Thursday, April 13, 2023 4:25pm
About this Event
16 Memorial Dr E, Bethlehem, PA 18015
Over the last two decades in astronomy, sky surveys have become an increasingly important method of observation. 2000-3000 Near Earth Objects are discovered annually with the vast majority of these identified by sky surveys. This number is certain to increase as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) comes online next year. The sheer volume of data that will come from LSST is so great that it is important to be prepared with science goals in mind from day one. To do this we turn to existing sky surveys.
Directly determining the shape of an asteroid requires a large number of repeat detections over a long period of time. In lieu of a large sample of data for individual objects, sparse photometric data and partial light curves can be used to determine an estimate for the shape distribution of a population as a whole. From sparse detections alone we are also able to identify objects with remarkably high amplitudes or short rotation periods. Through light curve inversion and strength modelling we can provide previously unknown insight into the structure of these objects and of asteroids as a whole.
I will review work to determine the shape distributions of populations of minor planets using several current sky surveys and satellite missions. I will detail our multi-year observing campaign to identify high amplitude objects and ‘super-fast rotators’, and provide a brief insight to what science results we can expect for asteroids when LSST comes online.
0 people are interested in this event