Welcome to the new version of CaltechAUTHORS. Login is currently restricted to library staff. If you notice any issues, please email coda@library.caltech.edu
Published December 2008 | public
Journal Article

Near-Earth asteroid surface roughness depends on compositional class

Abstract

Radar observations of 214 near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) reveal a very strong correlation of circular polarization ratio with visible-infrared taxonomic class, establishing distinct differences in the centimeter-to-several-decimeter structural complexity of objects in different spectral classes. The correlation may be due to the intrinsic mechanical properties of different mineralogical assemblages but also may reflect very different formation ages and collisional histories. The highest ratios are measured for groups associated with achondritic igneous rocky meteorites: the E class, whose parent body may be 3103 Eger, and the V class, derived from the mainbelt asteroid (and Dawn mission target) 4 Vesta.

Additional Information

© 2008 Elsevier. Received 21 February 2008. Revised 18 June 2008. Available online 11 July 2008. We thank the technical staffs at the Arecibo Observatory and the Goldstone Solar System Radar for help with the observations, L.M. Carter for providing the 2004 VG64 data, I.N. Belskaya, R.P. Binzel, S.J. Bus, F. De Meo, M.D. Hicks, and V. Reddy for providing NEA taxonomic classifications in advance of publication, K.G. Ellsworth for help with Fig. 3, and A. Rivkin and B. Campbell for comments that improved the manuscript. The Arecibo Observatory is part of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, which is operated by Cornell University under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation (NSF). Some of this work was performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This material is based in part upon work supported by NASA under the Science Mission Directorate Research and Analysis Programs.

Additional details

Created:
August 22, 2023
Modified:
October 17, 2023