Shape and spin state model of contact binary (388188) 2006 DP14 using combined radar and optical observations

Richard E. Cannon*, Agata Rożek, Marina Brozović, Petr Pravec, Colin Snodgrass, Michael W. Busch, James E. Robinson, Abbie Donaldson, Tanja Holc, Lance A. M. Benner, Shantanu Naidu, Peter Kušnirák, Daniel Gardener, Hana Kučáková, Elahe Khalouei, Joseph Pollock, Mariangela Bonavita, Petr Fatka, Kamil Hornoch, Sedighe SajadianLara Alegre, Flavia Amadio, Michael I. Andersen, Valerio Bozza, Martin J. Burgdorf, Gabriele Columba, Martin Dominik, R. Figuera Jaimes, Tobias C. Hinse, Markus Hundertmark, Uffe G. Jørgensen, Penelope Longa-Peña, Nuno Peixinho, Markus Rabus, Sohrab Rahvar, Paolo Rota, Jesper Skottfelt, John Southworth, Jeremy Tregloan-Reed

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Contact binaries are found throughout the Solar System. The recent discovery of Selam, the satellite of main-belt asteroid (152830) Dinkinesh, by the NASA Lucy mission has made it clear that the term ‘contact binary’ covers a variety of different types of bimodal mass distributions and formation mechanisms. Only by modelling more contact binaries can this population be properly understood. We determined a spin state and shape model for the Apollo group contact binary asteroid (388188) 2006 DP14 using ground-based optical and radar observations collected between 2014 and 2023. Radar delay-Doppler images and continuous-wave spectra were collected over 2 d in February 2014, while 16 light curves in the Cousins R and SDSS-r filters were collected in 2014, 2022, and 2023. We modelled the spin state using convex inversion before using the SHAPE modelling software to include the radar observations in modelling concavities and the distinctive neck structure connecting the two lobes. We find a spin state with a period of (5.7860 ± 0.0001) h and pole solution of λ = (180 ± 121) and β = (−80 ± 7) with morphology indicating a 520 m long bilobed shape. The model’s asymmetrical bimodal mass distribution resembles other small near-Earth asteroid contact binaries such as (85990) 1999 JV6 or (8567) 1996 HW1, which also feature a smaller ‘head’ attached to a larger ‘body’. The final model features a crater on the larger lobe, similar to several other modelled contact binaries. The model’s resolution is 25 m, comparable to that of the radar images used.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2311-2329
Number of pages19
JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume538
Issue number4
Early online date27 Mar 2025
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2025

Keywords

  • Methods: observational
  • Techniques: photometric
  • Techniques: radar astronomy
  • Minor planets, asteroids: individual: (388188) 2006 DP14

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