A three-dimensional solution for the orbit of the asteroidal satellite of 22 Kalliope

Details A three-dimensional solution for the orbit of the asteroidal satellite of 22 Kalliope A three-dimensional solution for the orbit of the asteroidal satellite of 22 Kalliope

Sep 2003

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2003icar..165..112m&link_type=abstract

Icarus, Volume 165, Issue 1, p. 112-120.

Physics

21

Scientific paper

We carried out new observations of the binary asteroid 22 Kalliope (S2/2001) with the Shane 3-m telescope of the Lick observatory in October and November 2001. With a FWHM (full width at half maximum) of /0''.2, Kalliope (apparent size of about /0''.15) was not resolved but it was possible to separate the secondary from its primary whose apparent separation was of the order of /0''.7 with a magnitude difference of /3.22+/-0.20. As each set of observations spanned a few days of time, they are well distributed along the secondary's orbit, enabling us to accurately estimate its orbit.
The satellite orbits 22 Kalliope in a prograde manner with respect to Kalliope's rotational spin (which is in a retrograde sense relative to its orbit around the Sun), on a highly inclined (/i=19.8+/-2.0 with respect to the equator of 22 Kalliope) and moderately eccentric orbit (/e=0.07+/-0.02) with an orbital period of /3.58+/-0.08 days. The semi-major axis is /1020+/-40 km. Using Kalliope's diameter as determined from IRAS data, the asteroid's bulk density is about /2.03+/-0.16 gcm-3, suggestive of a highly porous body with a porosity of 70% considering that the grain density of its meteoritic analog is of /~7.4 gcm-3. This suggests a rubble pile, rather than solid, body. The measured nodal precession rate of the secondary's orbit seems to be much higher than expected from Kalliope's oblateness, assuming a homogeneous body (constant density). This suggests that Kalliope may be 60% more elongated or 35% larger than presently believed or/and that its internal structure is highly inhomogeneous with a denser outer shell.

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