Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Sep 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009dps....41.5004b&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #41, #50.04
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
The Hayabusa (MUSES-C) spacecraft encountered asteroid 25143 Itokawa in September of 2005, providing ground truth of its shape. Radar data were obtained from Arecibo Observatory and Goldstone (DSS-14) in 2001 and 2004 to assist in the rendezvous and produce a preliminary shape model. In hindsight, the irregular shape of Itokawa made radar-based modeling of the asteroid before the encounter difficult. Spacecraft modeling (Gaskell et al., 2006) revealed the asteroid to have two distinct components, attached by a "neck" whereas the radar-based model (Ostro et al., 2005) had a more subtle transition from "body" to "head". The discrepancy between the radar shape estimation and the spacecraft model offers an opportunity to improve the shape modeling procedure from radar images. The neck was observed by radar, but only at incidence angles of 45 degrees or more. An incomplete set of viewing angles in the radar data led to cautious and conservative predictions, biasing the models in favor of "simpler" shapes. Our previous idea of unlikely surface concavities should be revised now that Hayabusa has shown evidence that what used to seem implausible could be real. Here we investigate methods, including allowing for more concave shape elements and starting with a two component contact binary model, to identify the factor(s) that limited the accuracy of the Ostro et al. 2005 model so that we can apply that knowledge to improve radar-based modeling of future targets.
Bramson Ali
Howell Ellen S.
Magri Christopher
Nolan Michael C.
Taylor Patrick Alan
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