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Published Online April 11, 2002
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1072094

Reports

Submitted on March 21, 2002
Accepted on April 3, 2002

Binary Asteroids in the Near-Earth Object Population

J. L. Margot 1*, M. C. Nolan 2, L. A. M. Benner 3, S. J. Ostro 3, R. F. Jurgens 3, J. D. Giorgini 3, M. A. Slade 3, D. B. Campbell 4

1 California Institute of Technology, MC 150-21, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
2 National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, Arecibo, Puerto Rico 00612.
3 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
4 Cornell University, Space Sciences Building, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: margot{at}gps.caltech.edu.

Radar images of near-Earth asteroid 2000 DP107 show that it is composed of an ~800 meter diameter primary and a ~300 meter diameter secondary revolving around their common center of mass. The orbital period of 1.755 ± 0.007 days and semi-major axis of 2620 ± 160 meters constrain the total mass of the system to 4.6 ± 0.5 x 1011 kilograms and the specific bulk density of the primary to 1.7 ± 1.1. This system and other binary near-Earth asteroids have spheroidal primaries spinning near the breakup point for strengthless bodies, suggesting that the binaries formed by spin-up and fission, probably as a result of tidal disruption during close planetary encounters. About 16% of the near-Earth asteroids larger than 200 meters in diameter may be binary systems.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Spin Rate of Asteroid (54509) 2000 PH5 Increasing Due to the YORP Effect.
P. A. Taylor, J.-L. Margot, D. Vokrouhlicky, D. J. Scheeres, P. Pravec, S. C. Lowry, A. Fitzsimmons, M. C. Nolan, S. J. Ostro, L. A. M. Benner, et al. (2007)
Science 316, 274-277
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Dynamical Configuration of Binary Near-Earth Asteroid (66391) 1999 KW4.
D. J. Scheeres, E. G. Fahnestock, S. J. Ostro, J.-L. Margot, L. A. M. Benner, S. B. Broschart, J. Bellerose, J. D. Giorgini, M. C. Nolan, C. Magri, et al. (2006)
Science 314, 1280-1283
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Radar Imaging of Binary Near-Earth Asteroid (66391) 1999 KW4.
Steven. J. Ostro, J.-L. Margot, L. A. M. Benner, J. D. Giorgini, D. J. Scheeres, E. G. Fahnestock, S. B. Broschart, J. Bellerose, M. C. Nolan, C. Magri, et al. (2006)
Science 314, 1276-1280
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Direct Detection of the Yarkovsky Effect by Radar Ranging to Asteroid 6489 Golevka.
S. R. Chesley, S. J. Ostro, D. Vokrouhlicky, D. Capek, J. D. Giorgini, M. C. Nolan, J.-L. Margot, A. A. Hine, L. A. M. Benner, and A. B. Chamberlin (2003)
Science 302, 1739-1742
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A Low-Density M-type Asteroid in the Main Belt.
J. L. Margot and M. E. Brown (2003)
Science 300, 1939-1942
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