The Yarkovsky Drift's Influence on NEAs: Trends and Predictions with NEOWISE Measurements

TL;DR

This paper improves predictions of the Yarkovsky drift for near-Earth asteroids by combining WISE data with literature values, identifying key objects for future observation to better understand asteroid dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a method to enhance Yarkovsky drift predictions using combined WISE and literature data, focusing on 540 NEAs and prioritizing objects for observation.

Findings

Identified 10 NEAs with the fastest predicted drift rates.

Provided upcoming observation opportunities for key NEAs.

Enhanced understanding of Yarkovsky effect on NEA trajectories.

Abstract

We used WISE-derived geometric albedos (p_V) and diameters, as well as geometric albedos and diameters from the literature, to produce more accurate diurnal Yarkovsky drift predictions for 540 near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) out of the current sample of \sim 8,800 known objects. As ten of the twelve objects with the fastest predicted rates have observed arcs of less than a decade, we list upcoming apparitions of these NEAs to facilitate observations.