Asteroid orbits using phase-space volumes of variation

We present a statistical orbit computation technique for asteroids with transitional observational data, that is, a moderate number of data points spanning a moderate observational time interval. With the help of local least-squares solutions in the phase space of the orbital elements, we map the volume of variation as a function of one or more of the elements. We sample the resulting volume using a Monte Carlo technique and, with proper weights for the sample orbital elements, characterize the six-dimensional orbital-element probability density function. The volume-of-variation (VOV) technique complements the statistical ranging technique for asteroids with exiguous observational data (short time intervals and/or small numbers of observations) and the least-squares technique for extensive observational data. We show that, asymptotically, results using the new technique agree closely with those from ranging and least squares. We apply the technique to the near-Earth object 2004 HA₃₉, the main-belt object 2004 QR and the transneptunian object 2002 CX₂₂₄ recently observed at the Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma, illustrating the potential of the technique in ephemeris prediction. The VOV technique helps us assess the phase transition in orbital-element probability densities, that is, the non-linear collapse of wide orbital-element distributions to narrow localized ones. For the three objects above, the transition takes place for observational time intervals of the order of 10 h, 5 d and 10 months, respectively, emphasizing the significance of the orbital-arc fraction covered by the observations.     

Transneptunian Object Ephemeris Service (TNOEPH)

We present a web service called TNOEPH ( http://asteroid.lowell.edu/)for ephemeris uncertainty prediction and dynamical classification ofshort-arc trans\-neptunian objects (TNOs). User-supplied observations are transformed to a rigorous sky-plane uncertainty map using the technique of statistical orbital ranging. We show examples of thegrowth of ephemeris uncertainty with time, and give the probabilities ofdifferent dynamical classifications for a few short-arc TNOs.     

The ADV/ASV AATSR aerosol retrieval algorithm: current status and presentation of a full-mission AOD dataset

An advanced along-track scanning radiometer (AATSR) global multi-year aerosol retrieval algorithm is described. Over land, the AATSR dual-view (ADV) algorithm utilizes the measured top of the atmosphere (TOA) reflectance in both the nadir and forward views to decouple the contributions of the atmosphere and the surface to retrieve aerosol properties. Over ocean, the AATSR single-view (ASV) algorithm minimizes the discrepancy between the measured and modelled TOA reflectances in one of the views to retrieve the aerosol information using an ocean reflectance model. Necessary steps to process global, multi-year aerosol information are presented. These include cloud screening, the averaging of measured reflectance, and post-processing. Limitations of the algorithms are also discussed. The main product of the aerosol retrieval is the aerosol optical depth (AOD) at visible/near-infrared wavelengths. The retrieved AOD is validated using data from the surface-based AERONET and maritime aerosol network (MAN) sun photometer networks as references. The validation shows good agreement with the reference (r?=?0.85, RMSE?=?0.09 over land; r?=?0.83, RMSE?=?0.09 at coasts and r?=?0.96, RMSE?=?0.06 over open ocean). The results of the aerosol retrievals are presented for the full AATSR mission years 2002–2012 with seasonally averaged time series for selected regions.     

The Gaia Mission: Expected Applications to Asteroid Science

According to current plans of the European space agency, Gaia will be launched in 2011. By performing a systematic survey of the whole sky down to magnitude V = 20, this mission will provide a fundamental contribution in practically all branches of modern Astrophysics. Gaia will be able to survey with repeated observations spanning over 5 years several 100,000 s asteroids. It will directly measure sizes of about 1,000 objects, obtain the masses of about 100 of them, derive spin properties and overall shapes of more than 10,000 objects, yield much improved orbits and taxonomic classification for most of the observed sources. The final harvest will very likely include new discoveries of objects orbiting at heliocentric distances less than 1 AU. At the end of the mission, we will know average densities of about 100 objects belonging to all the major taxonomic classes, have a much more precise knowledge of the inventory and size and spin distributions of the population, of the distribution of taxonomic classes as a function of heliocentric distance, and of the dynamical and physical properties of dynamical families.     

Supergalaxy and the quasi-stellar sources

Normal bright galaxies and certain peculiar objects (quasi-stellar sources, Seyfert galaxies,N-type radio galaxies) show a similar concentration along the same celestial circle. This suggests that they belong to the same supersystem and gives support to the local theories of QSO's.     

A comprehensive study of distribution laws for the fragments of Košice meteorite

In this study, we conduct a detailed analysis of the Ko?ice meteorite fall (February 28, 2010), to derive a reliable law describing the mass distribution among the recovered fragments. In total, 218 fragments of the Ko?ice meteorite, with a total mass of 11.285 kg, were analyzed. Bimodal Weibull, bimodal Grady, and bimodal lognormal distributions are found to be the most appropriate for describing the Ko?ice fragmentation process. Based on the assumption of bimodal lognormal, bimodal Grady, bimodal sequential, and bimodal Weibull fragmentation distributions, we suggest that, prior to further extensive fragmentation in the lower atmosphere, the Ko?ice meteoroid was initially represented by two independent pieces with cumulative residual masses of approximately 2 and 9 kg, respectively. The smaller piece produced about 2 kg of multiple lightweight meteorite fragments with the mean around 12 g. The larger one resulted in 9 kg of meteorite fragments, recovered on the ground, including the two heaviest pieces of 2.374 kg and 2.167 kg with the mean around 140 g. Based on our investigations, we conclude that two to three larger fragments of 500–1000 g each should exist, but were either not recovered or not reported by illegal meteorite hunters.