Some Short Topics

AS3141 Benda Kecil dalam Tata Surya

Prodi Astronomi 2007/2008
B. Dermawan
 Topics

Space Weathering
Non-gravitational forces
Rotation & Internal Structure
Planetary Companions
Dynamical evolution
 Space Weathering (SW): Terminology
Clark et al. 2002: Any surface modification process(es) that may tend
to change the apparent traits (optical properties, physical structure,
chemical or mineralogical properties) of the immediate, remotely
sensed surface of an airless body from analogous traits of the
bodys inherent bulk material
Chapman 2004: The observed phenomena caused by the processes
(accretion or erosion of particular materials, modification of
material in situ by energetic impacts or irradiation) operating at or
near the surface of an airless Solar System body that modify the
remotely sensed properties of the bodys surface from those of the
unmodified, intrinsic, subsurface bulk of the body
Nesvorn et al. 2005: Processes that alter optical properties of
surfaces or airless bodies (such as solar wind sputtering,
micrometeorites impacts, etc.)
 SW Evidences

Although many S-type asteroids are probably similar in bulk

composition to OC meteorites, surface of S-type asteroids are
significantly redder than colors of OC meteorites, and have
much shallower olivine/pyroxene absorption band at 1 m
Color variations on surfaces of S-type asteroids Ida, Gaspra,
and Eros mimic the sense of the color differences observed for
lunar soils with older surfaces being darker and redder in
appearance. Conversely, it is believed that other common
asteroid types (e.g., the V- and C-types) show little evidence of
optical alteration with time
Spectral Features

The depth of the 1.0 m

band & slopes
 The Prime Question:

Given early (post-Apollo)

demonstration that the lunar
surface is space weathered
Why has it taken so long for it
to become accepted that
asteroid surfaces are space
weathered?
Indeed, is it even yet
accepted?
 SW Evidence from SDSS
Nesvorn et al. 2005
 Laboratory Experiments (1)
Abundant nanophase-reduced
Fe on the rims
 Laboratory Experiments (2)
Lazzarin et al. 2006
Reflectance spectra of three CC
meteorites before and after laser
and ion radiation

Effect of adding a 0.0025%

SMFe to a pulverized OC

Clark et al. 2002

 Non-gravitational Forces
Acceleration:
Outgassing (cometary activity) > 10-7
Thermal Radiation 10-7 10-11 (r)
Radiation Pressure 10-6 10-11 (r)
Poynting-Robertson Drag 10-10 10-15 (t)
Solar Wind, Lorentz Force, < 10-15
Plasma Drag
Thermal Radiation Acceleration
10 cm 10 km
Yarkovsky & YORP Effects
 Yarkovsky & YORP Effects

Orbit
Size and shape
Spin period and axis orientation
Mass
Density of surface layers
Albedo
Conductivity
 Yarkovsky Effect
A force felt by a body caused by the anisotropic
emission of thermal photons, which carry momentum

Diurnal Seasonal
Dominant for larger Important for smaller
bodies 100 m fragments of 1100 m

Bottke et al. 2006

 Orbital Drift

Bro et al. 2005

Yarkovsky Effect Meteorite Delivery

Long Cosmic Ray

Exposure Ages of
Meteorites

Farinella et al. 1998,

Vokrouhlick & Farinella 2000,
Bottke et al. 2000)
 Koronis Family
Dispersal evolution

Bottke et al. 2001

 Yarkovsky Effect on Evolutional Tracks
Nesvorn et al. 2002: 39 members
70 - 90 members

Karin Family

Nesvorn & Bottke 2004

 YORP Effect
Yarkovsky-OKeefe-Radzievskii-Paddack

Second-order variation on the Yarkovsky effect which

causes an asteroid to spin up or down (Rubincam 2000)
Time-scales:
Sizes of 10 km: 102 Myr
< 10 km: much faster

Distribution of rotation
rates of small asteroids
(sizes < 50 km) shows a
clear excess of very fast
and slow rotators
 Slivan 2002
Koronis Family
Bimodal obliquity distribution

Slivan et al. 2003

 Merxia
Family

Vel. Dispersion,
cYORP,
Age,
K

Bro et al. 2005

 Three Major Asteroid Size Ranges
Asteroid population splits according to properties related to
their rotations into three major ranges at D~60 km and 0.2 km:

1. Large asteroids, D > 60 km

2. Small asteroids, D = 0.2 60 km
3. Very small asteroids, D < 0.2 km

Large asteroids rotations collisionaly evolved

Small asteroids rotations driven by YORP
Spin barrier at sizes D = 0.2 to 10 km suggesting
cohesionless structure from 0.2 up to 3 km
Superfast rotators below D = 0.2 km cohesion implied
Binary population among asteroids with D = 0.3-10 km
related to critical spins near the spin barrier
Internal Characteristic

Spin Barrier
 Planetary Companions

Quasi-satellites
Co-orbital (tadpole & horseshoe orbits,
Trojans)
Planetary Companions
2002 AA29 has a
horseshoe orbit,
approaching Earth
and being perturbed
to move away

This is a classic
example of Keplers
third law with change
in a

The full orbit is not

shown, it passes the
other side of the Sun.
Libration period ca.
190 yr
2002 AA29 Finding Co-orbitals and
Earth Trojans
Co-orbitals are currently
usually found when near
Earth (by LINEAR).
Scanning high latitudes
could be a good place to
look and currently
undersurveyed.
For Trojans, the search
region is smaller.
CFHT searches for 1/day
objects in this region could
1980-2020 find both types of object.
2003 YN107 has a
similar horseshoe
behavior at times but
lower inclination
It is currently trapped
as a quasi-satellite
near Earth
 Dynamical Evolution
Orbital integration up to several Gyr
Concepts: Symplectic + handle close
encounter with planets