[en] Context. The very wide binary asteroid (VWBA) population is a small subset of the population of known binary and multiple asteroids made of systems with very widely orbiting satellites and long orbital periods, on the order of tens to hundreds of days. The origin of these systems is debatable, and most members of this population are poorly characterized. Aims. We aim to develop orbital solutions for some members of the VWBA population, allowing us to constrain possible formation pathways for this unusual population. Methods. We compiled all available high-angular-resolution imaging archival data of VWBA systems from large ground- and space-based telescopes. We measured the astrometric positions of the satellite relative to the primary at each epoch and analyzed the dynamics of the satellites using the Genoid genetic algorithm. Additionally, we used a NEATM thermal model to estimate the diameters of two systems, and we modeled the orbit of Litva's inner satellite using photometric light curve observations. Results. We determine the effective diameters of binary systems (17246) Christophedumas and (22899) Alconrad to be 4.7 ± 0.4 km and 5.2 ± 0.3 km, respectively. We determine new orbital solutions for five systems, (379) Huenna, (2577) Litva, (3548) Eurybates, (4674) Pauling, and (22899) Alconrad. We find a significantly eccentric (e = 0.30) best-fit orbital solution for the outer satellite of (2577) Litva, moderately eccentric (e = 0.13) solutions for (22899) Alconrad, and a nearly circular solution for (4674) Pauling (e = 0.04). We also confirm previously reported orbital solutions for (379) Huenna and (3548) Eurybates. Conclusions. It is unlikely that BYORP expansion could be solely responsible for the formation of VWBAs, as only (4674) Pauling matches the necessary requirements for active BYORP expansion. It is possible that the satellites of these systems were formed through YORP spin-up and then later scattered onto very wide orbits. Additionally, we find that some members of the population are unlikely to have formed satellites through YORP spin-up, and a collisional formation history is favored. In particular, this applies to VWBAs within large dynamical families, such as (22899) Alconrad and (2577) Litva, or large VWBA systems such as (379) Huenna and NASA's Lucy mission target (3548) Eurybates.
Disciplines :
Space science, astronomy & astrophysics
Author, co-author :
Minker, K.; Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur, France
Carry, B.; Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur, France
Vachier, F.; Universite de Lille I, France
Scheirich, P.; Astronomical Institute AS CR, Fričova 298, Ondřejov, Czech Republic,
Pravec, P.; Astronomical Institute AS CR, Fričova 298, Ondřejov, Czech Republic,
Müller, T.; Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Garching
Moór, A.; Konkoly Observatory, HUN-REN Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Konkoly-Thege Miklós út 15–17, 1121, Budapest, Hungary,
Arcidiacono, C.; Astronomical Observatory of Padua
Conrad, A.; University of Arizona, Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory
Veillet, C.; University of Arizona, Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory
Jacobson, S. A.; Michigan State University
Marsset, M.; European Southern Observatory, Chile
Merline, W. J.; Southwest Research Institute, 1301 Walnut St. #400, Boulder, CO, 80302, USA,
Tamblyn, P.; Southwest Research Institute, 1301 Walnut St. #400, Boulder, CO, 80302, USA
Brown, M. E.; California Institute of Technology, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
Pray, D.; Sugarloaf Mountain Observatory, South Deerfield, MA, USA,
Montaigut, R.; Observatoire OPERA, 33820, Saint-Palais, France
Leroy, A.; Observatoire OPERA, 33820, Saint-Palais, France,
Gillier, C.; Observatoire OPERA, 33820, Saint-Palais, France
Kušnirák, P.; Astronomical Institute AS CR, Fričova 298, Ondřejov, Czech Republic
Hornoch, K.; Astronomical Institute AS CR, Fričova 298, Ondřejov, Czech Republic,
Husárik, M.; Slovak Academy of Sciences
Benishek, V.; Astronomical Observatory of Belgrade, Serbia
Cooney, W.; Sonoita Research Observatory, 77 Paint Trail, Sonoita, AZ, 85637, USA
Gross, J.; Sonoita Research Observatory, 77 Paint Trail, Sonoita, AZ, 85637, USA
Terrell, D.; Sonoita Research Observatory, 77 Paint Trail, Sonoita, AZ, 85637, USA, Southwest Research Institute, 1301 Walnut St. #400, Boulder, CO, 80302, USA
Jehin, Emmanuel ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Unités de recherche interfacultaires > Space sciences, Technologies and Astrophysics Research (STAR)
Világi, J.; Modra Observatory, Department of Astronomy, Physics of the Earth, and Meteorology, FMPI UK, Mlynská dolina, Bratislava, 84248, Slovakia,
Gajdoš, Š.; Department of Astronomy, Physics of the Earth, and Meteorology, FMPI, Comenius University, Mlynská Dolina F1, Bratislava, 84248, Slovakia
Chiorny, V.; Institute of Astronomy of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, 61022, Sumska Str. 35, Ukraine
Christmann, B.; Observatoire La Souchère, 69510, Soucieu-en-Jarrest, France
Brinsfield, J.; Via Capote Observatory, Thousand Oaks, CA, 91320, USA
Dumas, C.; Royal Observatory Edinburgh
Enke, B. L.; Southwest Research Institute, 1301 Walnut St. #400, Boulder, CO, 80302, USA
Durda, D. D.; Southwest Research Institute, 1301 Walnut St. #400, Boulder, CO, 80302, USA
Christou, J. C.; University of Arizona, Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory, -
Grundy, W. M.; Lowell Observatory, Arizona
Close, L. M.; Steward Observatory, N420, Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
Porter, S. B.; Southwest Research Institute, 1301 Walnut St. #400, Boulder, CO, 80302, USA,
Margot, J.-L., Pravec, P., Taylor, P., Carry, B., & Jacobson, S. 2015, Asteroid Systems: Binaries, Triples, and Pairs, eds. P. Michel, F. DeMeo, & W. F. Bottke (University of Arizona Press), 355
Masiero, J. R., Mainzer, A. K., Grav, T., et al. 2011, ApJ, 741, 68
Masiero, J. R., Mainzer, A. K., & Wright, E. L. 2018, AJ, 156, 62
Merline, W. J., Close, L. M., Siegler, N., et al. 2002, IAU Circ., 7827, 2
Merline, W. J., Close, L. M., Tamblyn, P. M., et al. 2003a, IAU Circ., 8075, 2
Merline, W. J., Tamblyn, P. M., Chapman, C. R., et al. 2003b, IAU Circ., 8232, 2
Merline, W. J., Tamblyn, P. M., Dumas, C., et al. 2004, IAU Circ., 8297, 1
Merline, W. J., Tamblyn, P. M., Warner, B. D., et al. 2013a, IAU Circ., 9267, 1
Merline, W. J., Tamblyn, P. M., Warner, B. D., et al. 2013b, Central Bureau Electron. Telegrams, 3765, 1
Minker, K., & Carry, B. 2023, A&A, 672, A48
Montaigut, R., Christmann, B., Conjat, M., et al. 2019, in SF2A-2019: Proceedings of the Annual meeting of the French Society of Astronomy and Astrophysics, eds. P. Di Matteo, O. Creevey, A. Crida, et al.
