Abstract
Eleven years ago, Hughes ( Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 199, 1149, 1982) gave the size distribution of 740 asteroids. This has now been updated using 1778 known asteroidal diameters. The mass distribution index of the large main-belt asteroids is now found to be 2.09 ± 0.10. A power law relationship has been obtained between the perihelion distance and the diameter of the smallest known asteroid in any group of asteroids that have a specific range of perihelion distance. This has been used, in conjunction with the size distribution function, to produce a “corrected” histogram of asteroidal perihelion distances in which the relative significance (in number) of the Trojan asteroids has been increased dramatically. It is also concluded that the mass of the asteroid belt, M A (g), is given by log M A = 26.21 (+1.4, −1.0).
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.