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AGU: Journal of Geophysical Research, Planets

 

Index Terms

  • Planetology: Comets and Small Bodies: Orbital and rotational dynamics
  • Planetology: Comets and Small Bodies: Surfaces and interiors
  • Planetology: Comets and Small Bodies: General or miscellaneous
  • Planetology: Solar System Objects: Asteroids and meteoroids
  • Planetology: Solar System Objects: General or miscellaneous
Abstract
Cited By (1)
 

Abstract

Is asteroid 951 Gaspra in a resonant obliquity state with its spin increasing due to YORP?

David Parry Rubincam

Laboratory for Terrestrial Physics, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA

David D. Rowlands

Laboratory for Terrestrial Physics, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA

Richard D. Ray

Laboratory for Terrestrial Physics, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA

Asteroid 951 Gaspra appears to be in an obliquity resonance with its spin increasing due to the Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack effect (YORP effect, for short). Gaspra, an asteroid 5.8 km in radius, is a prograde rotator with a rotation period of 7.03 hours. A 3 × 106 year integration indicates that its orbit is stable over at least this time span. From its known shape and spin axis orientation and assuming a uniform density, Gaspra's axial precession period turns out to be nearly commensurate with its orbital precession period, which leads to a resonance condition with consequent huge variations in its obliquity. At the same time, its shape is such that the YORP effect is increasing its spin rate. YORP may be a reason for small asteroids entering resonances in the first place: they speed up or slow down and fall into resonances. The continued action of YORP probably ultimately causes asteroids to leave resonances, so that they are quasi-stable states.

Published 21 September 2002.

Citation: Rubincam, D. P., D. D. Rowlands, and R. D. Ray (2002), Is asteroid 951 Gaspra in a resonant obliquity state with its spin increasing due to YORP?, J. Geophys. Res., 107(E9), 5065, doi:10.1029/2001JE001813.

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