An optimal Mars Trojan asteroid search strategy
Trojan asteroids are minor planets that share the orbit of a planet about the Sun and librate around the L4 or L5 Lagrangian points of stability. Although only three Mars Trojans have been discovered, models suggest that at least ten times this number should exist with diameters ≥ 1 km. We derive a...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
2012
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/9250 |
| _version_ | 1848745895187709952 |
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| author | Todd, Michael Tanga, P. Coward, D. Zadnik, Marjan |
| author_facet | Todd, Michael Tanga, P. Coward, D. Zadnik, Marjan |
| author_sort | Todd, Michael |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Trojan asteroids are minor planets that share the orbit of a planet about the Sun and librate around the L4 or L5 Lagrangian points of stability. Although only three Mars Trojans have been discovered, models suggest that at least ten times this number should exist with diameters ≥ 1 km. We derive a model that constrains optimal sky search areas and present a strategy for the most efficient use of telescope survey time that maximizes the probability of detecting Mars Trojans. We show that the Gaia space mission could detect any Mars Trojans larger than 1 km in diameter, provided the relative motion perpendicular to Gaia’s CCD array is less than 0.40 arcsec per second. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T06:24:37Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-9250 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T06:24:37Z |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| publisher | Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-92502019-02-19T04:26:59Z An optimal Mars Trojan asteroid search strategy Todd, Michael Tanga, P. Coward, D. Zadnik, Marjan minor planets methods: observational methods: numerical planets and satellites: general asteroids: general celestial mechanics Trojan asteroids are minor planets that share the orbit of a planet about the Sun and librate around the L4 or L5 Lagrangian points of stability. Although only three Mars Trojans have been discovered, models suggest that at least ten times this number should exist with diameters ≥ 1 km. We derive a model that constrains optimal sky search areas and present a strategy for the most efficient use of telescope survey time that maximizes the probability of detecting Mars Trojans. We show that the Gaia space mission could detect any Mars Trojans larger than 1 km in diameter, provided the relative motion perpendicular to Gaia’s CCD array is less than 0.40 arcsec per second. 2012 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/9250 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21204.x Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. fulltext |
| spellingShingle | minor planets methods: observational methods: numerical planets and satellites: general asteroids: general celestial mechanics Todd, Michael Tanga, P. Coward, D. Zadnik, Marjan An optimal Mars Trojan asteroid search strategy |
| title | An optimal Mars Trojan asteroid search strategy |
| title_full | An optimal Mars Trojan asteroid search strategy |
| title_fullStr | An optimal Mars Trojan asteroid search strategy |
| title_full_unstemmed | An optimal Mars Trojan asteroid search strategy |
| title_short | An optimal Mars Trojan asteroid search strategy |
| title_sort | optimal mars trojan asteroid search strategy |
| topic | minor planets methods: observational methods: numerical planets and satellites: general asteroids: general celestial mechanics |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/9250 |