Call for Observations
Slow Rotating Asteroids, Slow Rotators
Astronomical Observatory Institute of Poznan, Poland is coordinating a world-wide observing campaign
for slow rotating asteroids. These are small bodies of the main belt with slow rotation and small lightcurve amplitudes, avoided by most of previous studies [1]. The aim is to improve biased statistics
of spin and shape modelled asteroids. Recent results from TESS spacecraft have shown that slow rotators are actually dominating in the population of main belt asteroids [4], while asteroids with available spin and shape model have predominantly short rotation periods.
We focus on multi-apparition photometric observations, lightcurve inversion modelling, and scaling those models with thermal infrared data [2, 3]. However, many of these asteroids have poor or problematic thermal datasets, and cannot be precisely scaled this way. This is where good, multi-chord occultation can greatly help. Occultations can also pinpoint the correct spin and shape solution from two mirror ones produced by lightcurve inversion (see e.g. Svea model fitting in paper [2]). For some of our targets, marked in bold in the list, Gaia mission will provide mass, so precise density could be derived for studies on internal composition.
Please join the project and observe stellar occultations by the these asteroids, whenever possible. In OccultWatcher you can find these objects under the tag "slow rotators".
List of proposed asteroids
34 Circe 554 Peraga
57 Mnemosyne 581 Tauntonia
96 Aegle 635 Vundtia
101 Helena 668 Dora
144 Vibilia 688 Melanie
185 Eunike 777 Gutemberga
200 Dynamene 833 Monica
245 Vera 838 Seraphina
248 Lameia 845 Naema
269 Justitia 858 El Djezair
305 Gordonia 877 Valkure
309 Fraternitas 880 Herba
398 Admete 903 Nealley
393 Lampetia 921 Jovita
397 Vienna 938 Chlosinde
407 Arachne 992 Swasey
491 Carina 999 Zachia
554 Peraga
In case of any questions, please contact Dr. Anna Marciniak at:
am@amu.edu.pl
References:
[1] Marciniak et al. 2015, "Against the bias in spins and shapes of asteroids", Planet Space Sci. 118, 256; arXiv:1711.02429
[2] Marciniak et al. 2018, ''Photometric survey, modelling, and scaling of long-period and low-amplitude asteroids'', Astronomy Astrophys., 610, A7; arXiv:1711.01893
[3] Marciniak et al. 2019, ''Thermal properties of slowly rotating asteroids. Results from targeted survey'' Astronomy Astrophys., 625, A139, arXiv:1905.06056
[4] Pál et al. 2020 ''Solar System objects observed with TESS -- First data release: bright main-belt and Trojan asteroids from the Southern Survey'' ApJS 247, 26; arXiv:2001.05922
