Early Evolution of Disrupted Asteroid P/2016 G1 (PANSTARRS)

DOI: 
10.3847/2041-8205/826/2/L22
Publication date: 
01/08/2016
Main author: 
Moreno, F.
IAA authors: 
Moreno, F.;Pozuelos, F. J.
Authors: 
Moreno, F.;Licandro, J.;Cabrera-Lavers, A.;Pozuelos, F. J.
Journal: 
The Astrophysical Journal
Publication type: 
Article
Volume: 
826
Pages: 
L22
Abstract: 
We present deep imaging observations of activated asteroid P/2016 G1 (PANSTARRS) using the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) from 2016 late April to early June. The images are best interpreted as the result of a relatively short-duration event with an onset of about {350}<SUB>-30</SUB><SUP>+10</SUP> days before perihelion (i.e., around 2016 February 10), starting sharply and decreasing with {24}<SUB>-7</SUB><SUP>+10</SUP> days (HWHM). The results of the modeling imply that the emission of ∼1.7 × 10<SUP>7</SUP> kg of dust, if composed of particles of 1 μm to 1 cm in radius, is distributed following a power law of index −3 and having a geometric albedo of 0.15. A detailed fitting of a conspicuous westward feature in the head of the comet-like object indicates that a significant fraction of the dust was ejected along a privileged direction right at the beginning of the event, which suggests that the parent body has possibly suffered an impact followed by a partial or total disruption. From the limiting magnitude reachable with the instrumental setup, and assuming a geometric albedo of 0.15 for the parent body, an upper limit for the size of possible fragment debris of ∼50 m in radius is derived.
Database: 
ADS
SCOPUS
WOK
URL: 
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/#abs/2016ApJ...826L..22M/abstract
ADS Bibcode: 
2016ApJ...826L..22M
Keywords: 
methods: numerical;minor planets;asteroids: individual: P&2016 G1 (PANSTARRS;Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics