Bibcode
Licandro, J.; Campins, H.; Kelley, M.; Fernández, Y.; Delbó, M.; Reach, W. T.; Groussin, O.; Lamy, P. L.; Toth, I.; A'Hearn, M. F.; Bauer, J. M.; Lowry, S. C.; Fitzsimmons, A.; Lisse, C. M.; Meech, K. J.; Pittichová, J.; Snodgrass, C.; Weaver, H. A.
Bibliographical reference
Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 507, Issue 3, 2009, pp.1667-1670
Advertised on:
12
2009
Journal
Citations
18
Refereed citations
16
Description
Context: Near-Earth asteroid-comet transition object 107P/ (4015)
Wilson-Harrington is a possible target of the joint European Space
Agency (ESA) and Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Marco Polo
sample return mission. Physical studies of this object are relevant to
this mission, and also to understanding its asteroidal or cometary
nature. Aims: Our aim is to obtain significant new constraints on
the surface thermal properties of this object. Methods: We present
mid-infrared photometry in two filters (16 and 22 μm) obtained with
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope on February 12, 2007, and results from
the application of the Near Earth Asteroid Thermal Model (NEATM). We
obtained high S/N in two mid-IR bands allowing accurate measurements of
its thermal emission. Results: We obtain a well constrained
beaming parameter (η = 1.39±0.26) and obtain a diameter and
geometric albedo of D = 3.46±0.32 km, and pV =
0.059±0.011. We also obtain similar results when we apply this
best-fitting thermal model to single-band mid-IR photometry reported by
Campins et al. (1995, P&SS, 43, 733), Kraemer et al. (2005, AJ, 130,
2363) and Reach et al. (2007, Icarus, 191, 298). Conclusions: The
albedo of 4015 Wilson-Harrington is low, consistent with those of comet
nuclei and primitive C-, P-, D-type asteorids. We establish a rough
lower limit for the thermal inertia of W-H of 60
Jm-2s-0.5 K-1 when it is at r = 1 AU,
which is slightly over the limit of 30 Jm-2 s-0.5
K-1 derived by Groussin et al. (2009, Icarus, 199, 568) for
the thermal inertia of the nucleus of comet 22P/Kopff.
Related projects
Minor Bodies of the Solar System
This project studies the physical and compositional properties of the so-called minor bodies of the Solar System, that includes asteroids, icy objects, and comets. Of special interest are the trans-neptunian objects (TNOs), including those considered the most distant objects detected so far (Extreme-TNOs or ETNOs); the comets and the comet-asteroid
Julia de
León Cruz