Photometry and models of selected main belt asteroids

IX. Introducing interactive service for asteroid models (ISAM)^⋆,⋆⋆

¹ Astronomical Observatory Institute, Faculty of Physics, A. Mickiewicz University, Słoneczna 36, 60-286 Poznań, Poland
e-mail: [email protected]
² Observatoire de Bédoin, 47 rue Guillaume Puy, 84000 Avignon, France
³ Geneva Observatory, 1290 Sauverny, Switzerland
⁴ Bathurst, NSW, Australia
⁵ Les Engarouines Observatory, 84570 Mallemort-du-Comtat, France
⁶ IMCCE, Paris Observatory, UMR 8028, CNRS, 77 av. Denfert-Rochereau, 75014 Paris, France
⁷ Agrupación Astronómica de Sabadell, Apartado de Correos 50, PO Box 50, 08200 Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain
⁸ Stazione Astronomica di Sozzago, 28060 Sozzago, Italy
⁹ Association AstroQueyras, 05350 Saint-Véran, France
¹⁰ Observatoire du Bois de Bardon, 16110 Taponnat, France
¹¹ DTU Space, Technical University of Denmark, Juliane Maries Vej 30, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmak
¹² Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, PO box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
¹³ Canberra, ACT, Australia
¹⁴ Astronomy Division, Department of Physics, PO Box 3000, 90014 University of Oulu, Finland
¹⁵ Forte Software, Os. Jagiełły 28/28, 60-694 Poznań, Poland
¹⁶ SUPA (Scottish Universities Physics Alliance), Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, EH9 3HJ, UK
¹⁷ Groupe européen d’observation stellaire (GEOS), 23 Parc de Levesville, 28300 Bailleau l’Evêque, France
¹⁸ 2 rue des Ecoles, 34920 Le Crès, France
¹⁹ Blauvac Observatory, 84570 St-Estève, France
²⁰ N. Copernicus Astronomical Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Bartycka 18, 00-716 Warsaw, Poland
²¹ Institute of Astronomy, Karazin Kharkiv National University, Sums’ka 35, 61022 Kharkiv, Ukraine
²² Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille, OAMP, Universite Aix-Marseille & CNRS, 38 rue Frederic Joliot Curie, 13388 Cedex 13, France

Received: 4 May 2012
Accepted: 12 July 2012

Abstract

Context. The shapes and spin states of asteroids observed with photometric techniques can be reconstructed using the lightcurve inversion method. The resultant models can then be confirmed or exploited further by other techniques, such as adaptive optics, radar, thermal infrared, stellar occultations, or space probe imaging.

Aims. During our ongoing work to increase the set of asteroids with known spin and shape parameters, there appeared a need for displaying the model plane-of-sky orientations for specific epochs to compare models from different techniques. It would also be instructive to be able to track how the complex lightcurves are produced by various asteroid shapes.

Methods. Basing our analysis on an extensive photometric observational dataset, we obtained eight asteroid models with the convex lightcurve inversion method. To enable comparison of the photometric models with those from other observing/modelling techniques, we created an on-line service where we allow the inversion models to be orientated interactively.

Results. Our sample of objects is quite representative, containing both relatively fast and slow rotators with highly and lowly inclined spin axes. With this work, we increase the sample of asteroid spin and shape models based on disk-integrated photometry to over 200. Three of the shape models obtained here are confirmed by the stellar occultation data; this also allowed independent determinations of their sizes to be made.

Conclusions. The ISAM service can be widely exploited for past and future asteroid observations with various, complementary techniques and for asteroid dimension determination.