Sizes and Albedos of Within an Exceptionally Young Asteroid Family

Details Sizes and Albedos of Within an Exceptionally Young Asteroid Family Sizes and Albedos of Within an Exceptionally Young Asteroid Family

Sep 2004

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004sptz.prop.3723t&link_type=abstract

Spitzer Proposal ID #3723

Physics

Scientific paper

We propose to measure the sizes and albedos of 8 very young and 8 very old asteroids with IRAC 8um and near-simultaneous ground-based visible photometry. Such families are created from major collisions between asteroids and are identified by observed clustering of orbital elements. Co-I Nesvorny has recently identified an exceptionally-young family (Karin) and precisely-dated it at only 5.8+-0.2 Myr (just 0.2% of the age of the solar system). This event provides an unparalleled opportunity to study compositions, dynamics, and collisions of asteroids. It will provide insight about the nature of fragments immediately following breakup of a 25-km asteroid. In particular, it allows tests of the rates of physical processes that happen on time scales comparable to the family age. We will test directly whether the Karin fragments have similar albedos; we will also test if their albedos differ from those of similar asteroids with much older surfaces. Our sample spans the range of identified fragment brightnesses and will yield the sizes of the measured fragments. Hence, we can test for and calibrate the possible correlation of size with albedo, a dominant uncertainty in standard size estimates. Efficient visible ground-based photometry can then be used in later work to derive sizes of the rest of the family members, including those yet to be discovered. The size distribution will then be used to calibrate hydrocode models of asteroid collisions, such as the sizes, energies, and velocities imparted to fragments. In addition, the measured sizes will be immediately applicable to a novel measurement of the Yarkovsky Effect.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Sizes and Albedos of Within an Exceptionally Young Asteroid Family 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 Sizes and Albedos of Within an Exceptionally Young Asteroid Family, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Sizes and Albedos of Within an Exceptionally Young Asteroid Family will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1824825