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Register a new userMutual Events in the Cold Classical Transneptunian Binary System Sila and Nunam
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Hubble Space Telescope observations between 2001 and 2010 resolved the binary components of the Cold Classical transneptunian object (79360) Sila-Nunam (provisionally designated 1997 CS29). From these observations we have determined the circular, retrograde mutual orbit of Nunam relative to Sila with a period of 12.50995 pm 0.00036 days and a semimajor axis of 2777 pm 19 km. A multi-year season of mutual events, in which the two near-equal brightness bodies alternate in passing in front of one another as seen from Earth, is in progress right now, and on 2011 Feb. 1 UT, one such event was observed from two different telescopes. The mutual event season offers a rich opportunity to learn much more about this barely-resolvable binary system, potentially including component sizes, colors, shapes, and albedo patterns. The low eccentricity of the orbit and a photometric lightcurve that appears to coincide with the orbital period are consistent with a system that is tidally locked and synchronized, like the Pluto-Charon system. The orbital period and semimajor axis imply a system mass of (10.84 pm 0.22) times 10^18 kg, which can be combined with a size estimate based on Spitzer and Herschel thermal infrared observations to infer an average bulk density of 0.72 +0.37 -0.23 g cm^-3, comparable to the very low bulk densities estimated for small transneptunian binaries of other dynamical classes.
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A new Hubble Space Telescope observation of the 7:4 resonant transneptunian binary system (385446) Manwe has shown that, of two previously reported solutions for the orbit of its satellite Thorondor, the prograde one is correct. The orbit has a period of 110.18 $pm$ 0.02 days, semimajor axis of 6670 $pm$ 40 km, and an eccentricity of 0.563 $pm$ 0.007. It will be viewable edge-on from the inner solar system during 2015-2017, presenting opportunities to observe mutual occultation and eclipse events. However, the number of observable events will be small, owing to the long orbital period and expected small sizes of the bodies relative to their separation. This paper presents predictions for events observable from Earth-based telescopes and discusses the associated uncertainties and challenges.
We present three improved and five new mutual orbits of transneptunian binary systems (58534) Logos-Zoe, (66652) Borasisi-Pabu, (88611) Teharonhiawako-Sawiskera, (123509) 2000 WK183, (149780) Altjira, 2001 QY297, 2003 QW111, and 2003 QY90 based on Hubble Space Telescope and Keck 2 laser guide star adaptive optics observations. Combining the five new orbit solutions with 17 previously known orbits yields a sample of 22 mutual orbits for which the period P, semimajor axis a, and eccentricity e have been determined. These orbits have mutual periods ranging from 5 to over 800 days, semimajor axes ranging from 1,600 to 37,000 km, eccentricities ranging from 0 to 0.8, and system masses ranging from 2 x 10^17 to 2 x 10^22 kg. Based on the relative brightnesses of primaries and secondaries, most of these systems consist of near equal-sized pairs, although a few of the most massive systems are more lopsided. The observed distribution of orbital properties suggests that the most loosely-bound transneptunian binary systems are only found on dynamically cold heliocentric orbits. Of the 22 known binary mutual or-bits, orientation ambiguities are now resolved for 9, of which 7 are prograde and 2 are retro-grade, consistent with a random distribution of orbital orientations, but not with models predicting a strong preference for retrograde orbits. To the extent that other perturbations are not dominant, the binary systems undergo Kozai oscillations of their eccentricities and inclinations with periods of the order of tens of thousands to millions of years, some with strikingly high amplitudes.
The cold classical Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) possess a high, $gtrsim30%$ binary fraction. Widely separated and dynamically fragile, these binary systems have been useful in tracing the origins of KBOs. A new class of binaries was recently identified by their colours. The so-called blue binaries are unanimously members of the less red compositional class, and exhibit a 100% binary fraction. They appear to be push-out survivors, emplaced in the classical region during Neptunes phases of outward migration. The presence of these binary systems implies that the majority of objects that formed near the cold classical region formed as binaries. Here we present new optical colour measurements of cold classical KBOs from the Colours of the Outer Solar System Origins Survey, including colours of a blue binary discovered by the Solar System Origins Legacy Survey -- 2015 RJ277. The increased size of the colours sample has resulted in order-of-magnitude decrease in the probability that the binaries and singles sample share the same colour distribution. From the Anderson-Darling statistic, this probability is only a 0.3%, while it is only 0.002% when utilizing the difference of means statistic. We find a hint that the blue binaries have inflated free inclinations compared to their red counterparts, consistent with the push-out origin for these bodies.
We present new Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based Keck observations and new Keplerian orbit solutions for the mutual orbit of binary Jupiter Trojan asteroid (617) Patroclus and Menoetius, targets of NASAs Lucy mission. We predict event times for the upcoming mutual event season, which is anticipated to run from late 2017 through mid 2019.
Asteroids with satellites are natural laboratories to constrain the formation and evolution of our solar system. The binary Trojan asteroid (624) Hektor is the only known Trojan asteroid to possess a small satellite. Based on W.M. Keck adaptive optics observations, we found a unique and stable orbital solution, which is uncommon in comparison to the orbits of other large multiple asteroid systems studied so far. From lightcurve observations recorded since 1957, we showed that because the large Req=125-km primary may be made of two joint lobes, the moon could be ejecta of the low-velocity encounter, which formed the system. The inferred density of Hektors system is comparable to the L5 Trojan doublet (617) Patroclus but due to their difference in physical properties and in reflectance spectra, both captured Trojan asteroids could have a different composition and origin.
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