Laboratory photometry of asteroids and atmosphereless bodies. I - The S.A.M. apparatus
Abstract
Information on the geometric and physical characteristics of asteroids (or other atmosphereless bodies) such as their shapes, rotation axes, compositions, and surface morphologies is obtained by laboratory simulation. The system for asteroid models apparatus which is used for the experiment and its essential components which include a light source, a support of the models with the relative background, a movement control system, and a photometric data-acquisition system are described. Systematic photometric studies of several models with different shapes and superficial coloring are carried out in order to verify the reliability of the apparatus. The validity of the results obtained are verified by comparison with numerical data and astronomical observations.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- March 1985
- Bibcode:
- 1985A&A...144..427D
- Keywords:
-
- Asteroids;
- Astronomical Models;
- Light Curve;
- Photometry;
- Planetary Surfaces;
- Data Acquisition;
- Flow Charts;
- Microcomputers;
- Morphology;
- Planetary Rotation;
- ASTEROIDS;
- PHOTOMETRY;
- SIMULATIONS;
- GEOMETRY;
- PHYSICAL PROPERTIES;
- SHAPE;
- CHARACTERISTICS;
- ROTATION;
- SURFACE;
- MORPHOLOGY;
- TECHNIQUES;
- PROCEDURE;
- EQUIPMENT;
- ASTRONOMY;
- MODELS;
- LIGHTCURVE;
- AXES;
- Astronomy; Asteroids