HST Observations of a Large-Amplitude, Long-Period Trojan: (11351) Leucus
Abstract
(11351) Leucus (1997 TS25) is a Trojan that is notable for having one of the longest known rotation periods of any small body, T=514 h. A possible cause for this long period would be the existence of a tidally locked binary similar to the already-known long period binary Trojan, (617) Patroclus. If this were the case, the system would become tidally circularized in a time short compared to the age of the solar system. In such a case, the components would be separated by ~0.18 arcsec at lightcurve maximum, resolvable by WFC3. We carried out observations in June 2016, coordinated with groundbased observations to schedule near a maximum to test whether (11351) Leucus is binary. We describe the results of these observations.Observations of (11351) Leucus are of particular interest because it is a target of the Lucy mission, a Discovery mission currently in phase A and one of five that may be selected in early 2017. Searches for binary Trojans also offer multiple scientific benefits independent of mission status. Orbit-derived mass and density can be used to constrain planetary migration models. Low density is characteristic of bodies found in the dynamically cold Kuiper Belt, a remnant of the solar system's protoplanetary disk. Only one undisputed density has been measured in the Trojans, that of the binary (617) Patroclus, which has a low density of 0.8 g/cm3, similar to the low densities found in the Kuiper Belt. Slow rotators offer a set of targets that are tidally evolved systems and therefore are among the most attractive potential targets for an HST search.
- Publication:
-
AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts #48
- Pub Date:
- October 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016DPS....4820805N