The ambiguities in the asteroid spin determinations - statistical analysis
Abstract
Asteroid rotation periods are most often derived from their brightness variations. Excluding binary systems and objects with a non-principal axis rotation, the rotation period is usually identical to the period of the second Fourier harmonic of the lightcurve. There are cases, however, where it is connected with the 1st, 3rd or 4th harmonic. We simulated the light variation of asteroids with shapes modelled as Gaussian random spheres to check in which circumstances a simple "two maxima, two minima per period" assumption becomes invalid. Results can help in interpreting real data, which are often noisy and/or do not cover the whole rotation of the asteroid.
- Publication:
-
European Planetary Science Congress
- Pub Date:
- September 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013EPSC....8..961B