Detection of Rotational Acceleration of Bennu Using HST Light Curve Observations

Michael Craig Nolan; Ellen Susanna Howell; D. J. Scheeres; J. W. McMahon; O. Golubov; C. W. Hergenrother; J. P. Emery; K. S. Noll; S. R. Chesley; D. S. Lauretta

doi:10.1029/2018GL080658

Detection of Rotational Acceleration of Bennu Using HST Light Curve Observations

Michael Craig Nolan, Ellen Susanna Howell, D. J. Scheeres, J. W. McMahon, O. Golubov, C. W. Hergenrother, J. P. Emery, K. S. Noll, S. R. Chesley, D. S. Lauretta

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38 Scopus citations

Abstract

We observed the near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu from the ground in 1999 and 2005, and with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in 2012, to constrain its rotation rate. The data reveal an acceleration of 2.64 ± 1.05 × 10 ⁻⁶ deg/day ² , which could be due to a change in the moment of inertia of Bennu or to spin up from the Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack effect or other source of angular momentum. The best solution is within 1 σ of the period determined by Nolan et al. (2013, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2013.05.028). The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission will determine the rotation state independently in 2019. Those measurements should show whether the change in rotation rate is a steady increase (due, e.g., to the Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack effect) or some other phenomenon. The precise shape and surface properties measured by the OSIRIS-REx science team will allow for a better understanding of variations in rotation rate of small asteroids.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1956-1962
Number of pages	7
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	46
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL080658
State	Published - Feb 28 2019

Keywords

Bennu
Hubble Space Telescope
OSIRIS-REx
YORP
asteroids

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geophysics
General Earth and Planetary Sciences

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10.1029/2018GL080658

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title = "Detection of Rotational Acceleration of Bennu Using HST Light Curve Observations",

abstract = " We observed the near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu from the ground in 1999 and 2005, and with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in 2012, to constrain its rotation rate. The data reveal an acceleration of 2.64 ± 1.05 × 10 −6 deg/day 2 , which could be due to a change in the moment of inertia of Bennu or to spin up from the Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack effect or other source of angular momentum. The best solution is within 1 σ of the period determined by Nolan et al. (2013, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2013.05.028). The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission will determine the rotation state independently in 2019. Those measurements should show whether the change in rotation rate is a steady increase (due, e.g., to the Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack effect) or some other phenomenon. The precise shape and surface properties measured by the OSIRIS-REx science team will allow for a better understanding of variations in rotation rate of small asteroids.",

keywords = "Bennu, Hubble Space Telescope, OSIRIS-REx, YORP, asteroids",

author = "Nolan, {Michael Craig} and Howell, {Ellen Susanna} and Scheeres, {D. J.} and McMahon, {J. W.} and O. Golubov and Hergenrother, {C. W.} and Emery, {J. P.} and Noll, {K. S.} and Chesley, {S. R.} and Lauretta, {D. S.}",

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AU - Nolan, Michael Craig

AU - Howell, Ellen Susanna

AU - Scheeres, D. J.

AU - McMahon, J. W.

AU - Golubov, O.

AU - Hergenrother, C. W.

AU - Emery, J. P.

AU - Noll, K. S.

AU - Chesley, S. R.

AU - Lauretta, D. S.

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AB - We observed the near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu from the ground in 1999 and 2005, and with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in 2012, to constrain its rotation rate. The data reveal an acceleration of 2.64 ± 1.05 × 10 −6 deg/day 2 , which could be due to a change in the moment of inertia of Bennu or to spin up from the Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack effect or other source of angular momentum. The best solution is within 1 σ of the period determined by Nolan et al. (2013, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2013.05.028). The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission will determine the rotation state independently in 2019. Those measurements should show whether the change in rotation rate is a steady increase (due, e.g., to the Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack effect) or some other phenomenon. The precise shape and surface properties measured by the OSIRIS-REx science team will allow for a better understanding of variations in rotation rate of small asteroids.

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Detection of Rotational Acceleration of Bennu Using HST Light Curve Observations

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