Mass and Density of the B-type Asteroid (702) Alauda
Abstract
Observations with the adaptive optics system on the Very Large Telescope reveal that the outer main belt asteroid (702) Alauda has a small satellite with primary to secondary diameter ratio of ~56. The secondary revolves around the primary in 4.9143 ± 0.007 days at a distance of 1227 ± 24 km, yielding a total system mass of (6.057 ± 0.36) × 1018 kg. Combined with an IRAS size measurement, our data yield a bulk density of 1570 ± 500 kg m-3 for this B-type asteroid.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- February 2011
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1011.6577
- Bibcode:
- 2011ApJ...727...69R
- Keywords:
-
- astrometry;
- ephemerides;
- instrumentation: adaptive optics;
- minor planets;
- asteroids: general;
- asteroids: individual: 702 Alauda;
- techniques: high angular resolution;
- Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- In press, ApJ 2011. 6 pages, 4 figures
