. We concluded that its shape is probably affected by the
tides from the primary. A new shape model of the primary was calculated
combining adaptive-optics observations with this occultation and 40 archived
light-curves recorded since 1978. The difference between the
J2=0.024-0.009+0.016 derived from the 3-D shape model assuming an homogeneous
distribution of mass for the volume equivalent diameter Dv=27310km primary
and the null J2 implied by the Keplerian orbits suggests a non-homogeneous mass
distribution in the asteroid's interior
Light controls motility and phase separation of photosynthetic microbes
Large ensembles of interacting, out-of-equilibrium agents are a paradigm of active matter. Their constituents' intrinsic activity may entail the spontaneous separation into localized phases of high and low densities. Motile microbes, equipped with ATP-fueled engines, are prime examples of such phase-separating active matter, which is fundamental in myriad biological processes. The fact that spontaneous spatial aggregation is not widely recognized as a general feature of microbial communities challenges the generalisation of phase separation beyond artificial active systems. Here, we report on the phase separation of populations of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii that can be controlled by light in a fully reversible manner. We trace this phenomenon back to the light- and density-dependent motility, thus bridging the gap from light perception on the single-cell level to collective spatial self-organization into regions of high and low density. Its spectral sensitivity suggests that microbial motility and phase separation are regulated by the activity of the photosynthetic machinery. Characteristic fingerprints of the stability and dynamics of this active system paint a picture that cannot be reconciled with the current physical understanding of phase separation in artificial active matter, whereby collective behavior can emerge from inherent motility modulation in response to changing stimuli. Our results therefore point towards the existence of a broader class of self-organization phenomena in living systems
The Origin of (90) Antiope From Component-Resolved Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
The origin of the similary-sized binary asteroid (90) Antiope remains an
unsolved puzzle. To constrain the origin of this unique double system, we
recorded individual spectra of the components using SPIFFI, a near-infrared
integral field spectrograph fed by SINFONI, an adaptive optics module available
on VLT-UT4. Using our previously published orbital model, we requested
telescope time when the separation of the components of (90) Antiope was larger
than 0.087", to minimize the contamination between components, during the
February 2009 opposition. Several multi-spectral data-cubes in J band (SNR=40)
and H+K band (SNR=100) were recorded in three epochs and revealed the two
components of (90) Antiope. After developing a specific photometric extraction
method and running an error analysis by Monte-Carlo simulations, we
successfully extracted reliable spectra of both components from 1.1 to 2.4 um
taken on the night of February 21, 2009. These spectra do not display any
significant absorption features due to mafic mineral, ices, or organics, and
their slopes are in agreement with both components being C- or Cb- type
asteroids. Their constant flux ratio indicates that both components' surface
reflectances are quite similar, with a 1-sigma variation of 7%. By comparison
with 2MASS J, H, K color distribution of observed Themis family members, we
conclude that both bodies were most likely formed at the same time and from the
same material. The similarly-sized system could indeed be the result of the
breakup of a rubble-pile proto-Antiope into two equal-sized bodies, but other
scenarios of formation implying a common origin should also be considered.Comment: 46 pages, 1 table, 11 figures accepted for publication to Icaru
Triplicity and Physical Characteristics of Asteroid (216) Kleopatra
To take full advantage of the September 2008 opposition passage of the M-type
asteroid (216) Kleopatra, we have used near-infrared adaptive optics (AO)
imaging with the W.M. Keck II telescope to capture unprecedented high
resolution images of this unusual asteroid. Our AO observations with the W.M.
Keck II telescope, combined with Spitzer/IRS spectroscopic observations and
past stellar occultations, confirm the value of its IRAS radiometric radius of
67.5 km as well as its dog-bone shape suggested by earlier radar observations.
Our Keck AO observations revealed the presence of two small satellites in orbit
about Kleopatra (see Marchis et al., 2008). Accurate measurements of the
satellite orbits over a full month enabled us to determine the total mass of
the system to be 4.64+/-0.02 10^18 Kg. This translates into a bulk density of
3.6 +/-0.4 g/cm3, which implies a macroscopic porosity for Kleopatra of ~
30-50%, typical of a rubble-pile asteroid. From these physical characteristics
we measured its specific angular momentum, very close to that of a spinning
equilibrium dumbbell.Comment: 35 pages, 3 Tables, 9 Figures. In press to Icaru
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 lambda0 =
199.5+/-0.5 eg and beta0 = 39.8+/-5 deg 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-3 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.Comment: 30 pages, 3 Tables, 8 Figures. Accepted for publication in Icaru
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