Searching for inner-Earth objects: a possible ground-based approach

Abstract

The likely existence of bodies orbiting the Sun with aphelia Q < 0.983 AU has been suggested by numerical simulations of the dynamical evolution of the near-Earth objects (NEOs) population. For obvious reasons, these hypothetical minor bodies are called inner-Earth objects (IEOs). While much progresses has been made in learning more about the Amor, Apollo, and Aten population from surveys optimized for their discovery, no large, systematic, and similar observation projects devoted to the search of IEOs have been started. For their own orbital nature, IEOs can be observed only at small solar elongations (<90°), corresponding to regions of the sky currently neglected by the modern, ongoing surveys. This paper discusses a possible ground-based approach to look for IEOs, providing some useful tricks and the results of simulated surveys devoted to their discovery. It will be shown that such a search promises interesting results, the setup of a dedicated project being highly recommended.