Mathematics – Probability
Scientific paper
Apr 1980
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1980m%26p....22..153z&link_type=abstract
(Laboratorio di Astrofisica Spaziale di Frascati, European Workshop on Planetary Sciences, Rome, Italy, Apr. 23-27, 1979.) Moon
Mathematics
Probability
13
Asteroids, Astronomical Models, Celestial Mechanics, Planetary Evolution, Angular Momentum, Gravitational Effects, Light Curve, Periodic Variations, Planetary Rotation, Statistical Distributions, Stellar Occultation
Scientific paper
Recent occultation data and an analysis of some photometric light curves have shown the possible existence of asteroidal binary systems. A simple geometrical model taking into account mutual shadowing effects shows some peculiar features of the light curve which can be recovered in several previously observed objects. On the other hand, while the rotational period distribution of large asteroids (diameter greater than 200 km) is sharply peaked at about 5-8 hours, the surprisingly higher dispersion towards longer periods for intermediate size objects (diameters between 50 and 150 km) could be connected with a larger probability of binary nature within this class. From a theoretical point of view, the collisional fragmentation of asteroids could originate gravitationally bound fragments, with a tidal transfer of rotational into orbital angular momentum, causing a rapid synchronization of the system. This kind of processes could more easily occur for intermediate objects since: (1) for large ones, very massive colliding bodies are needed for fragmentation, that means a very rare event; and (2) for smaller asteroids, solid state interactions are stronger than the gravitational ones, so that breakage probably causes a complete disruption of the gravitational binding. Further collisional events could disintegrate some systems, so that the present frequency of binary asteroids could be lower than that of the objects whose rotational period was increased by such processes.
Farinella Paolo
Paolicchi Paolo
Scaltriti Franco
Zappala Vincent
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