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Register a new userPhysical Properties of Near-Earth Asteroid 2011 MD
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We report on observations of near-Earth asteroid 2011 MD with the Spitzer Space Telescope. We have spent 19.9 h of observing time with channel 2 (4.5 {mu}m) of the Infrared Array Camera and detected the target within the 2{sigma} positional uncertainty ellipse. Using an asteroid thermophysical model and a model of nongravitational forces acting upon the object we constrain the physical properties of 2011 MD, based on the measured flux density and available astrometry data. We estimate 2011 MD to be 6 (+4/-2) m in diameter with a geometric albedo of 0.3 (+0.4/-0.2) (uncertainties are 1{sigma}). We find the asteroids most probable bulk density to be 1.1 (+0.7/-0.5) g cm^{-3}, which implies a total mass of (50-350) t and a macroporosity of >=65%, assuming a material bulk density typical of non-primitive meteorite materials. A high degree of macroporosity suggests 2011 MD to be a rubble-pile asteroid, the rotation of which is more likely to be retrograde than prograde.
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An asteroid family is typically formed when a larger parent body undergoes a catastrophic collisional disruption, and as such family members are expected to show physical properties that closely trace the composition and mineralogical evolution of the parent. Recently a number of new datasets have been released that probe the physical properties of a large number of asteroids, many of which are members of identified families. We review these data sets and the composite properties of asteroid families derived from this plethora of new data. We also discuss the limitations of the current data, and the open questions in the field.
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In order to obtain the substantial information about the surface physics and thermal property of the target asteroid (162173) 1999 JU3, which will be visited by Hayabusa 2 in a sample return mission, with the Advanced Thermal Physical Model (ATPM) we estimate the possible thermal inertia distribution over its surface, and infer the major material composition of its surface materials. In addition, the effective diameter and geometric albedo are derived to be $D_{rm eff}=1.13pm0.03rm~km$, $p_{rm v}=0.042pm0.003$, respectively, and the average thermal inertia is estimated to be about $(300pm50)rm~Jcdot m^{-2}cdot s^{-0.5}cdot K^{-1}$. According to the derived thermal inertia distribution, we infer that the major area on the surface of the target asteroid may be covered by loose materials, such as rock debris, sands, and so on, but few bare rocks may exist in a very small region. In this sense, the sample return mission of Hayabusa 2 is feasible, when it is performed successfully, it will certainly bring significant scientific information to the research of asteroids.
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