Constraints on the near-Earth asteroid obliquity distribution from the Yarkovsky effect
Tardioli, C. and Farnocchia, D. and Rozitis, B. and Cotto-Figueroa, D. and Chesley, S. R. and Statler, T. S. and Vasile, M. (2017) Constraints on the near-Earth asteroid obliquity distribution from the Yarkovsky effect. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 608. A61. ISSN 0004-6361 (https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201731338)
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Abstract
Aims. From lightcurve and radar data we know the spin axis of only 43 near-Earth asteroids. In this paper we attempt to constrain the spin axis obliquity distribution of near-Earth asteroids by leveraging the Yarkovsky effect and its dependence on an asteroid’s obliquity. Methods. By modeling the physical parameters driving the Yarkovsky effect, we solve an inverse problem where we test different simple parametric obliquity distributions. Each distribution results in a predicted Yarkovsky effect distribution that we compare with a chi^2 test to a dataset of 125 Yarkovsky estimates. Results. We find different obliquity distributions that are statistically satisfactory. In particular, among the considered models, the best-fit solution is a quadratic function, which only depends on two parameters, favors extreme obliquities, consistent with the expected outcomes from the YORP effect, has a 2:1 ratio between retrograde and direct rotators, which is in agreement with theoretical predictions, and is statistically consistent with the distribution of known spin axes of near-Earth asteroids.
ORCID iDs
Tardioli, C., Farnocchia, D., Rozitis, B., Cotto-Figueroa, D., Chesley, S. R., Statler, T. S. and Vasile, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8302-6465;-
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Item type: Article ID code: 62366 Dates: DateEvent1 December 2017Published3 September 2017AcceptedSubjects: Science > Astronomy
Technology > Mechanical engineering and machineryDepartment: Faculty of Engineering > Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Technology and Innovation Centre > Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing
Strategic Research Themes > Ocean, Air and SpaceDepositing user: Pure Administrator Date deposited: 15 Nov 2017 12:33 Last modified: 31 Oct 2024 01:43 URI: https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/62366