Observations Of Solar System Objects Research Articles

Custom JWST NIRSpec/IFU and MIRI/MRS Data Reduction Pipelines for Solar System Targets

We present custom JWST data reduction pipelines for JWST NIRSpec/IFU and MIRI/MRS observations of solar system objects. The pipelines simplify the process of reducing the JWST observations, and include custom steps to significantly improve the data quality. Our custom processing routines include a “desaturation” routine to reduce the effect of saturation while still maintaining high signal-to-noise ratio, and custom flat field correction code to remove the significant artifacts found in MIRI/MRS observations. The pipelines also automatically generate a series of quick look plots and animations to simplify exploration of a dataset. These custom JWST pipelines can be downloaded from https://github.com/JWSTGiantPlanets/pipelines.

Multifilter photometry of Solar System objects from the SkyMapper Southern Survey

Context. The populations of small bodies of the Solar System (asteroids, comets, and Kuiper Belt objects) are used to constrain the origin and evolution of the Solar System. Their orbital distribution and composition distribution are both required to track the dynamical pathway from their formation regions to their current locations. Aims. We aim to increase the sample of Solar System objects (SSOs) that have multifilter photometry and compositional taxonomy. Methods. We searched for moving objects in the SkyMapper Southern Survey. We used the predicted SSO positions to extract photometry and astrometry from the SkyMapper frames. We then applied a suite of filters to clean the catalog from false-positive detections. We finally used the near-simultaneous photometry to assign a taxonomic class to objects. Results. We release a catalog of 880 528 individual observations, consisting of 205 515 known and unique SSOs. The catalog completeness is estimated to be about 97% down to V = 18 mag and the purity is higher than 95% for known SSOs. The near-simultaneous photometry provides either three, two, or a single color that we use to classify 117 356 SSOs with a scheme consistent with the widely used Bus-DeMeo taxonomy. Conclusions. The present catalog contributes significantly to the sample of asteroids with known surface properties (about 40% of main-belt asteroids down to an absolute magnitude of 16). We will release more observations of SSOs with future SkyMapper data releases.

THOR: An Algorithm for Cadence-independent Asteroid Discovery

Abstract We present “Tracklet-less Heliocentric Orbit Recovery” (THOR), an algorithm for linking of observations of Solar System objects across multiple epochs that does not require intranight tracklets or a predefined cadence of observations within a search window. By sparsely covering regions of interest in the phase space with “test orbits,” transforming nearby observations over a few nights into the corotating frame of the test orbit at each epoch, and then performing a generalized Hough transform on the transformed detections followed by orbit determination filtering, candidate clusters of observations belonging to the same objects can be recovered at moderate computational cost and with little to no constraint on cadence. We validate the effectiveness of this approach by running on simulations as well as on real data from the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF). Applied to a short, two-week slice of ZTF observations, we demonstrate THOR can recover 97.4% of all previously known and discoverable objects in the targeted (a > 1.7 au) population with five or more observations and with purity between 97.7% and 100%. This includes 10 likely new discoveries, and a recovery of an e ∼ 1 comet C/2018 U1 (the comet would have been a ZTF discovery had THOR been running in 2018 when the data were taken). The THOR package and demo Jupyter notebooks are open source and available at https://github.com/moeyensj/thor.

Far-infrared imager and polarimeter for the Origins Space Telescope

The far-infrared imager and polarimeter (FIP) for the Origins Space Telescope (Origins) is a basic far-infrared imager and polarimeter. The camera will deliver continuum images and polarization measurements at 50 and 250 μm. Currently available detector technologies provide sufficient sensitivity for background limited observations from space, at least on a single pixel basis. FIP incorporates large next-generation superconducting detector arrays and our technology development plan will push the pixel numbers for the arrays to the required size of 8000. Two superconducting detector technologies are currently candidates for the instrument: transition edge sensors or microwave kinetic inductance devices. Using these detectors and taking advantage of the cryogenic telescope that is provided by Origins, FIP will achieve mapping speeds of up to eight orders of magnitude faster than what has been achieved by existing observatories. The science drivers for FIP include observations of solar system objects, dust properties, and magnetic field studies of the nearby interstellar medium, and large scale galaxy surveys to better constrain the star formation history of the universe to address one of the main themes of Origins: “How does the Universe work?” In addition to the science, the FIP instrument plays a critical functional role in aligning the mirrors during on orbit observatory commissioning.

Asteroids’ Size Distribution and Colors from HITS

Abstract We report the observations of solar system objects during the 2015 campaign of the High cadence Transient Survey (HiTS). We found 5740 bodies (mostly Main Belt asteroids), 1203 of which were detected in different nights and in g′ and r′. Objects were linked in the barycenter system and their orbital parameters were computed assuming Keplerian motion. We identified 6 near Earth objects, 1738 Main Belt asteroids and 4 Trans-Neptunian objects. We did not find a g′−r′ color–size correlation for 14 < H g′ < 18 (1 < D < 10 km) asteroids. We show asteroids’ colors are disturbed by HiTS’ 1.6 hr cadence and estimate that observations should be separated by at most 14 minutes to avoid confusion in future wide-field surveys like LSST. The size distribution for the Main Belt objects can be characterized as a simple power law with slope ∼0.9, steeper than in any other survey, while data from the 2014 HiTS campaign has a distribution consistent with previous ones (slopes ∼0.68 at the bright end and ∼0.34 at the faint end). This difference is likely due to the ecliptic distribution of the Main Belt since the 2015 campaign surveyed farther from the ecliptic than did 2014's and most previous surveys.

Star catalog position and proper motion corrections in asteroid astrometry II: The Gaia era

Astrometric positions of moving objects in the Solar System have been measured using a variety of star catalogs in the past. Previous work has shown that systematic errors in star catalogs can affect the accuracy of astrometric observations. That, in turn, can influence the resulting orbit fits for minor planets. In order to quantify these systematic errors, we compare the positions and proper motion of stellar sources in the most utilized star catalogs to the second release of the Gaia star catalog. The accuracy of Gaia astrometry allows us to unambiguously identify local biases and derive a scheme that can be used to correct past astrometric observations of solar system objects. Here, we provide substantially improved debiasing tables for 26 astrometric catalogs that were extensively used in minor planet astrometry. Revised corrections near the galactic center eliminate artifacts that could be traced back to reference catalogs used in previous debiasing schemes. Median differences in stellar positions between catalogs now tend to be on the order of several tens of milliarcseconds (mas) but can be as large as 175 mas. Median stellar proper motion corrections scatter around 0.3 mas/yr and range from 1to 4 mas/yr for star catalogs with and without proper motion, respectively. The tables presented in this work contain a posteriori corrections meant to improve orbit fits based on optical observations that were measured against astrometric catalogs other than Gaia. However, astrometrists are strongly encouraged to make use of the most recent Gaia astrometric catalog when submitting new observations.Since previous debiasing schemes already reduced systematics in past observations to a large extent, corrections beyond the current work may not be needed in the foreseeable future.

The population of rotational fission clusters inside asteroid collisional families

Asteroid families are groups of objects sharing similar orbits. They are mostly the results of past collisions between two asteroids. Recent studies have shown that some asteroid families can also be the outcome of the spin-up-induced fission of a critically rotating parent body (fission clusters). In at least four young fission clusters, more than 5% of their members belong to subfamilies, secondary clusters of objects mostly formed after the main fission event. However, asteroidal subfamilies are still not well characterized. In this work, using family recognition methods based on time-reversal dynamical simulations, machine-learning clustering algorithms and the exceptional orbit accuracy obtained from Gaia observations of Solar System objects, we identify several subclusters within four extremely young collisional families. We find that collisional asteroid families younger than 100 Myr have a higher fraction of young detectable fission subclusters with respect to older groups. The collisional events that form asteroid families may trigger a subsequent cascade of spin-induced formations of fission clusters by producing fragments in highly rotating states. Asteroid families created by collisions in the last ~100 Myr have a higher fraction of subfamilies than older ones. The impact produces highly rotating fragments that generate such subfamilies by fission and subsequently disperse. The final appearance of an asteroid family is thus the product of a drawn-out evolution.

The ssos pipeline: Identification of Solar System objects in astronomical images

Observatories and satellites around the globe produce tremendous amounts of imaging data to study many different astrophysical phenomena. The serendipitous observations of Solar System objects are a fortunate by-product which have often been neglected due to the lack of a simple yet efficient identification algorithm. Meanwhile, the determination of the orbit, chemical composition, and physical properties such as rotation period and 3D-shape of Solar System objects requires a large number of astrometry and multi-band photometry observations. Such observations are hidden in current and future astrophysical archives, and a method to harvest these goldmines is needed. This article presents an easy-to-implement, light-weight software package which detects bodies of the Solar System in astronomical images and measures their astrometry and photometry. The ssos pipeline is versatile, allowing for application to all kinds of observatory imaging products. The sole principle requirement is that the images observe overlapping areas of the sky within a reasonable time range. Both known and unknown Solar System objects are recovered, from fast-moving near-Earth asteroids to slow objects in the Kuiper belt. The high-level pipeline design and two test applications are described here, highlighting the versatility of the algorithm with both narrow-field pointed and wide-field survey observations. In the first study, 2,828 detections of 204 SSOs are recovered from publicly available images of the GTC OSIRIS Broad Band DR1. The false-positive ratio of SSO detections ranges from 0%-23% depending on the pipeline setup. The second test study utilizes the images of the first data release of J-PLUS, a 12-band optical survey. 4,606 SSO candidates are recovered, with a false-positive ratio of (2.0 +- 0.2)%.

Remote-sensing characterization of major Solar System bodies with the Twinkle space telescope

Remote-sensing observations of Solar System objects with a space telescope offer a key method of understanding celestial bodies and contributing to planetary formation and evolution theories. The capabilities of Twinkle, a space telescope in a low Earth orbit with a 0.45m mirror, to acquire spectroscopic data of Solar System targets in the visible and infrared are assessed. Twinkle is a general observatory that provides on demand observations of a wide variety of targets within wavelength ranges that are currently not accessible using other space telescopes or that are accessible only to oversubscribed observatories in the short-term future. We determine the periods for which numerous Solar System objects could be observed and find that Solar System objects are regularly observable. The photon flux of major bodies is determined for comparison to the sensitivity and saturation limits of Twinkle's instrumentation and we find that the satellite's capability varies across the three spectral bands (0.4-1, 1.3-2.42, and 2.42-4.5{\mu}m). We find that for a number of targets, including the outer planets, their large moons, and bright asteroids, the model created predicts that with short exposure times, high-resolution spectra (R~250, {\lambda} < 2.42{\mu}m; R~60, {\lambda} > 2.42{\mu}m) could be obtained with signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of >100 with exposure times of <300s.

GaiaData Release 2

Context.TheGaiaspacecraft of the European Space Agency (ESA) has been securing observations of solar system objects (SSOs) since the beginning of its operations. Data Release 2 (DR2) contains the observations of a selected sample of 14,099 SSOs. These asteroids have been already identified and have been numbered by the Minor Planet Center repository. Positions are provided for eachGaiaobservation at CCD level. As additional information, complementary to astrometry, the apparent brightness of SSOs in the unfilteredGband is also provided for selected observations.Aims.We explain the processing of SSO data, and describe the criteria we used to select the sample published inGaiaDR2. We then explore the data set to assess its quality.Methods.To exploit the main data product for the solar system inGaiaDR2, which is the epoch astrometry of asteroids, it is necessary to take into account the unusual properties of the uncertainty, as the position information is nearly one-dimensional. When this aspect is handled appropriately, an orbit fit can be obtained with post-fit residuals that are overall consistent with the a-priori error model that was used to define individual values of the astrometric uncertainty. The role of both random and systematic errors is described. The distribution of residuals allowed us to identify possible contaminants in the data set (such as stars). Photometry in theGband was compared to computed values from reference asteroid shapes and to the flux registered at the corresponding epochs by the red and blue photometers (RP and BP).Results.The overall astrometric performance is close to the expectations, with an optimal range of brightnessG~ 12 − 17. In this range, the typical transit-level accuracy is well below 1 mas. For fainter asteroids, the growing photon noise deteriorates the performance. Asteroids brighter thanG~ 12 are affected by a lower performance of the processing of their signals. The dramatic improvement brought byGaiaDR2 astrometry of SSOs is demonstrated by comparisons to the archive data and by preliminary tests on the detection of subtle non-gravitational effects.

ESASky: A science-driven discovery portal for space-based astronomy missions

In the era of "big data" and with the advent of web 2.0 technologies, ESASky (http://sky.esa.int) aims at providing a modern and visual way to access astronomical science-ready data products and metadata. The main goal of the application is to simplify the interaction between the scientific community and the ever-growing amount of data collected over the past decades from the most important astronomy missions. The ESASky concept is to offer a complementary scientific application to the more-traditional table-oriented exploitation of astronomical data, by allowing a more natural and visual approach and enabling the exploration of astronomical objects across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. To fulfill this goal, ESASky provides a multiwavelength interface to a set of astronomy data from an increasing number of missions and surveys, with the intention of becoming the single-point of entry to perform visual analysis and cross-matching among different energy ranges. A lot of effort has been invested on the design of a user-friendly, responsive Graphical User Interface (GUI) by the definition and optimisation of algorithms running behind each visual feature offered. In this contribution, we describe in detail the design and solutions adopted for the technical challenges arising during the development. We present the data services and features implemented in the latest version of ESASky (v2.1), including a Mission Planning Tool to support current James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) planning, the possibility to search for observations of Solar System Objects (planets, comets and moons) taken by astronomy missions, the integration of the SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS) publication system in the ESASky GUI, and the retrieval of metadata and data products available within a specific region of the sky.

Mutual event observations of solar system objects by SRC on Mars Express

Context. Both Martian moons, Phobos and Deimos, have been observed during several imaging campaigns by the Super Resolution Channel (SRC) on the Mars Express probe. Several tens of images are obtained during mutual event observations – when the Martian moons are both observed or together with another solar system body. These observations provide new opportunities to determine the bodies’ positions in their orbits. Aims. A method was sought to automate the observation of the positions of the imaged bodies. Within one image sequence a similarly accurate localization of the objects in all images should be possible. Methods. Shape models of Phobos and Deimos are applied to simulate the appearance of the bodies in the images. Matching the illuminated simulation against the observation provides a reliable determination of the bodies’ location within the image. To enhance the matching confidence several corrections need to be applied to the simulation to closely reconstruct the observation. Results. A list of 884 relative positions between the different objects is provided through the Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS).

Asteroids in the High Cadence Transient Survey

Abstract We report on the serendipitous observations of solar system objects imaged during the High cadence Transient Survey 2014 observation campaign. Data from this high-cadence wide-field survey was originally analyzed for finding variable static sources using machine learning to select the most-likely candidates. In this work, we search for moving transients consistent with solar system objects and derive their orbital parameters. We use a simple, custom motion detection algorithm to link trajectories and assume Keplerian motion to derive the asteroid’s orbital parameters. We use known asteroids from the Minor Planet Center database to assess the detection efficiency of the survey and our search algorithm. Trajectories have an average of nine detections spread over two days, and our fit yields typical errors of , σ e ∼ 0.07 and σ i ∼ 0.°5 in semimajor axis, eccentricity, and inclination, respectively, for known asteroids in our sample. We extract 7700 orbits from our trajectories, identifying 19 near-Earth objects, 6687 asteroids, 14 Centaurs, and 15 trans-Neptunian objects. This highlights the complementarity of supernova wide-field surveys for solar system research and the significance of machine learning to clean data of false detections. It is a good example of the data-driven science that Large Synoptic Survey Telescope will deliver.

Local tests of gravitation with Gaia observations of Solar System Objects

AbstractIn this proceeding, we show how observations of Solar System Objects with Gaia can be used to test General Relativity and to constrain modified gravitational theories. The high number of Solar System objects observed and the variety of their orbital parameters associated with the impressive astrometric accuracy will allow us to perform local tests of General Relativity. In this communication, we present a preliminary sensitivity study of the Gaia observations on dynamical parameters such as the Sun quadrupolar moment and on various extensions to general relativity such as the parametrized post-Newtonian parameters, the fifth force formalism and a violation of Lorentz symmetry parametrized by the Standard-Model extension framework. We take into account the time sequences and the geometry of the observations that are particular to Gaia for its nominal mission (5 years) and for an extended mission (10 years).

Using Gaia spectrophotometric data for the purposes of asteroid taxonomy

AbstractA new asteroid taxonomy will be an important result of Gaia observations of Solar System objects. Since Gaia observes asteroids in observing conditions and in an interval of wavelength which are slightly different with respect to normal ground-based observations, a dedicated observing campaign has been carried out at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo in La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain). The obtained spectra have been used to generate a large number of synthetic clones, each one having slight changes with respect to its parent spectrum. These synthetic spectra are then used to feed the algorithm of taxonomic classification developed to reduce Gaia asteroid spectra. Processing of these data is in progress.

Скоординированные синхронные наблюдения объектов солнечной системы методами наземно-космической низкочастотной радиоастрономии

Скоординированные синхронные наблюдения объектов солнечной системы методами наземно-космической низкочастотной радиоастрономии

The 15N-enrichment in dark clouds and Solar System objects

The line intensities of the fundamental rotational transitions of H13CN and HC15N were observed towards two prestellar cores, L183 and L1544, and lead to molecular isotopic ratios 140⩽14N/15N⩽250 and 140⩽14N/15N⩽360, respectively. The range of values reflect genuine spatial variations within the cores. A comprehensive analysis of the available measurements of the nitrogen isotopic ratio in prestellar cores show that molecules carrying the nitrile functional group appear to be systematically 15N-enriched compared to those carrying the amine functional group. A chemical origin for the differential 15N-enhancement between nitrile- and amine-bearing interstellar molecules is proposed. This sheds new light on several observations of Solar System objects: (i) the similar N isotopic fractionation in Jupiter’s NH3 and solar wind N+; (ii) the 15N-enrichments in cometary HCN and CN (that might represent a direct interstellar inheritance); and (iii) 15N-enrichments observed in organics in primitive cosmomaterials. The large variations in the isotopic composition of N-bearing molecules in Solar System objects might then simply reflect the different interstellar N reservoirs from which they are originating.

Commercial suborbital vehicles enable mid-IR observations of solar system objects

Commercial suborbital vehicles enable mid-IR observations of solar system objects

Solar System Capabilities of the Thirty Meter Telescope

The TMT Project is completing the design of a telescope with a primary mirror diameter of 30 m, yielding ten times more light gathering power than the largest current telescopes. It is being designed from the outset as a system that will deliver diffraction-limited resolution (8, 15 and 70 milliarcsec at 1.2, 2.2 and 10 microns, respectively) and high Strehl ratios over a 30 arcsecond science field with good performance over a 2 arcmin field. Studies of a representative suite of instruments that span a very large discovery space in wavelength (0.3–30 microns), spatial resolution, spectral resolution and field-of-view demonstrate their feasibility and their tremendous scientific potential. Of particular interest for solar system research, one of these will be IRIS (Infrared Imaging Spectrometer), a NIR instrument consisting of a diffraction-limited imager and an integral-field spectrometer. IRIS will be able to investigate structures with dimensions of only a few tens of kilometers at the distance of Jupiter. Two other instruments, NIRES and MIRES (Near- and Mid IR Echelle Spectrographs) will enable high angular, high spectral resolution observations of solar system objects from the ground with sensitivities comparable to space-based missions. The TMT system is being designed for extremely efficient operation including the ability to rapidly switch to observations with different instruments to take advantage of “targets-of-opportunity” or changing conditions. Thus TMT will provide capabilities that will enable very significant solar system science and be highly synergistic with JWST, ALMA and other planned astronomy missions.

Gaia and the asteroids: Local test of GR

AbstractWe present in the following some capabilities of the Gaia mission for performing local test of General Relativity (GR) based on the astrometry of asteroids. This ESA cornerstone mission, to be launched in Spring 2012, will observe—in addition to the stars and QSOs—a large number of small solar system bodies with unprecedented photometric and, mostly, astrometric precisions. Indeed, it is expected that about 250,000 asteroids will be observed with a nominal precision ranging from a few milli-arcsecond (mas), to sub-mas precision, depending on the target's brightness. While the majority of this sample is constituted of known main-belt asteroids orbiting between Mars and Jupiter, a substantial fraction will be made of near-Earth objects, and possibly some newly discovered inner-Earth or co-orbital objects.Here we show the results obtained from a simulation of Gaia observations for local tests of GR in the gravitational field of the Sun. The simulation takes into account the time sequences and geometry of the observations that are particular to Gaia observations of solar system objects, as well as the instrument sensitivity and photon noise. We show the results from a variance analysis for the nominal precision of the joint determination of the solar quadrupole J2 and the PPN parameter β. Additionally we include the link of the dynamical reference frame to the conventional kinematically non-rotating reference frame (as obtained in the visible wavelength by Gaia observations of QSOs). The study is completed by the determination of a possible variation of the gravitational constant /G, and deviation from Newtonian 1/r2 gravitational law. Comparisons to the results obtained from other techniques are also given.