活动小行星311P/PANSTARRS的动力学lk 特性分析

311P/PANSTARRS是一颗活动小行星, 具有小行星和彗星的双重特征, 是中国``天问二号''的探测目标之一. 311P/PANSTARRS直径较小, 约为400 m, 非引力效应可能会对其长期动力学演化产生较大的影响. 通过假定不同表面组分, 研究了Yarkovsky效应对311P/PANSTARRS轨道演化的影响, 讨论了密近交汇、 非破坏性碰撞和YORP (Yarkovsky-O''Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack)效应等非引力效应, 计算了小行星与大行星密近交汇及碰撞概率, 估计了311P/PANSTARRS达到自转周期分裂极限的时标. 模拟结果显示与纯引力模型相比, Yarkovsky效应可能会加快311P/PANSTARRS离开当前共振区域, 大约在10Myr以后311P/PANSTARRS会离开当前所在共振带, 在表面覆盖风化层的情况下有机会通过v6长期共振成为越火小行星; 在考虑YORP效应的情况下, 311P/PANSTARRS在2 Myr时标内可达到自转周期分裂极限; 在考虑Yarkovsky效应及YORP效应等因素的情况下, 311P/PANSTARRS在10 Myr时标内仍可保持其动力学稳定性, 且YORP效应不会显著影响其半长径偏移量.     

小行星YORP效应的观测研究现状

YORP效应由不规则形状小行星在太阳辐射下的局部反冲力差异导致的净力矩所引起,长期作用可以改变小行星自转状态。从小行星YORP效应的科学意义和研究概况出发,阐述了YORP效应对小行星演化的重要性,并详细介绍了小行星YORP效应的理论基础和观测研究现状。目前仅有6颗小行星的YORP效应被观测证实,并计算得到由YORP驱动的自转加速度,均处于加速自转状态;未来有15颗小行星可能通过实测测得YORP驱动自转加速度。最后探讨了利用小行星光变等数据筛选可实测候选体的方法。     

Flora小行星族自转特性研究

小行星族作为灾变碰撞的残留物,其基础物理性质提供了其母体以及后续演化信息.其中轨道以及自转特性分别反映了Yarkovsky效应以及Yarkovsky-O’Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack效应(YORP效应)对于小行星族演化的影响.基于小行星光变数据库(Asteroid Lightcurve Database),通过对Flora小行星族自转速率分布进行研究,发现随着直径减小,族成员自转速率倾向于主要集中在3–5 d~(-1)的范围内.同时,可以注意到Flora小行星族整体表现出更倾向于顺行自转状态的现象,但对于轨道半长轴小于2.2au的成员来说,其顺行自转与逆行自转状态成员数目比接近于近地小行星中顺逆行自转状态源1:3的比例;此外,对于轨道半长轴大于2.2 au且具有顺行自转状态的部分族成员,在轨道半长轴-绝对星等分布中表现出聚集现象,并在聚集区域中有9颗成员展现出类似Slivan状态特征.     

近地小行星发现数目与发现场景的统计分析

近地小行星是一类可能对地球安全造成潜在威胁的太阳系小天体, 目前绝大部分的近地小行星是由地基望远镜发现的, 且数目仍在不断增加. 为了对我国未来开展近地小行星发现监测提供参考和借鉴, 利用国际小行星中心公开的数据库对所有近地小行星首次发现时刻的观测资料开展了多维度统计分析. 发现望远镜探测能力的限制会对近地小行星的发现造成选择效应, 导致不同轨道类型近地小行星发现的相对比例逐年变化且与直径有关. 另外, 结合数值模拟获得的轨道数据, 对近地小行星首次发现时的观测场景进行了还原, 获得了发现时刻近地小行星位置在不同天球坐标系的分布, 分析了其分布特征与季节、测站纬度和小行星直径的依赖关系. 最后, 通过分析数据定量考察了太阳、月球和银道面对近地小行星发现的影响, 发现地基望远镜一般难以发现来自太阳方向90$^\circ$范围内直径140m以下的近地小行星, 并且随着小行星直径的减小该限制范围也将变大; 月光污染对近地小行星发现的影响也非常显著, 望月前后几天的观测限制可导致约29%的目标无法被发现, 而且分析表明农历上半月发现的目标一般比下半月发现的更难以被跟踪观测; 银道面特别是银心方向会对近地小行星发现产生影响, 使得黄道面附近存在与季节相关的观测``盲区''.     

主带小行星深空探测可接近性与多目标探测轨道的实现

小行星探测是当前深空探测的热点之一,探测目标的可接近性又是探测任务首先要解决的问题.根据直接转移轨道方式下太阳系中可以探测到的区域和小行星的空间分布,确认发射能量C_3=50 km~2/s~2的直接转移轨道,可以探测大部分主带小行星;使用少量的速度修正还能够实现多目标飞越任务.同时指出,这种多目标的飞越可以达到△V-EGA轨道方案中的深空机动同样的效果,经地球引力助推,以较小能量实现小行星伴飞或更遥远小行星的探测;据此提出了一个探测器先飞越多颗主带小行星,然后借助地球引力助推探测更遥远小行星的轨道设计方案,并给出了设计实例.     

短期威胁小行星

为更明确近地小行星撞击地球威胁的监测预警需求, 提出了"短期威胁小行星"的概念, 即未来100yr内可能对地球造成撞击威胁且等效直径大于10m的近地小行星. 以目前已发现的756颗短期威胁小行星为基础, 分析短期威胁小行星的轨道分布特点, 研究显示其与一般近地小行星的轨道分布存在差异, 短期威胁小行星的轨道半长轴更集中于1au, 轨道面更集中于黄道面. 基于近地小行星的数量模型, 初步建立了短期威胁小行星的数量估计模型, 并预估了未来100yr内存在撞击可能的短期威胁小行星的总体数量. 短期威胁小行星的特定研究对制定近地小行星搜巡监测策略有重要意义.     

小行星与彗星—近地小行星,主带小行星和彗星之间相互关系探讨

小行星和彗星都是太阳系中的小天体,而近地小行星又是小行星中特殊的一类。近年来对近地小行星的观测和研究已全面开展,这已成为当今太阳系研究的前沿领域之一。本文初步探讨太阳系中不同小天体之间的关系:1.小行星与短周期彗星之间的关系;2.近地小行星与主带小行星和短周期彗星之间的关系。最近的观测研究表明某些小行星可能是由彗星演变来的,而某些近地小行星可能来源于主带小行星和死亡的彗核。     

木星探测轨道分析与设计

研究了与木星探测相关的轨道设计问题.重点关注木星探测轨道与火星、金星等类地行星探测轨道的不同及由此带来的轨道设计难点.首先分析了绕木星探测任务轨道的选择.建立近似模型讨论了向木星飞行需要借助多颗行星的多次引力辅助,对地木转移的多种行星引力辅助序列,使用粒子群算法搜索了2020年至2025年之间的燃料最省飞行方案并对比得到了向木星飞行较好的引力辅助方式为金星-地球-地球引力辅助.结合多任务探测,研究了航天器在飞向木星途中穿越主小行星带飞越探测小行星的轨道设计.最后,给出2023年发射完整的结合引力辅助与小行星多次飞越的木星探测轨道设计算例.     

国际小行星搜寻活动

2008年2月1日至3月14日和3月17日至4月30日,历时三个月共两期国际小行星搜寻活动（International Asteroid Search Campaign,简称IASC）已经圆满结束。中国、德国、意大利、日本、摩洛哥、波兰、葡萄牙、美国、加拿大等9个国家的几十所学校参加了活动。到目前为止,两期活动共发现主带小行星6颗,证认了近地小行星34颗,获得虚拟撞击体观测结果6次。中国学生在此次活动中发现主带小行星1颗,证认了近地小行星4颗,获得虚拟撞击体观测结果1次。     

小行星(469219) Kamo`oalewa轨道的确定与误差分析

作为一颗与地球共轨道的小行星,(469219)Kamo'oalewa是一个具有很高研究价值的近地小天体,也是中国首次小行星探测计划的目标天体之一.针对其轨道特性,建立了兼顾太阳、地球和月球非球形引力作用的小行星动力学模型.并在该模型的基础上,利用国际小行星中心(Minor Planet Center,MPC)提供的2004|2018年间的光学观测数据对该小行星的轨道进行确定.拟合后观测残差的均方根误差约为0:2″(与美国喷气推进实验室的Horizons在线历表系统相当),其中2004年期间数据的观测残差有所改进.最后,对小行星(469219)Kamo'oalewa的轨道误差进行了详细分析,并预报了2020-2025年期间该小行星的轨道误差.     

A Detectable Candidate for the YORP Effect of Asteroids

The YORP (Yarkovsky-O’Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack) effect is one of the mechanisms of the long-term dynamical evolution of asteroids. Compared with factors such as collision and gravitational perturbation, the YORP is of small magnitude, and the short-time scale observation effect is inconspicuous, which brings great difficulties to the direct measurement of the YORP. From the Asteroid Lightcurve Database, asteroids having a high confidence rotation period were selected for this study. Two subsample groups for identifying potential asteroids slowed by the YORP effect are provided by using the kernel density estimation method and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test to analyze the rotation rate distribution characteristics of near-Earth asteroids and main belt asteroids; a screening model is proposed based on the light-curve data of seven YORP asteroids with YORP rotation acceleration, combined with the YORP intensity estimation method and the detection conditions of the YORP effect. Finally, ten candidates that can directly detect the YORP effect through light-curve data in the future are listed based on the screening model.     

Axial rotation of near-earth asteroids: The influence of the YORP effect

The distribution of axial rotation velocities of near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) substantially differs from that of the Main-Belt asteroids by an excess of both quickly and slowly rotating objects. Among the possible causes of this difference is the influence of the solar radiation—the so-called YORP effect—that arises from the absorption of solar energy and its reemission in the thermal range by a rotating body of irregular shape. It is known that the magnitude of this effect depends on the asteroid size and the quantity of received solar energy (the insolation). Analysis of the observational data showed that the mean diameter of NEAs decreases from the middle of the distribution to the edges, i.e., the excess of both slowly (ω ≤ 2 rev/day) and quickly (ω = 8–11 rev/day) rotating objects is formed due to the asteroids with sizes smaller than those in the middle of the distribution, which agrees well with the influence of the YORP effect. Moreover, the dependence of the axial rotation velocity of NEAs on the relative insolation shows that, for the NEAs referred to, both excesses are found in orbits where, on average, they receive 8–10% more solar energy than the NEAs in the middle of the distribution. This result also agrees with the character of the influence of the YORP effect and can be considered as an additional argument in its support. Thus, the study showed that one can infer that the currently available observational data suggest the possible influence of the YORP effect on the axial rotation of the near-Earth asteroids having sizes of D ～ 2 km and less. This is the first attempt to find the influence of the YORP effect on the axial rotation of the NEA family as a whole.     

The dynamical evolution of uniformly rotating asteroids subject to YORP

A detailed derivation is given of the effect of solar radiation on the rotational dynamics of asteroids, commonly called the YORP effect. The current derivation goes beyond previous discussions published in the literature and provides a comprehensive secular dynamical analysis of the effect of solar radiation torques acting on a uniformly rotating body, and the evolution of its rotation state over time. Our predicted model has the global radiation properties of the asteroid as explicit parameters, and hence can be specified independent of these parameters. The resulting secular equations for the rotation rate and rotation pole are characterized by three parameters of the body's shape and explicitly includes the effect of thermal inertia on the evolution of these rotation state parameters. With this detailed model, in conjunction with estimated asteroid shapes and poles, we compute the expected YORP torques and dynamic response of several asteroids and the change in rotation rate for specific shapes as a function of obliquity. Finally, we define a convenient dimensionless parameter that is only a function of the body geometry and that can be used to characterize the effects of YORP.     

YORP-Induced Long-Term Evolution of the Spin State of Small Asteroids and Meteoroids: Rubincam's Approximation

The rotation states of small asteroids and meteoroids are determined primarily by their collisions, gravitational torques due to the Sun and planets (in the case of close encounters), and internal dissipative effects (that relax the free-precession energy toward the fundamental state of principal-axis rotation). Rubincam has recently pointed out that thermal reemission on irregular-shaped bodies also results in a torque that may secularly change both the rotation rate and the orientation of the spin axis (the so-called YORP effect). Here we pursue investigation of this effect. Keeping the zero thermal-relaxation approximation of Rubincam and the assumption of the principal-axis rotation, we study the YORP effect both for precisely determined shapes of near-Earth asteroids and also for a large statistical sample of automatically generated shapes by the Gaussian-sphere technique of Muinonen. We find that the asymptotic state of the YORP evolution is characterized by an arbitrary value of the obliquity, with higher but nearly equal likelihood of 0°/180° and 90° states. At the adopted approximation, the most typical feature of this end state of the YORP evolution is secular deceleration of the rotation rate, which means that at some instant collisions will randomize the rotation state. In a minority of cases, the final state of the obliquity evolution leads to a permanent acceleration of the body's rotation, eventually resulting in rotational fission. The YORP-induced slow evolution may also play an important role in driving the rotation state of small asteroids toward the resonances between the forced precession due to the solar torque and perturbations of the orbital node and inclination. We find that for small Themis asteroids these resonances are isolated in the relevant range of frequencies, and the YORP evolving rotation may be either temporarily captured or rapidly jump across these resonances. In contrast, the possible values of the forced precession for small Flora asteroids may be resonant with clustered, nonisolated lines of the orbital perturbation. The individual rotation histories of small Flora asteroids may be thus very complicated and basically unpredictable. We comment on possible astronomical consequences of these results.     

Combined effect of YORP and collisions on the rotation rate of small Main Belt asteroids

The rotation rate distribution of small Main Belt asteroids is dominated by YORP and collisions. These mechanism act differently depending on the size of the bodies and give rise to non-linear effects when they both operate. Using a Monte Carlo method we model the formation of a steady state population of small asteroids under the influence of both mechanisms and the rotation rate distribution is compared to the observed one as derived from Pravec et al. (Pravec, P. et al. [2008]. Icarus 197, 497-504). A better match to observations is obtained with respect to the case in which only YORP is considered. In particular, an excess of slow rotators is produced in the model with both collisions and YORP because bodies driven to slow rotation by YORP have a random walk-like evolution of the spin induced by repeated collisions with small projectiles. This is a dynamical evolution different from tumbling and it lasts until a large impact takes the body to a faster rotation rate. According to our model, the rotational fission of small asteroids is a very frequent event and might explain objects like P/2010 A2 and its associated tail of millimeter-sized dust particles. The mass loss during fission of small asteroids might significantly influence the overall collisional evolution of the belt. Fission can in fact be considered as an additional erosion mechanism, besides cratering and fragmentation, acting only at small diameters.     

The YORP effect with finite thermal conductivity

The Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack (YORP) effect has been recently suggested to significantly change, on a long-term, rotation state of small asteroids and meteoroids. Though YORP is closely related to the Yarkovsky (orbital) effect, it differs from the latter in two aspects: (i) YORP needs bodies of irregular shape to be effective, and (ii) YORP acts on bodies of zero surface thermal conductivity. To simplify computations, YORP has been so far investigated in the zero surface thermal conductivity limit only. Here we analyze the role of the surface conductivity and we find it substantially changes previous conclusions. Most importantly, unlike in the zero-conductivity limit, (i) YORP preferentially tilts obliquity toward two asymptotic states perpendicular to the orbital plane, and (ii) YORP asymptotically decelerates and accelerates rotation rate in about equal number of cases. Our work also indicates that direct detection of the YORP effect for a small asteroid may significantly constrain its mass.     

A Review for the Thermophysics and the Yarkovsky and YORP Effects of Asteroidstwo

The thermophysics of asteroids has become an important frontier for the research of asteroids in recent years. In this paper, we have introduced the thermophysical models commonly used in this field, by using these thermophysical models and combining with the data observed by the space or ground-based IR telescopes, some thermophysical parameters of asteroids, such as the thermal inertia, geometric albedo, effective diameter, surface roughness, and surface temperature, etc., can be derived. We have mentioned also the shape model and IR observation of asteroids, as well as the obtained thermophysical parameters for a part of asteroids. These thermophysical parameters can be further applied to studying the asteroids’ Yarkovsky effect, YORP effect, and so on, even can provide the relevant information for the spacecraft landing on the asteroid surface and the return mission of a spacecraft after the asteroid sampling.     

Generalized YORP evolution: Onset of tumbling and new asymptotic states

Asteroids have a wide range of rotation states. While the majority spin a few times to several times each day in principal axis rotation, a small number spin so slowly that they have somehow managed to enter into a tumbling rotation state. Here we investigate whether the Yarkovsky-Radzievskii-O'Keefe-Paddack (YORP) thermal radiation effect could have produced these unusual spin states. To do this, we developed a Lie-Poisson integrator of the orbital and rotational motion of a model asteroid. Solar torques, YORP, and internal energy dissipation were included in our model. Using this code, we found that YORP can no longer drive the spin rates of bodies toward values infinitely close to zero. Instead, bodies losing too much rotation angular momentum fall into chaotic tumbling rotation states where the spin axis wanders randomly for some interval of time. Eventually, our model asteroids reach rotation states that approach regular motion of the spin axis in the body frame. An analytical model designed to describe this behavior does a good job of predicting how and when the onset of tumbling motion should take place. The question of whether a given asteroid will fall into a tumbling rotation state depends on the efficiency of its internal energy dissipation and on the precise way YORP modifies the spin rates of small bodies.     

Effect of density inhomogeneity on YORP: The case of Itokawa

The effect of density inhomogeneity on the YORP effect for a given shape model is investigated. A density inhomogeneity will cause an offset between the center of figure and the center of mass and a re-orientation of the principal axes away from those associated with the shape alone. Both of these effects can alter the predicted YORP rate of change in angular velocity and obliquity. We apply these corrections to the Itokawa shape model and find that its YORP angular velocity rate is sensitive to offsets between its center of mass and center of figure, with a shift on the order of 15 m being able to change the sign of the YORP effect for that asteroid. Given the non-detection of YORP for Itokawa as of 2008, this can shed light on the density distribution within that body. The theory supports a shift of the asteroid center of mass towards Itokawa's neck region, where there is an accumulation of finer gravels, or towards the asteroid's “Head” region. Detection of the YORP effect for Itokawa should provide some strong constraints on its density distribution. This theory could also be applied to asteroids visited by future spacecraft to constrain density inhomogeneities.