Published December 5, 2023
| Version v1
Journal article
Close-to-fission dumbbell Jupiter-Trojan (17365) Thymbraeus
Contributors
Others:
- Joseph Louis LAGRANGE (LAGRANGE) ; Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur ; Université Côte d'Azur (UniCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UniCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Institut de Mécanique Céleste et de Calcul des Ephémérides (IMCCE) ; Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris ; Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université de Lille-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille (LAM) ; Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Université de Liège
- Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur (OCA) ; Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú = Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP)
- Université Cadi Ayyad [Marrakech] (UCA)
Description
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 Jupiter Trojans known. Methods. We conducted light curve observing campaigns in 2013, 2015, and 2021 with ground-based telescopes. We modeled these light curves using dumbbell figures of equilibrium. Results. We show that Thymbraeus is unlikely a binary system. Its light curves are fully consistent with a bilobated shape: a dumbbell equilibrium figure. We determine a low density of 830 ± 50 kg m −3 , consistent with the reported density of other Jupiter-Trojan asteroids and small Kuiper belt objects. The angular velocity of Thymbraeus is close to fission. If separated, its components would become a similarly sized double asteroid, like the Jupiter-Trojan (617) Patroclus.
Abstract
International audienceAdditional details
Identifiers
- URL
- https://hal.science/hal-04775202
- URN
- urn:oai:HAL:hal-04775202v1
Origin repository
- Origin repository
- UNICA