Examining the Shape Distribution of Near-Earth Asteroids

Details Examining the Shape Distribution of Near-Earth Asteroids Examining the Shape Distribution of Near-Earth Asteroids

Jan 2012

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2012aas...21943214t&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #219, #432.14

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Scientific paper

We present the results of a population study investigating near-Earth asteroids and their shape distribution. Shapes can lead to clues of how asteroids form and evolve, providing constraints on solar system formation models. Data were collected from 1998 to 2010 using the S-band (2380 MHz) radar system at the Arecibo Observatory. Radar observations are one of the few ground-based techniques that can reveal shape and surface features, with resolution as fine as 7.5 m. Of the 309 asteroids observed, we used 144 in our study, only including data taken when the radar system was operating at over two thirds of its maximum sensitivity and only including objects that were both well-resolved and observed on multiple days (in order to determine the shape unambiguously). We separate these objects into four categories: spheroids, double-lobed objects, multiple-asteroid systems, and irregular asteroids. Current results indicate that although spheroids are slightly more numerous than other groups, none of the groups dominate the population. We also find there is no clear correlation between shape and H-magnitude, where H-magnitude is related to the diameter of an asteroid. Observations with H>23 (diameter<100m) are included although they are not well sampled. Further implications for the near-Earth asteroid population will be presented.

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