Discovering Earth’s transient moons with the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope

Document identifier: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-76761
Access full text here:10.1016/j.icarus.2019.113517
Keyword: Engineering and Technology, Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering, Other Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering, Teknik och teknologier, Elektroteknik och elektronik, Annan elektroteknik och elektronik, Onboard space systems, Rymdtekniska system
Publication year: 2020
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Abstract:

Earth's temporarily-captured orbiters (TCOs) are a sub-population of near-Earth objects (NEOs). TCOs can provide constraints for NEO population models in the 1–10-metre-diameter range, and they are outstanding targets for in situ exploration of asteroids due to a low requirement on Δv. So far there has only been a single serendipitous discovery of a TCO. Here we assess in detail the possibility of their discovery with the upcoming Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), previously identified as the primary facility for such discoveries. We simulated observations of TCOs by combining a synthetic TCO population with an LSST survey simulation. We then assessed the detection rates, detection linking and orbit computation, and sources for confusion. Typical velocities of detectable TCOs will range from 1∘/day to 50∘/day, and typical apparent V magnitudes from 21 to 23. Potentially-hazardous asteroids have observational characteristics similar to TCOs, but the two populations can be distinguished based on their orbits with LSST data alone. We predict that a TCO can be discovered once every year with the baseline moving-object processing system (MOPS). The rate can be increased to one TCO discovery every two months if tools complementary to the baseline MOPS are developed for the specific purpose of discovering these objects. 

Authors

Grigori Fedorets

Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Finland
Other publications >>

Mikael Granvik

Luleå tekniska universitet; Rymdteknik; Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Finland
Other publications >>

R. Lynne Jones

DIRAC Institute, Department of Astronomy, University of Washington,Seattle, USA
Other publications >>

Mario Jurić

DIRAC Institute, Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
Other publications >>

Robert Jedicke

Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, USA
Other publications >>

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    header: 
        identifier: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-76761
        datestamp: 2021-04-19T12:41:56Z
        setSpec: SwePub-ltu
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                version: 3.7
            recordInfo: 
                recordContentSource: ltu
                recordCreationDate: 2019-11-19
            identifier: 
                http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-76761
                10.1016/j.icarus.2019.113517
                2-s2.0-85074299260
            titleInfo: 
                @attributes: 
                    lang: eng
                title: Discovering Earth’s transient moons with the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope
            abstract: 
Earth's temporarily-captured orbiters (TCOs) are a sub-population of near-Earth objects (NEOs). TCOs can provide constraints for NEO population models in the 1–10-metre-diameter range and they are outstanding targets for in situ exploration of asteroids due to a low requirement on Δv. So far there has only been a single serendipitous discovery of a TCO. Here we assess in detail the possibility of their discovery with the upcoming Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) previously identified as the primary facility for such discoveries. We simulated observations of TCOs by combining a synthetic TCO population with an LSST survey simulation. We then assessed the detection rates detection linking and orbit computation and sources for confusion. Typical velocities of detectable TCOs will range from 1∘/day to 50∘/day and typical apparent V magnitudes from 21 to 23. Potentially-hazardous asteroids have observational characteristics similar to TCOs but the two populations can be distinguished based on their orbits with LSST data alone. We predict that a TCO can be discovered once every year with the baseline moving-object processing system (MOPS). The rate can be increased to one TCO discovery every two months if tools complementary to the baseline MOPS are developed for the specific purpose of discovering these objects. 

            subject: 
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                        lang: eng
                        authority: uka.se
                    topic: 
                        Engineering and Technology
                        Electrical Engineering Electronic Engineering Information Engineering
                        Other Electrical Engineering Electronic Engineering Information Engineering
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: swe
                        authority: uka.se
                    topic: 
                        Teknik och teknologier
                        Elektroteknik och elektronik
                        Annan elektroteknik och elektronik
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: eng
                        authority: ltu
                    topic: Onboard space systems
                    genre: Research subject
                    @attributes: 
                        lang: swe
                        authority: ltu
                    topic: Rymdtekniska system
                    genre: Research subject
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                languageTerm: eng
            genre: 
                publication/journal-article
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                Published
                5
                
Validerad;2019;Nivå 2;2019-11-19 (johcin)

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                        Fedorets
                        Grigori
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                    affiliation: Department of Physics University of Helsinki Finland
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                        Granvik
                        Mikael
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                    affiliation: 
                        Luleå tekniska universitet
                        Rymdteknik
                        Department of Physics University of Helsinki Finland
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                        mikgra
                        0000-0002-5624-1888
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                        Jones
                        R. Lynne
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                    affiliation: DIRAC Institute Department of Astronomy University of WashingtonSeattle USA
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                        Jurić
                        Mario
                    role: 
                        roleTerm: aut
                    affiliation: DIRAC Institute Department of Astronomy University of Washington Seattle USA
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                        type: personal
                    namePart: 
                        Jedicke
                        Robert
                    role: 
                        roleTerm: aut
                    affiliation: Institute for Astronomy University of Hawaii Honolulu USA
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                dateIssued: 2020
                publisher: Elsevier
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                    title: Icarus (New York N.Y. 1962)
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                            number: 338
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