Abstract
Rotation axes and senses of rotation have been determined for 22 asteroids with the method of P. Magnusson (1986, Icarus 68, 1–39) using lightcurve data mainly from S.J. Weidenschilling, C.R. Chapman, D.R. Davis, R. Greenberg, D.H. Levy, and S. Vail (1987, Icarus 70, 191–245). New correction formulas for the model axis ratios, taking nongeometric scattering into account, are presented. The derived spin-vector distribution for a sample of 30 large asteroids is quite isotropic with a small preference for prograde rotation. This unisotropy is significant at a 66 to 90 % confidence level, depending on the method of computation. The triaxial models do not support the idea that centrifugal forces have affected the shapes and led to near-equilibrium shapes.
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