Orbital, spin state and thermophysical characterization of near-Earth asteroid (3200) Phaethon

The near-Earth asteroid (3200) Phaethon is an intriguing object: its perihelion is only at 0.14 au and is associated with the Geminid meteor stream. We aim to use all available disk-integrated optical data to derive reliable convex shape model of Phaethon. By interpreting the
available space- and ground-based thermal infrared data and Spitzer spectra using a thermophysical model, we also aim to further constrain its size, thermal inertia, and visible geometric albedo. We apply the convex inversion method to the new optical data obtained by six instruments together with the already existing observations. The convex shape model is then used as an input for the thermophysical modeling. We also study the long-term stability of Phaethon’s orbit and spin axis by a numerical orbital and rotation-state integrator We present a new convex shape model and rotational state of Phaethon – sidereal rotation period of 3.603958(2) h and ecliptic coordinates of the preferred pole orientation of (319◦ , −39◦) with a 5◦ uncertainty. Moreover, we derive its size (D=5.1±0.2 km), thermal inertia (Γ=600±200 J m-2s -1/2K -1), geometric visible albedo (pV=0.122±0.008), and estimate the macroscopic surface roughness.
We also find that the Sun illumination at the perihelion passage during past thousands of years is not connected to a specific area on the surface implying non-preferential heating.