Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jan 2010
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010aas...21544802r&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #215, #448.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 42, p.454
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
Serendipitous observations of main belt asteroids by the Spitzer Space Telescope have enabled determination of main belt asteroid albedos and diameters for targets as small as 0.5 km (eg., Ryan et al. 2009, AJ, 137, 5134). We have used multi-epoch data at 5.8, 8.0 and 24 microns from the MIPSGAL and Taurus Legacy Surveys to obtain diameters and albedos for a sample of approximately 2000 main belt asteroids. Using STM and NEATM, we have obtained diameters ranging from 0.5 to 30 km and albedos ranging from 0.02 to 0.5. Results of this program reveal an albedo distribution that is more diverse in range than the albedo distribution seen in the IRAS and MSX surveys. This diversity may reflect effects of space weathering reddening which is selectively reddening larger asteroids. This reddening effect may reinforce the findings from accretion models that indicate that asteroids in the early solar system were 100 km and larger (Morbidelli et al., 2009, Icarus, in press), by suggesting that the larger asteroids are indeed the oldest members of the main belt. We will present results on the albedo distribution as a function of semi-major axis and new analysis of the mean albedo of dynamical families within the main belt. Support for this work provided in part by a National Science Foundation grant AST-0706980 to the University of Minnesota.
Ryan Erin L.
Woodward Charles E.
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