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Spectroscopic observations of unbound asteroid pairs using the WHT

Duddy, S.R., Lowry, S.C., Christou, A., Wolters, S.D., Rozitis, R., Weissman, P.R. (2013) Spectroscopic observations of unbound asteroid pairs using the WHT. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 429 (1). pp. 63-74. ISSN 0035-8711. E-ISSN 1365-2966. (doi:10.1093/mnras/sts309) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:52277)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/sts309

Abstract

Recently over 62 pairs of asteroids have been shown to have very similar orbital elements. Backward integration of their orbits indicates that the asteroids in each pair likely had very close encounters at low relative velocities, consistent with models of the spin-up and rotational fission of asteroids. Although linked dynamically, the observation of highly similar spectra would suggest that the asteroids share a common composition, which we would expect if they formed from a common parent body. We have begun an observational campaign whose aim is to obtain optical and/or NIR spectra of a large sample of these unbound asteroid pairs to determine whether the asteroids in each pair exhibit similar spectra. We present optical spectroscopic observations of four complete pairs obtained using the William Herschel Telescope. We find that the components of pairs 1979-13732 and 19289-278067 share very similar spectra and likely have a common origin. Our current spectra of 17198-229056 are sufficiently different to suggest that they do not have a common origin, although this is contrary to the strong dynamical linkup of these asteroids demonstrated in the current paper and previous studies. Further observations of this pair are encouraged to examine why the spectra are so different. It is unclear whether the spectra of the final pair, 11842-228747, are a match due to the low S/N of the secondary's spectrum. We discuss the process of space weathering and present newdynamical analyses which confirm the previously estimated ages of the observed pairs. The time-scale for space weathering appears to be longer than 1 Myr for at least some pairs.We also present an efficient method which can be used to determine the positional convergence of unbound asteroid pairs ©2012 The Authors.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1093/mnras/sts309
Additional information: Unmapped bibliographic data: LA - English [Field not mapped to EPrints] J2 - Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. [Field not mapped to EPrints] AD - Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, School of Physical Science, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NH, United States [Field not mapped to EPrints] AD - Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh BT61 9DG, United States [Field not mapped to EPrints] AD - Planetary Science Section, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA 91109, United States [Field not mapped to EPrints] AD - Planetary and Space Sciences, Department of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, United States [Field not mapped to EPrints] DB - Scopus [Field not mapped to EPrints]
Uncontrolled keywords: Asteroids: general, Minor planets
Subjects: Q Science > QB Astronomy
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Physics and Astronomy
Depositing User: Stephen Lowry
Date Deposited: 08 Dec 2015 22:09 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:21 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/52277 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Duddy, S.R..

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Lowry, S.C..

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5605-4329
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