Minor Planet Publications Used in Preparing the 2005 Triennial Report

       

The ADS abstract service (http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html) was searched for papers appearing in refereed publications during the period between July 2002 and June 2005, inclusive, on the terms ` “asteroid” OR “minor planet” ‘. This returned 665 abstracts from which we selected 339 as falling under the purview of the Physical Studies of Minor Planets Working Group. That is, no purely meteoritical, theoretical, dynamical, or astrometric studies were included. However, papers on these topics from which physical properties such as Yarkovsky effect, size-frequency distributions, masses, etc., were included.

 

The 339 relevant papers were sorted into twelve categories and a brief description of the scientific results in each category was written citing a subset of them. The titles and abstracts for the entire list of 339 papers appear below. The order of this list is that returned by the ADS search engine, i.e., it is not in alphabetical or chronological order. A paper cited in the IAU Triennial Report can be located using the browser or PDF reader’s “Find” function.

 

This list was prepared by A. Cellino and E. Tedesco on 12 September 2005

 


Title:

 

Widespread magma oceans on asteroidal bodies in the early Solar System

Authors:

 

Greenwood, Richard C.; Franchi, Ian A.; Jambon, Albert; Buchanan, Paul C.

Journal:

 

Nature, Volume 435, Issue 7044, pp. 916-918 (2005). (Nature Homepage)

Publication Date:

 

06/2005

Origin:

 

NATURE

Abstract Copyright:

 

(c) 2005: Nature

DOI:

 

10.1038/nature03612

Bibliographic Code:

 

2005Natur.435..916G

Abstract

Immediately following the formation of the Solar System, small planetary bodies accreted, some of which melted to produce igneous rocks. Over a longer timescale (15-33Myr), the inner planets grew by incorporation of these smaller objects through collisions. Processes operating on such asteroids strongly influenced the final composition of these planets, including Earth. Currently there is little agreement about the nature of asteroidal igneous activity: proposals range from small-scale melting, to near total fusion and the formation of deep magma oceans. Here we report a study of oxygen isotopes in two basaltic meteorite suites, the HEDs (howardites, eucrites and diogenites, which are thought to sample the asteroid 4 Vesta) and the angrites (from an unidentified asteroidal source). Our results demonstrate that these meteorite suites formed during early, global-scale melting (>= 50 per cent) events. We show that magma oceans were present on all the differentiated Solar System bodies so far sampled. Magma oceans produced compositionally layered planetesimals; the modification of such bodies before incorporation into larger objects can explain some anomalous planetary features, such as Earth's high Mg/Si ratio.


 

Title:

 

Yarkovsky origin of the unstable asteroids in the 2/1 mean motion resonance with Jupiter

Authors:

 

Brož, M.; Vokrouhlický, D.; Roig, F.; Nesvorný, D.; Bottke, W. F.; Morbidelli, A.

Affiliation:

 

AA(Institute of Astronomy, Charles University, Prague, V Holešovičkách 2, 18000 Prague 8, Czech Republic), AB(Institute of Astronomy, Charles University, Prague, V Holešovičkách 2, 18000 Prague 8, Czech Republic), AC(Observatório Nacional - MCT, Rua Gal. José Cristino 77, Rio de Janeiro, 20921-400 RJ, Brazil), AD(Department of Space Studies, Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut St., Suite 400, Boulder, CO 80302, USA), AE(Department of Space Studies, Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut St., Suite 400, Boulder, CO 80302, USA), AF(Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Dept. Cassiopee, BP 4224, 06304 Nice Cedex 4, France)

Journal:

 

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 359, Issue 4, pp. 1437-1455. (MNRAS Homepage)

Publication Date:

 

06/2005

Origin:

 

MNRAS

Abstract Copyright:

 

(c) 2005 RAS

DOI:

 

10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.08995.x

Bibliographic Code:

 

2005MNRAS.359.1437B

Abstract

The 2/1 mean motion resonance with Jupiter, intersecting the main asteroid belt at ~3.27 au, contains a small population of objects. Numerical investigations have classified three groups within this population: asteroids residing on stable orbits (i.e. Zhongguos), those on marginally stable orbits with dynamical lifetimes of the order of 100 Myr (i.e. Griquas), and those on unstable orbits. In this paper, we reexamine the origin, evolution and survivability of objects in the 2/1 population. Using recent asteroid survey data, we have identified 100 new members since the last search, which increases the resonant population to 153. The most interesting new asteroids are those located in the theoretically predicted stable island A, which until now had been thought to be empty. We also investigate whether the population of objects residing on the unstable orbits could be resupplied by material from the edges of the 2/1 resonance by the thermal drag force known as the Yarkovsky effect (and by the YORP effect, which is related to the rotational dynamics). Using N-body simulations, we show that test particles pushed into the 2/1 resonance by the Yarkovsky effect visit the regions occupied by the unstable asteroids. We also find that our test bodies have dynamical lifetimes consistent with the integrated orbits of the unstable population. Using a semi-analytical Monte Carlo model, we compute the steady-state size distribution of magnitude H < 14 asteroids on unstable orbits within the resonance. Our results provide a good match with the available observational data. Finally, we discuss whether some 2/1 objects may be temporarily captured Jupiter-family comets or near-Earth asteroids.


 

Title:

 

Spectral study of the Eunomia asteroid family

Authors:

 

Nathues, Andreas; Mottola, Stefano; Kaasalainen, Mikko; Neukum, Gerhard

Affiliation:

 

AA(Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Max-Planck-Straße 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany), AB(DLR, Institute of Space Sensor Technology and Planetary Exploration, Rutherfordstrasse 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany), AC(Rolf Nevanlinna Institute, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, P.O. Box 68, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland), AD(Freie Universität Berlin, Institut für Geologie, Geophysik und Geoinformatik, Malteserstraße 74-100, D-12249 Berlin, Germany)

Journal:

 

Icarus, Volume 175, Issue 2, p. 452-463. (Icarus Homepage)

Publication Date:

 

06/2005

Origin:

 

ELSEVIER

Abstract Copyright:

 

(c) 2005 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

DOI:

 

10.1016/j.icarus.2004.12.013

Bibliographic Code:

 

2005Icar..175..452N

Abstract

We present color ratio curves of the S-Asteroid 15 Eunomia, which have been extracted from high-precision photometric lightcurves obtained in three different VNIR wavelength bands at the Bochum Telescope, La Silla. The measured color ratio curves and near infrared spectra were used to derive a detailed surface composition model whose shape has been computed by V-lightcurve inversions. According to this analysis, the asteroid shows on one hemisphere a higher concentration of pyroxene, which causes an increased 440/700 nm and a reduced 940/700 nm reflectance ratio as well as a pronounced 2-μm absorption band. The remaining surface shows a higher concentration of olivine, leading to a reduced 440/700 nm and slightly increased 940/700 nm color ratio. In addition, we found that the maximum of the 440/700 nm color ratio curve coincide with the minimum of the 940/700 nm color ratio curve and vice versa. We demonstrate on the basis of USGS laboratory spectra that this anti-cyclical behavior can be explained by choosing Fe-rich olivine and a pyroxene with moderate Fe content as varying mineral phases. Furthermore, our observations confirm that 15 Eunomia is an irregular elongated and at least partially differentiated body. Previous spectral investigations of several smaller fragments of the Eunomia asteroid family revealed that the amount of fragments showing an increased pyroxene content exceeds the amount of pyroxene-poor fragments (Nathues, 2000, DLR Forschungsbericht, ISSN 1434-8454). This finding together with the observation that the major fraction of Eunomia's surface is enriched in olivine let us claim that a large fraction of the original pyroxene-enriched crust layer has been lost due to a major collision that created the Eunomia asteroid family. Significant spectral evidences, consistent with high concentrations of metals have been found neither in the rotational resolved spectra of 15 Eunomia nor in its fragments. This led to the conclusion that either no core consisting mainly of metals exists or that an eventual one has not been unearthed by the impact.


 

Title:

 

The spin state of 433 Eros and its possible implications

Authors:

 

Vokrouhlický, D.; Bottke, W. F.; Nesvorný, D.

Affiliation:

 

AA(Institute of Astronomy, Charles University, V Holešovičkách 2, CZ-18000 Prague 8, Czech Republic), AB(Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut St, Suite 400, Boulder, CO 80302, USA), AC(Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut St, Suite 400, Boulder, CO 80302, USA)

Journal:

 

Icarus, Volume 175, Issue 2, p. 419-434. (Icarus Homepage)

Publication Date:

 

06/2005

Origin:

 

ELSEVIER

DOI:

 

10.1016/j.icarus.2004.11.017

Bibliographic Code:

 

2005Icar..175..419V

Abstract

In this paper, we show that Asteroid (433) Eros is currently residing in a spin orbit resonance, with its spin axis undergoing a small-amplitude libration about the Cassini state 2 of the proper mode in the nonsingular orbital element sinI/2exp(ıΩ), where I the orbital inclination and Ω the longitude of the node. The period of this libration is &simeq;53.4 kyr. By excluding these libration wiggles, we find that Eros' pole precesses with the proper orbital plane in inertial space with a period of &simeq;61.4 kyr. Eros' resonant state forces its obliquity to oscillate with a period of &simeq;53.4 kyr between &simeq;76° and &simeq;89.5°. The observed value of &simeq;89° places it near the latter extreme of this cycle. We have used these results to probe Eros' past orbit and spin evolution. Our computations suggest that Eros is unlikely to have achieved its current spin state by solar and planetary gravitational perturbations alone. We hypothesize that some dissipative process such as thermal torques (e.g., the so-called YORP effect) may be needed in our model to obtain a more satisfactory match with data. A detailed study of this problem is left for future work.


 

Title:

 

An equal-area map projection for irregular objects

Authors:

 

Berthoud, M. G.

Affiliation:

 

Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, 306 Space Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA

Journal:

 

Icarus, Volume 175, Issue 2, p. 382-389. (Icarus Homepage)

Publication Date:

 

06/2005

Origin:

 

ELSEVIER

Abstract Copyright:

 

(c) 2005 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

DOI:

 

10.1016/j.icarus.2004.11.021

Bibliographic Code:

 

2005Icar..175..382B

Abstract

An increasing number of objects discovered in the Solar System have irregular shapes which require unconventional mapping techniques. Here we present a technique that produces equivalent maps of such objects. As such maps preserve surface area they are especially useful for mapping the distribution of geological features on irregular objects. Maps of blocks and craters on the Asteroid 433 Eros are used to illustrate the potential use of the technique. Two equal-area maps are adequate to cover the entire asteroid and convincingly demonstrate variations in surface density of mapped features. Similar coverage by orthographic views requires 4 to 6 plots. The distortion of the maps are comparable to the distortions of maps created by other techniques.


 

Title:

 

The Statistical Asteroid Model. I. The Main-Belt Population for Diameters Greater than 1 Kilometer

Authors:

 

Tedesco, Edward F.; Cellino, Alberto; Zappalá, Vincenzo

Affiliation:

 

AA(Space Science Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824; ), AB(INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino, 10025 Pino Torinese, Torino, Italy; , ), AC(INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino, 10025 Pino Torinese, Torino, Italy; , )

Journal:

 

The Astronomical Journal, Volume 129, Issue 6, pp. 2869-2886. (AJ Homepage)

Publication Date:

 

06/2005

Origin:

 

UCP

AJ Keywords:

 

Infrared: Solar System, Minor Planets, Asteroids, Solar System: General

Abstract Copyright:

 

(c) 2005: The American Astronomical Society

DOI:

 

10.1086/429734

Bibliographic Code:

 

2005AJ....129.2869T

Abstract

We describe the creation of a model of the main asteroid belt whose purpose is to describe the main-belt asteroid size frequency distribution and simulate the number of main-belt asteroids and their fluxes at visual through mid-infrared (~0.3-70 μm) wavelengths in any area of sky for an arbitrary date. This model is based on a population of ~1.9×106 asteroids obtained from the complete known asteroid sample, plus extrapolation of the size-frequency distributions of 15 asteroid dynamical families and three background populations, to a diameter limit of 1 km. The model is compared with data and other models, example applications are given, planned refinements and extensions to the model are presented, and some implications of the resulting size frequency distribution are discussed.


 

Title:

 

Analysis of near-IR spectra of 1 Ceres and 4 Vesta, targets of the Dawn mission

Authors:

 

Vernazza, P.; Mothé-Diniz, T.; Barucci, M. A.; Birlan, M.; Carvano, J. M.; Strazzulla, G.; Fulchignoni, M.; Migliorini, A.

Affiliation:

 

AA(LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, 92195 Meudon Principal Cedex, France ), AB(LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, 92195 Meudon Principal Cedex, France), AC(LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, 92195 Meudon Principal Cedex, France), AD(IMCCE, Observatoire de Paris, 77 Av. Denfert Rochereau, 75014 Paris Cedex, France), AE(LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, 92195 Meudon Principal Cedex, France), AF(INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania, via Santa Sofia 78, 95123 Catania, Italy), AG(LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, 92195 Meudon Principal Cedex, France), AH(LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, 92195 Meudon Principal Cedex, France; Dipartimento di Astronomia di Padova, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 2, 35122 Padova, Italy)

Journal:

 

Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 436, Issue 3, June IV 2005, pp.1113-1121 (A&A Homepage)

Publication Date:

 

06/2005

Origin:

 

EDP

Keywords:

 

minor planets, asteroids, techniques: spectroscopic, infrared: solar system

DOI:

 

10.1051/0004-6361:20042506

Bibliographic Code:

 

2005A&A...436.1113V

Abstract

We obtained high signal to noise spectra of the two targets of the Dawn mission, 4 Vesta and 1 Ceres from observations carried out in remote control between the Observatoire de Paris-Meudon and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility on Mauna Kea. 4 Vesta was observed in the 0.7-2.5 μm spectral region at three different rotational phases in order to i) determine the mineral composition; ii) understand the spectral variations across the surface. Vesta was also observed in the 2.0-3.8 μm range. The 3 μm absorption feature was not detected, implying the absence of OH and/or H2O-bearing minerals on the asteroid surface at the latitude of our observations. The spectrum of 1 Ceres was obtained in the 2.0-4.1 μm range and the presence of the 3.06 μm absorption feature confirmed. Laboratory measurement of ion-irradiated organics and ices suggest that the 3.06 μm feature can be reproduced with a linear mixture of crystalyne ice and residues of ion-irradiated asphaltite.


 

Title:

 

Nutational damping times in solids of revolution

Authors:

 

Sharma, Ishan; Burns, Joseph A.; Hui, C.-Y.

Affiliation:

 

AA(Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA), AB(Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA), AC(Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA)

Journal:

 

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 359, Issue 1, pp. 79-92. (MNRAS Homepage)

Publication Date:

 

05/2005

Origin:

 

MNRAS

Abstract Copyright:

 

(c) 2005 RAS

DOI:

 

10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.08864.x

Bibliographic Code:

 

2005MNRAS.359...79S

Abstract

We derive the characteristic nutational damping time Td for a linear, anelastic ellipsoid of revolution. Our calculation is based on the well-known idea that energy loss within an isolated spinning body causes the axis of maximum inertia of the body to align with its angular momentum vector, leading to pure spin. Energy loss occurs within an anelastic material whenever internal stresses are time variable; thus even freely rotating bodies in space, if they are wobbling, lose energy because internal stresses are associated with the accelerations caused by nutation. We find that , where D(h) is a constant of the order of a few times 102 that depends on the shape of the body with h being the (aspect) ratio of the lengths of axes to one another, μ is the elastic modulus, Q is a quality factor that describes the anelasticity of the material, ρ is the density of the body, a is its radius and Ω is an angular velocity. This functional form of the damping time is consistent with previous results but is more soundly based. Coefficients in past expressions vary between various authors, leading to predicted damping times that can differ by factors of the order of 10. To estimate damping times for typical asteroids, we choose values for the various parameters in this expression. We conclude that the extent of energy dissipation was over, rather than underestimated, in previous treatments. None the less, we argue that asteroids will generally be found in pure rotation, unless objects are small, spinning slowly and recently excited.


 

Title:

 

Ceres: Evolution and current state

Authors:

 

McCord, Thomas B.; Sotin, Christophe

Journal:

 

Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 110, Issue E5, CiteID E05009 (JGRE Homepage)

Publication Date:

 

05/2005

Origin:

 

AGU

AGU Keywords:

 

Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects: Asteroids, Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Origin and evolution, Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Composition (1060, 3672), Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Surface materials and properties

Abstract Copyright:

 

(c) 2005: American Geophysical Union

DOI:

 

10.1029/2004JE002244

Bibliographic Code:

 

2005JGRE..11005009M

Abstract

We modeled several thermal evolution scenarios for Ceres to explore the nature of large, wet protoplanets and to predict current-day evidence that might be found by close inspection, such as by the Dawn mission. The density for Ceres is near 2.1, suggesting a water content between 17% and 27% by mass. Short- and long-lived radioactive nuclide heating is considered. Even if only long-lived radionuclide heating is assumed, the water ice in Ceres melts quickly and a water mantle forms, but an approximately 10-km crust does not melt. The circulating warm water would alter the silicates. As heat is lost by conduction through the frozen crust, water begins to freeze out at the base of the crust. Solid-state convection begins and transports more heat as well as perhaps material dissolved or entrained in the water to or near the surface. Ceres' water layer eventually (but perhaps not entirely) freezes, forming a layered density structure with perhaps some liquid water remaining today. Our differentiated models are in agreement with the recently measured difference between the equatorial and polar radii. We find that Ceres' existence and evolution depend critically on it containing water at formation, and this depends strongly on the combination of when it accreted and the amount of 26Al present in the pre-Ceres ~1-km-sized objects; slightly more 26Al or earlier accretion produces a dry Vesta-like object. Melting and freezing plus mineralization would lead to several dimensional changes over time, creating topographic features, zones of weakness, and perhaps disruptions in the crust.


 

Title:

 

New V-type asteroids in near-Earth space

Authors:

 

Marchi, S.; Lazzarin, M.; Paolicchi, P.; Magrin, S.

Affiliation:

 

AA(Dipartimento di Astronomia, Università di Padova, vicolo dell'Osservatorio 2, I-35122 Padova, Italy), AB(Dipartimento di Astronomia, Università di Padova, vicolo dell'Osservatorio 2, I-35122 Padova, Italy), AC(Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Pisa, via Buonarroti 2, I-56127 Pisa, Italy), AD(Dipartimento di Astronomia, Università di Padova, vicolo dell'Osservatorio 2, I-35122 Padova, Italy)

Journal:

 

Icarus, Volume 175, Issue 1, p. 170-174. (Icarus Homepage)

Publication Date:

 

05/2005

Origin:

 

ELSEVIER

Abstract Copyright:

 

(c) 2005 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

DOI:

 

10.1016/j.icarus.2004.11.015

Bibliographic Code:

 

2005Icar..175..170M

Abstract

We present new visible and near-infrared spectroscopic observations of 4 small, previously unclassified, near-Earth objects (NEOs). They appear to have basaltic surfaces, and hence they can be classified as V-types. Their visible spectra exhibit a closer spectral match with the Main-Belt (MB) Asteroid (4) Vesta than the other, presently known, V-type NEOs and MB asteroids. The near-infrared spectrum of Asteroid 2003 FT3 shows—for the first time among NEOs—a peculiar shape of the 1 μm band, maybe suggesting an overabundance of olivine compared to the other V-types and to (4) Vesta. The presence of V-type objects among NEOs may be a consequence of the delivery processes connecting the inner MB to the near-Earth region. On the basis of the orbital parameters of the NEOs presented here, both the resonances (3:1 and ν6), usually considered as the most relevant gateways for the production of near-Earth asteroids, should have been active to transfer the bodies from the MB region.


 

Title:

 

Dust transport in photoelectron layers and the formation of dust ponds on Eros

Authors:

 

Colwell, Joshua E.; Gulbis, Amanda A. S.; Horányi, Mihály; Robertson, Scott

Affiliation:

 

AA(Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0392, USA), AB(Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA), AC(Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0392, USA), AD(Center for Integrated Plasma Studies, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0390, USA)

Journal:

 

Icarus, Volume 175, Issue 1, p. 159-169. (Icarus Homepage)

Publication Date:

 

05/2005

Origin:

 

ELSEVIER

Abstract Copyright:

 

(c) 2005 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

DOI: