Detection of the YORP Effect from Photometric Observations of Near-Earth Asteroids

Yu. N. Krugly, N. M. Gaftonyuk, J. Durech, D. Vokrouhlicky, M. Kaasalainen, V. G. Shevchenko, M. A. Ibrahimov, A. L. Marshalkina, V. V. Rumyantsev, I. E. Molotov, Z. Donchev, V. Ivanova, A. V. Sergeyev, N. Tungalag

Protecting the Earth against Collisions with Asteroids and Comet Nuclei, In: A. M. Finkelstein, W. F. Huebner, V. A. Shor (Eds) Proceedings of the International Conference “Asteroid-Comet Hazard-2009”, StP: Nauka, 58–61 (2010)

Keywords: Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), Small Solar System Body (SSSB), Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack (YORP) effect, asteroids, YORP detection, photometric observations, near-Earth asteroids (NEAs), observations of 1862 Apollo in 2007, observations of 1620 Geographos in 2008, observations of 3103 Eger in 2009, acceleration of the asteroids rotation, rotation period for co-orbital NEAs 138175 2000 EE104, rotation period for co-orbital NEAs 138852 2000 WN10

Abstract

In this report we present summary of photometric observations of near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) obtained to search for YORP effect. New additional observations of 1862 Apollo in 2007 have confirmed YORP detection. Observations of 1620 Geographos in 2008 and 3103 Eger in 2009 are used to detect the acceleration of the asteroids rotation rates in agreement with the computed theoretical values due to YORP effect. Now there are four asteroids with the YORP effect detected. Rotation periods for co-orbital NEAs 138175 2000 EE104 and 138852 2000 WN10 are determined for the first time