NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2012B-0341
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2012B-0341 |
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PI: Linda French, Illinois Wesleyan University, lfrench@iwu.edu
Address: Physics Department, P.O. Box 2900, Bloomington, IL 61702, USA
CoI: Robert Stephens, GMARS
CoI: Todd Henry, Georgia State University
CoI: Joseph Chatelain, Georgia State University
CoI: Lawrence H. Wasserman, Lowell Observatory
Title: Photometric Study of Jovian Trojan Asteroids
Abstract:
The Jovian Trojan asteroids appear to be fundamentally different
from main belt asteroids. They formed further from the Sun, their
composition is different, and their collisional history appears to be
different. Lightcurve studies provide information about the
distribution of rotation frequencies of a group of asteroids. For main
belt asteroids larger than about 40 km in diameter, the distribution of
rotation frequencies is Maxwellian (Pravec et al. 2000), suggesting
that collisions determine their rotation properties. The Trojans larger
than 100 km in diameter have been almost completely sampled, but
lightcurves for small Trojans have been less well studied due to their
low albedos and greater solar distances. Preliminary data (Molnar 2008;
French et al. 2011) indicate that Trojans may have, on average, longer
periods than main belt asteroids of the same size. We propose to
investigate the rotation periods and lightcurve amplitudes of 4-5
Trojans in the 15-25 km size range. We will also obtain VRI colors,
sufficient to determine the compositional type of the target objects.
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 > 2012B-0341 |
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