Abstract
Abstract The Gaia Data Release 2 provides precise astrometry for nearly 1.5 billion sources across the entire sky, including several thousand asteroids. In this work, we provide evidence that reasonably large asteroids (diameter >20 km) have high correlations with Gaia relative flux uncertainties and systematic R.A. errors. We further capture these correlations using a logistic Bayesian additive regression tree model. We compile a small list of probable large asteroids that can be targeted for direct diameter measurements and shape reconstruction.
Highlights
Obtaining direct size measurements of asteroids is a challenging task
Thanks to the ESA/Gaia space mission (Gaia Collaboration et al 2016), such measurements are expected for ∼ 103 asteroids
Asteroids with angular diameters larger than the instrumental point spread function require detailed physical modeling to avoid astrometric and photometric systematic errors. This is planned for future data releases, such modeling was not yet performed for the sample published in the Gaia Data Release 2 (Gaia Collaboration et al 2018b), and we can hypothesize that a family of relations should exist between the catalog systematic errors and the object diameters
Summary
Obtaining direct size measurements of asteroids is a challenging task. Thanks to the ESA/Gaia space mission (Gaia Collaboration et al 2016), such measurements are expected for ∼ 103 asteroids (dell’Oro & Cellino 2005). We provide evidence that reasonably large asteroids (diameter > 20 km) have high correlations with Gaia relative flux uncertainties and systematic right ascension errors. We compile a small list of probable large asteroids that can be targeted for direct diameter measurements and shape reconstruction.
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