NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2008B-0111
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2008B-0111 |
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PI: William Romanishin, University of Oklahoma, wjr@nhn.ou.edu
Address: Physics Department, 440 West Brooks St, Norman, OK 73019, US
CoI: Erin Cooper, University of Oklahoma
Title: Shapes and Densities of Jovian Trojan Objects
Abstract:
We will use optical CCD photometric lightcurve observations of
Jovian Trojan objects to study their shapes and densities. Although
these objects are sometimes called Trojan ``asteroids", recent work
suggests that these objects may have formed far beyond Jupiter and then
were subsequently captured into their present ``clouds" at the L4 and L5
Lagrange points of the Sun-Jupiter system. Thus, these objects may be
closer in physical nature to icy comets than to rocky/ metallic
asteroids. The scientific goal of the work proposed here is to derive
density estimates for a sample of a dozen or more Trojans to compare
with density estimates for comets, asteroids, Centaurs, and KBOs. We
trust that a good density estimate for the Trojan class of objects will
help elucidate the origin of this group of objects and the ``big
picture" of the history of minor bodies in the solar system.
National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, Arizona 85726, Phone: (520) 318-8000, Fax: (520) 318-8360
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2008B-0111 |
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