PHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND ORIGIN OF BINARY NEAR-EARTH ASTEROID (175706) 1996 FG
Author(s)
Walsh, Kevin J.; Delbo’, Marco; Mueller, Michael; Binzel, Richard P; DeMeo, Francesca E
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The near-Earth asteroid (NEA) (175706) 1996 FG[subscript 3] is a particularly interesting spacecraft target: a binary asteroid with a low-Δv heliocentric orbit. The orbit of its satellite has provided valuable information about its mass density while its albedo and colors suggest it is primitive or part of the C-complex taxonomic grouping. We extend the physical characterization of this object with new observations of its emission at mid-infrared wavelengths and with near-infrared reflection spectroscopy. We derive an area-equivalent system diameter of 1.90 ± 0.28 km (corresponding to approximate component diameters of 1.83 km and 0.51 km, respectively) and a geometric albedo of 0.039 ± 0.012. (175706) 1996 FG[subscript 3] was previously classified as a C-type asteroid, though the combined 0.4-2.5 μm spectrum with thermal correction indicates classification as B-type; both are consistent with the low measured albedo. Dynamical studies show that (175706) 1996 FG[subscript 3] most probably originated in the inner main asteroid belt. Recent work has suggested the inner Main Belt (142) Polana family as the possible origin of another low-Δv B-type NEA, (101955) 1999 RQ[subscript 36]. A similar origin for (175706) 1996 FG[subscript 3] would require delivery by the overlapping Jupiter 7:2 and Mars 5:9 mean motion resonances rather than the ν[subscript 6], and we find this to be a low probability, but possible, origin.
Date issued
2012-04Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary SciencesJournal
Astrophysical Journal
Publisher
Institute of Physics/American Astronomical Society
Citation
Walsh, Kevin J., Marco Delbo’, Michael Mueller, Richard P. Binzel, and Francesca E. DeMeo. “ PHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND ORIGIN OF BINARY NEAR-EARTH ASTEROID (175706) 1996 FG 3 .” The Astrophysical Journal 748, no. 2 (March 13, 2012): 104. © 2012 American Meteorological Society.
Version: Final published version
ISSN
0004-637X
1538-4357