FERRAIS , M.

Over the past 2.5 years, we have been carrying out disc-resolved observations of a substantial fraction of all large (D > 100 km) main-belt asteroids, monitoring them at high angular resolution throughout their rotation, and sampling the main compositional classes, using the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE)...

Context. Every population of small bodies in the Solar System contains a sizable fraction of multiple systems. Of these, the Jupiter Trojans have the lowest number of known binary systems and they are the least well characterized. Aims. We aim to characterize the reported binary system (17365) Thymbraeus, one of only seven multiple systems of...

Context. Cybele asteroids constitute an appealing reservoir of primitive material genetically linked to the outer Solar System, and the physical properties (size and shape) of the largest members can be readily accessed by large (8m class) telescopes. Aims. We took advantage of the bright apparition of the most iconic member of the Cybele...

Context. Asteroid (16) Psyche is the largest M-type asteroid in the main belt and the target of the NASA Psyche mission. It is also the only asteroid of this size (D >  200 km) known to be metal rich. Although various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the rather unique physical properties of this asteroid, a perfect understanding of its...

High angular resolution disc-resolved images of (7) Iris collected by VLT/SPHERE instrument are allowed for the detailed shape modelling of this large asteroid revealing its surface features. If (7) Iris did not suffer any events catastrophic enough to disrupt the body (which is very likely) by studying its topography, we might get insights...

The recent estimates of the 3D shape of the M/Xe-type triple asteroid system (216) Kleopatra indicated a density of ∼5 g cm −3 , which is by far the highest for a small Solar System body. Such a high density implies a high metal content as well as a low porosity which is not easy to reconcile with its peculiar "dumbbell" shape. Given the...

To interpret adaptive-optics observations of (216) Kleopatra, we need to describe an evolution of multiple moons orbiting an extremely irregular body and include their mutual interactions. Such orbits are generally non-Keplerian and orbital elements are not constants. Consequently, we used a modified N -body integrator, which was significantly...

Aims. Asteroid (31) Euphrosyne is one of the biggest objects in the asteroid main belt and it is also the largest member of its namesake family. The Euphrosyne family occupies a highly inclined region in the outer main belt and contains a remarkably large number of members, which is interpreted as an outcome of a disruptive cratering...

Dynamical models of Solar System evolution have suggested that the so-called P-and D-type volatile-rich asteroids formed in the outer Solar System beyond Neptune's orbit and may be genetically related to the Jupiter Trojans, the comets and small Kuiper-belt objects (KBOs). Indeed, the spectral properties of P/D-type asteroids resemble that of...

(10) Hygiea is the fourth largest main belt asteroid and the only known asteroid whose surface composition appears similar to that of the dwarf planet (1) Ceres1,2, suggesting a similar origin for these two objects. Hygiea suffered a giant impact more than 2 Gyr ago3 that is at the origin of one of the largest asteroid families. However, Hygeia...

Context. Asteroid (7) Iris is an ideal target for disk-resolved imaging owing to its brightness (V 7-8) and large angular size of 0.33'' during its apparitions. Iris is believed to belong to the category of large unfragmented asteroids that avoided internal differentiation, implying that its current shape and topography may record the first few...

Context. CM-like asteroids (Ch and Cgh classes) are a major population within the broader C-complex, encompassing about 10% of the mass of the main asteroid belt. Their internal structure has been predicted to be homogeneous, based on their compositional similarity as inferred from spectroscopy and numerical modeling of their early thermal...