Asteroid 2867 Steins II. Multi-telescope visible observations, shape reconstruction, and rotational state

Lamy, P.L., Kaasalainen, M., Lowry, S., Weissman, P., Barucci, M.A., Carvano, J., Choi, Y.-J., Colas, F., Faury, G., Fornasier, S., and others. (2008) Asteroid 2867 Steins II. Multi-telescope visible observations, shape reconstruction, and rotational state. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 487 (3). pp. 1179-1185. ISSN 0004-6361. E-ISSN 1432-0746. (doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078995) (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:52298)

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/10.1051/0004-6361:20078995

Abstract

Context. Asteroid 2867 Steins is the first target of the Rosetta space mission with a flyby scheduled in September 2008. Aims.An early physical characterization is needed to optimize the flyby parameters and the science operations, and to maximize the scientific return. The aim of this article is to characterize the shape and rotational state of this asteroid. Methods. We compile a set of 26 visible light curves whose phase angle coverage extends from 7.5 degs to 41.7 degs, and perform their simultaneous inversion relying on convex modeling. Results.The full three-dimensional solution for asteroid 2867 Steins is rather spherical with axial ratios a/b = 1.17 and a/c = 1.25. The rotational state is characterized by a sidereal period of 6.04681 ± 0.00002 h, and the pole direction defined by its ecliptic coordinates lambda ~ 250 degs and beta ~ -89 degs has an uncertainty of about 5 degs. It is therefore almost exactly perpendicular to the ecliptic plane, and the viewing geometries are thus restricted to only ± 20 degs about Steins' equator. Consequently, the shape model is not strongly constrained, and the polar flattening has an uncertainty of about 10%. Inversion is basically scale-free, and absolute scaling comes from a measurement of its thermal emission with the Spitzer Space Telescope (Lamy et al. 2008, A&A, 487, 1187), yielding overall dimensions of 5.73 ± 0.52, 4.95 ± 0.45, and 4.58 ± 0.41 km. © ESO 2008.

Item Type:	Article
DOI/Identification number:	10.1051/0004-6361:20078995
Additional information:	Unmapped bibliographic data: LA - English [Field not mapped to EPrints] J2 - Astron. Astrophys. [Field not mapped to EPrints] AD - Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, UMR6110 CNRS, TechnopÃ´le de Marseille-Etoile, 38 rue FrÃ©dÃ©ric Joliot-Curie, 13388 Marseille Cedex 13, France [Field not mapped to EPrints] AD - Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Helsinki, PO Box 68, Helsinki, 00014, Finland [Field not mapped to EPrints] AD - School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University, Belfast, United Kingdom [Field not mapped to EPrints] AD - Jet Propulsion Laboratory, MS 183-301, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, United States [Field not mapped to EPrints] AD - LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, 92195 Meudon Principal Cedex, France [Field not mapped to EPrints] AD - Observatorio National de Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [Field not mapped to EPrints] AD - Institut de MÃ©canique CÃ©leste, 75014 Paris, France [Field not mapped to EPrints] AD - UniversitÃ© de Paris, 7 Denis Diderot, France [Field not mapped to EPrints] AD - Astronomical Observatory, Adam Mickiewicz University, 60-286 Poznan, Poland [Field not mapped to EPrints] AD - Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States [Field not mapped to EPrints] AD - Konkoly Observatory, PO Box 67, 525, Hungary [Field not mapped to EPrints] AD - Palmer Divide Observatory, Colorado Springs, CO 80908, United States [Field not mapped to EPrints] DB - Scopus [Field not mapped to EPrints]
Uncontrolled keywords:	Minor planets, asteroids, Techniques: image processing, Asteroids, Curve fitting, Imaging techniques, Interplanetary flight, Optical instruments, Optical telescopes, Photography, Space telescopes, Telescopes, Three dimensional, Axial ratios, Convex modeling, Ecliptic plane, Minor planets, asteroids, Phase angles, Physical characterization, Rosetta, Scale-free, Science operations, Shape Modelling, Shape reconstruction, Space missions, Spitzer Space Telescope, Techniques: image processing, Thermal emission, Visible-light, Spacecraft observatories
Subjects:	Q Science > QB Astronomy
Divisions:	Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Physics and Astronomy
Depositing User:	Stephen Lowry
Date Deposited:	08 Dec 2015 23:03 UTC
Last Modified:	16 Nov 2021 10:21 UTC
Resource URI:	https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/52298 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Lowry, S..

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