Observations of asteroids with ALMA |
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Authors: | Amy J Lovell |
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Institution: | (1) Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA 30030, USA;(2) Present address: Arecibo Observatory, Arecibo, PR 00612, USA |
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Abstract: | Thermal observations of large asteroids at millimeter wavelengths have revealed high amplitude rotational lightcurves. Such
lightcurves are important constraints on thermophysical models of asteroids, and provide unique insight into the nature of
their surface and subsurface composition. A better understanding of asteroid surfaces provides insight into the composition,
physical structures, and processing history of these surviving remnants from the formation of our solar system. In addition,
detailed observations of the larger asteroids, accompanied by thermophysical models with appropriate temporal and spatial
resolution, promise to decrease uncertainties in their flux predictions. Of particular interest are the near-Earth objects,
which can be observed at large phase angles, permitting better assessment of the thermal response of their unilluminated surfaces.
The high sensitivity of ALMA will enable us to detect many small bodies in all the major groups, to obtain lightcurves for
a large sample of main-belt and near-Earth objects, to resolve the surfaces of some large objects, and to separate the emission
from primary and secondary objects in binary pairs. In addition to the science goals of asteroid studies, these bodies may
also prove useful operationally because those with known shapes and well-characterized lightcurves could be employed for flux
calibration by ALMA and other high frequency instruments. |
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Keywords: | ALMA Asteroids Thermal emission Radio astronomy Flux calibration |
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