Insights on the Rotational State and Shape of Asteroid (203) Pompeja from TESS Photometry
The Main Belt asteroid (203) Pompeja shows evidence of extreme variability in visible and near-infrared spectral slope with time. The observed spectral variability has been hypothesized to be attributed to spatial variations across Pompeja’s surface. In this scenario, the observed spectrum of Pompej...
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | The Planetary Science Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad8f3a |
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| author | Oriel A. Humes Josef Hanuš |
| author_facet | Oriel A. Humes Josef Hanuš |
| author_sort | Oriel A. Humes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Main Belt asteroid (203) Pompeja shows evidence of extreme variability in visible and near-infrared spectral slope with time. The observed spectral variability has been hypothesized to be attributed to spatial variations across Pompeja’s surface. In this scenario, the observed spectrum of Pompeja is dependent on the geometry of the Sun and the observer relative to the asteroid’s spin-pole and surface features. Knowledge of the rotational spin pole and shape can be gleaned from light curves and photometric measurements. However, dense light curves of Pompeja are only available from two apparitions. Further, previous estimates of Pompeja’s sidereal period are close to being Earth commensurate, making ground-based light curves difficult to obtain. To overcome these difficulties, we implement a pipeline to extract a dense light curve of Pompeja from cutouts of Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) full-frame images. We succeeded in obtaining a dense light curve of Pompeja covering ∼22 complete rotations. We measure a synodic period of P _syn = 24.092 ± 0.005 hr and amplitude of 0.073 ± 0.002 mag during Pompeja’s 2021 apparition in the TESS field of view. We use this light curve to refine models of Pompeja’s shape and spin-pole orientation, yielding two spin-pole solutions with sidereal periods and spin-pole ecliptic coordinates of P _sid,1 = 24.0485 ± 0.0001 hr, λ _1 = 132°, and β _1 = +41° and P _sid,2 = 24.0484 ± 0.0001 hr, λ _2 = 307°, and β _2 = +34°. Finally, we discuss the implications of the derived shape and spin models for spectral variability on Pompeja. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-97400cbc533f48b2a4bbbe33250f6121 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2632-3338 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-97400cbc533f48b2a4bbbe33250f61212025-08-20T01:59:13ZengIOP PublishingThe Planetary Science Journal2632-33382024-01-0151227110.3847/PSJ/ad8f3aInsights on the Rotational State and Shape of Asteroid (203) Pompeja from TESS PhotometryOriel A. Humes0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1700-5364Josef Hanuš1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2934-3723Institut für Geophysik und Extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität Braunschweig , 3 Mendelsohnstraße, Braunschweig, NI 38106, DE, Germany ; oriel.humes@tu-braunschweig.deCharles University , Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Institute of Astronomy V Holešovičkách 2 Prague, 18000, CZ, CzechiaThe Main Belt asteroid (203) Pompeja shows evidence of extreme variability in visible and near-infrared spectral slope with time. The observed spectral variability has been hypothesized to be attributed to spatial variations across Pompeja’s surface. In this scenario, the observed spectrum of Pompeja is dependent on the geometry of the Sun and the observer relative to the asteroid’s spin-pole and surface features. Knowledge of the rotational spin pole and shape can be gleaned from light curves and photometric measurements. However, dense light curves of Pompeja are only available from two apparitions. Further, previous estimates of Pompeja’s sidereal period are close to being Earth commensurate, making ground-based light curves difficult to obtain. To overcome these difficulties, we implement a pipeline to extract a dense light curve of Pompeja from cutouts of Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) full-frame images. We succeeded in obtaining a dense light curve of Pompeja covering ∼22 complete rotations. We measure a synodic period of P _syn = 24.092 ± 0.005 hr and amplitude of 0.073 ± 0.002 mag during Pompeja’s 2021 apparition in the TESS field of view. We use this light curve to refine models of Pompeja’s shape and spin-pole orientation, yielding two spin-pole solutions with sidereal periods and spin-pole ecliptic coordinates of P _sid,1 = 24.0485 ± 0.0001 hr, λ _1 = 132°, and β _1 = +41° and P _sid,2 = 24.0484 ± 0.0001 hr, λ _2 = 307°, and β _2 = +34°. Finally, we discuss the implications of the derived shape and spin models for spectral variability on Pompeja.https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad8f3aAsteroidsMain belt asteroidsLight curvesPhotometry |
| spellingShingle | Oriel A. Humes Josef Hanuš Insights on the Rotational State and Shape of Asteroid (203) Pompeja from TESS Photometry The Planetary Science Journal Asteroids Main belt asteroids Light curves Photometry |
| title | Insights on the Rotational State and Shape of Asteroid (203) Pompeja from TESS Photometry |
| title_full | Insights on the Rotational State and Shape of Asteroid (203) Pompeja from TESS Photometry |
| title_fullStr | Insights on the Rotational State and Shape of Asteroid (203) Pompeja from TESS Photometry |
| title_full_unstemmed | Insights on the Rotational State and Shape of Asteroid (203) Pompeja from TESS Photometry |
| title_short | Insights on the Rotational State and Shape of Asteroid (203) Pompeja from TESS Photometry |
| title_sort | insights on the rotational state and shape of asteroid 203 pompeja from tess photometry |
| topic | Asteroids Main belt asteroids Light curves Photometry |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad8f3a |
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