Search Publications
New polarimetric and spectroscopic evidence of anomalous enrichment in spinel-bearing calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions among L-type asteroids
Surdej, J.; Tanga, P.; Carry, B. +14 more
Asteroids can be classified into several groups based on their spectral reflectance. Among these groups, the one belonging to the L-class in the taxonomic classification based on visible and near-infrared spectra exhibit several peculiar properties. First, their near-infrared spectrum is characterized by a strong absorption band interpreted as the…
A revised shape model of asteroid (216) Kleopatra
Nolan, Michael C.; Springmann, Alessondra; Scheeres, Daniel J. +8 more
We used three different sets of Arecibo delay-Doppler radar images and five well-covered occultations to generate a revised three-dimensional shape model of asteroid (216) Kleopatra with a spatial resolution of ∼10 km. We find Kleopatra to be a bi-lobate contact binary of overall dimensions 276 × 94 × 78 km ± 15% and equivalent diameter Deq
PRIMASS visits Hilda and Cybele groups
De Prá, M. N.; Pinilla-Alonso, N.; Carvano, J. M. +5 more
The Cybele and Hilda dynamical groups delimit the outer edge of the asteroid belt. Their compositional distribution is a key element to constrain evolutionary models of the Solar System. In this paper, we present a compositional analysis of these populations using spectroscopic observations, SDSS and NEOWISE data. As part of the PRIMASS (Primitive…
Expected spectral characteristics of (101955) Bennu and (162173) Ryugu, targets of the OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa2 missions
Pinilla-Alonso, N.; Licandro, J.; Campins, H. +9 more
NASA's OSIRIS-REx and JAXA's Hayabusa2 sample-return missions are currently on their way to encounter primitive near-Earth asteroids (101955) Bennu and (162173) Ryugu, respectively. Spectral and dynamical evidence indicates that these near-Earth asteroids originated in the inner part of the main belt. There are several primitive collisional famili…
Asteroid thermal modeling in the presence of reflected sunlight
Myhrvold, Nathan
A new derivation of simple asteroid thermal models is presented, investigating the need to account correctly for Kirchhoff's law of thermal radiation when IR observations contain substantial reflected sunlight. The framework applies to both the NEATM and related thermal models. A new parameterization of these models eliminates the dependence of th…
An empirical examination of WISE/NEOWISE asteroid analysis and results
Myhrvold, Nathan
Asteroid observations by the WISE space telescope and the analysis of those observations by the NEOWISE project have provided more information about the diameter, albedo, and other properties of approximately 164,000 asteroids, more than all other sources combined. The raw data set from this mission will likely be the largest and most important su…