Mathematics – Probability
Scientific paper
Oct 2007
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007dps....39.5106f&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #39, #51.06; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.515
Mathematics
Probability
Scientific paper
A binary asteroid system consists of two rotating, co-orbiting bodies with irregular shapes, exhibiting excited coupled dynamical configurations. The resulting time-varying gravitational potential and perturbing force environment experienced by ejecta particles launched from either component invalidates usual analytical approaches to approximating their motion in variants of the classical three body problem. Thus we employ numerical machinery, based upon polyhedral potential representations, to propagate particle trajectories and associated statistics. We use 1999 KW4 as a specific point study, being the best characterized asteroid binary to date and representative of other systems. We propagate particle swarms from selected points on the surface of KW4 Alpha and Beta, using multiple stochastic distributions for the initial velocity vector's direction relative to surface normal, while varying its magnitude as a free parameter. Observing outcomes after ten binary mutual orbit periods, we compare fractions of particles collapsing back to the source body, reaching the other body, escaping the system, and remaining in quasi-stable orbits against those expected given the launch speed relative to analytically derived surface return and escape velocity bounds. Particles showing aberrant behavior are propagated at higher fidelity with their corresponding state transition tensors, and the statistical flow of that subset in phase space is used to refine the dependence of probability of outcomes (return, escape, etc.) on initial particle energy. We also present animation of these most interesting particles within the full system. Additionally, we address related questions about a regolith transport model deduced to operate on KW4, with key implications for long-term dynamic evolution of KW4 and similar binary systems. We propagate swarms of particles along trajectories just lifting off the equator, characterizing the distribution of subsequent re-accretion locations on Alpha's surface to determine where regolith migration on it back to the equator must be occurring consistent with this model.
Fahnestock Eugene
Scheeres Dan
No associations
LandOfFree
Ejecta Dynamics and Regolith Transport within Binary Asteroid Systems does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Ejecta Dynamics and Regolith Transport within Binary Asteroid Systems, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Ejecta Dynamics and Regolith Transport within Binary Asteroid Systems will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1066971