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Retrograde spins of near-Earth asteroids from the Yarkovsky effect

Author

Listed:
  • A. La Spina

    (Università di Pisa)

  • P. Paolicchi

    (Università di Pisa)

  • A. Kryszczyńska

    (Adam Mickiewicz University)

  • P. Pravec

    (Astronomical Institute AS CR)

Abstract

Dynamical resonances in the asteroid belt are the gateway for the production of near-Earth asteroids1 (NEAs). To generate the observed number of NEAs, however, requires the injection of many asteroids into those resonant regions. Collisional processes have long been claimed as a possible source1,2,3, but difficulties with that idea have led to the suggestion that orbital drift arising from the Yarkovsky effect4,5,6,7 dominates the injection process8,9,10. (The Yarkovsky effect is a force arising from differential heating—the ‘afternoon’ side of an asteroid is warmer than the ‘morning’ side.) The two models predict different rotational properties of NEAs: the usual collisional theories2 are consistent with a nearly isotropic distribution of rotation vectors, whereas the ‘Yarkovsky model’ predicts an excess of retrograde rotations. Here we report that the spin vectors of NEAs show a strong and statistically significant excess of retrograde rotations, quantitatively consistent with the theoretical expectations of the Yarkovsky model.

Suggested Citation

  • A. La Spina & P. Paolicchi & A. Kryszczyńska & P. Pravec, 2004. "Retrograde spins of near-Earth asteroids from the Yarkovsky effect," Nature, Nature, vol. 428(6981), pages 400-401, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:428:y:2004:i:6981:d:10.1038_nature02411
    DOI: 10.1038/nature02411
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