Multiple origins of asteroid pairs

TL;DR

This paper investigates the origins of asteroid pairs, analyzing their orbital dynamics and spin properties to understand their formation mechanisms, including rotational fission and alternative routes, and discusses how these processes relate to asteroid physical characteristics.

Contribution

It introduces multiple formation pathways for asteroid pairs beyond simple rotational fission, including effects of asteroid strength and secondary fission, and examines how these influence observable properties.

Findings

Most asteroid pairs follow a predicted spin-mass ratio relationship.

High mass ratio pairs may have fast-spinning primaries if progenitors have strength.

Age of closest proximity may not always date the original fission event.

Abstract

Rotationally fissioned asteroids produce unbound daughter asteroids that have very similar heliocentric orbits. Backward integration of their current heliocentric orbits provides an age of closest proximity that can be used to date the rotational fission event. Most asteroid pairs follow a predicted theoretical relationship between the primary spin period and the mass ratio of the two pair members that is a direct consequence of the YORP-induced rotational fission hypothesis. If the progenitor asteroid has strength, asteroid pairs may have high mass ratios with possibly fast rotating primaries. However, secondary fission leaves the originally predicted trend unaltered. We also describe the characteristics of pair members produced by four alternative routes from a rotational fission event to an asteroid pair. Unlike direct formation from the event itself, the age of closest proximity of these pairs cannot generally be used to date the rotational fission event since considerable time may have passed.