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Originally published in Science Express on 11 April 2002
Science 24 May 2002:
Vol. 296. no. 5572, pp. 1445 - 1448
DOI: 10.1126/science.1072094
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Reports
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. Campbell4
Radar images of near-Earth asteroid 2000 DP107 show
that it is composed of an ~800-meter-diameter primary and an
~300-meter-diameter secondary revolving around their common center of
mass. The orbital period of 1.755 ± 0.007 days and semimajor axis
of 2620 ± 160 meters constrain the total mass of the system to
4.6 ± 0.5 × 1011 kilograms and the bulk density
of the primary to 1.7 ± 1.1 grams per cubic centimeter. 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
near-Earth asteroids larger than 200 meters in diameter may be binary
systems.
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 Space Sciences Building,
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
margot{at}gps.caltech.edu
Read the Full Text
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)
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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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