Comparative Study of Target Binary Asteroid Systems: from observational data to analytical methods
- Paper number
IAC-08.A3.5.7
- Author
Dr. Julie Bellerose, JAXA/JSPEC, Japan
- Year
2008
- Abstract
This work is a survey on the current knowledge state of binary asteroid systems. The objective is to tie together research on the formation, evolution and modeling of such systems, historical, actual and future astronomical observations of real systems, and the corresponding systems properties, Δ V requirements, and surface operations for mission design to some available systems.
From observations, it is now estimated that about 16% of the Near Earth Asteroid population are binary asteroid systems [1]. Some observations have also even catalogued a few asteroid systems composed of more than two asteroids, which had been predicted [2]. Current scientific interest in studying these systems involves finding more about their formation and evolution, as well as their external and internal composition. Formation and evolution paths seem to also differ for Near Earth Asteroids and Main Belt Asteroids, driven by current observation data [3,4]. Some of the past and current missions such as NEAR, Stardust, Hayabusa, and Rosetta, have also brought insights into these body compositions, and partly confirmed some of the geological hypotheses. A few studies have looked at the possible formation path of binary systems. Some of them involve formation through fission of a single asteroid. Others studies have looked at the tidal forces happening during planetary flybys or conditions for capture of one or more bodies. In order to characterize the dynamics of such systems, there are a number of models that have been developed and studied, to model both the bodies orbital interactions and external perturbations. There also have been a number of large scale simulations in order to predict or validate the asteroid population and formation processes.
Since a binary (or triple) asteroid system can give insights into both the geology and dynamics of asteroids, it is fair to assume that a binary system will be the target of one of the coming low cost missions to small bodies. From astronomical observations, there is a vast range of asteroid systems, from two almost equal mass bodies to having one massive body, as well as asteroids ranging from a few hundred meters to a few kilometers [3,4]. Studies have applied some of the analytical mathematical tools to a few real-case binary systems. Δ V requirements have been estimated for a number of them, naturally classifying these into accessible and less accessible targets for asteroid missions [5]. Research into small body ephemerides from the JPL Near Earth Object Program also indicate that some of these systems have done flybys of the Earth and other inner planets of our solar system, while others are going to happen in the near to mid-term future [6], which may help validating models on formation and evolution due to planetary or other small body flybys.
We give a survey of the current research on binaries and look at more available systems from astronomical observations, predictions, and Δ V considerations. For these systems, we also describe the corresponding parking orbit altitude and velocities, and surface operation dynamics as well as transit velocities from one body to the other. These findings will give a clearer idea of overall mission design requirements to these systems in terms of velocities and possible scientific investigations.
- References
- [1] J.-L. Margot et al. (2002) Science 296: 1445-1448.
- [2] F. Marchis et al. (2005) Nature 436: 822-824.
- [3] K.J. Walsh and D.C. Richardson (2006) Icarus 180: 201-216.
- [4] P. Pravec et al. (2005) Icarus 181: 63-93.
- [5] L. Benner, Binary near-Earth asteroids
detected by radar, http://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/ lance/
binary.neas.html - [6] S. Chesley, JPL Near-Earth Object Program, http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-08.A3.5.7.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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