A Revised Asteroid Polarization-Albedo Relationship Using WISE/NEOWISE Data
Abstract
We present a reanalysis of the relationship between asteroid albedo and polarization properties using the albedos derived from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. We find that the function that best describes this relation is a three-dimensional linear fit in the space of log (albedo)-log (polarization slope)-log (minimum polarization). When projected to two dimensions, the parameters of the fit are consistent with those found in previous work. We also define p^* as the quantity of maximal polarization variation when compared with the albedo and present the best-fitting albedo-p^* relation. Some asteroid taxonomic types stand out in this three-dimensional space, notably the E, B, and M Tholen types, while others cluster in clumps coincident with the S- and C-complex bodies. We note that both low albedo and small (D < 30 km) asteroids are underrepresented in the polarimetric sample, and we encourage future polarimetric surveys to focus on these bodies.
Additional Information
© 2012 American Astronomical Society. Received 2011 November 18; accepted 2012 February 10; published 2012 March 27. The authors thank referee Alberto Cellino for his helpful review of this paper. J.R.M. was supported by an appointment to the NASA Postdoctoral Program at JPL, administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities through a contract with NASA. This paper makes use of data products from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, which is a joint project of the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This paper also makes use of data products from NEOWISE, which is a project of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, funded by the Planetary Science Division of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This research has made use of the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.Attached Files
Published - Masiero2012p18110Astrophys_J.pdf
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- Eprint ID
- 31484
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20120515-153709263
- NASA Postdoctoral Program
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2012-05-16Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-09Created from EPrint's last_modified field