The fast spin of near-Earth asteroid (455213) 2001 OE84, revisited after 14 years: constraints on internal structure

TL;DR

This study confirms the rapid spin of near-Earth asteroid (455213) 2001 OE84, finds no change over 14 years, and suggests it is likely a monolithic body with internal strength constraints, providing insights into its internal structure and age.

Contribution

Revisited asteroid OE84 after 14 years to measure its spin rate, shape, and internal strength, proposing it is likely a monolithic object rather than a rubble pile.

Findings

Confirmed rapid rotation with no change over 14 years

Determined shape and spin axis orientation

Constrained internal strength indicating a monolithic structure

Abstract

At a mean diameter of ~650 m, the near-Earth asteroid (455213) 2001 OE84 (OE84 for short) has a rapid rotation period of 0.486542+-0.000002 hours, which is uncommon for asteroids larger than ~200 m. We revisited OE84 14 years after it was first, and last, observed by Pravec et al. (2002) in order to measure again its spin rate and to search for changes. We have confirmed the rapid rotation and, by fitting the photometric data from 2001 and 2016 using the lightcurve inversion technique, we determined a retrograde sense of rotation, with the spin axis close to the ecliptic south pole; an oblate shape model of a/b=1.32+-0.04 and b/c=1.8+-0.2; and no change in spin rate between 2001 and 2016. Using these parameters we constrained the body's internal strength, and found that current estimations of asteroid cohesion (up to ~80 Pa) are insufficient to maintain an intact rubble pile at the measured spin rate of OE84. Therefore, we argue that a monolithic asteroid, that can rotate at the rate of OE84 without shedding mass and without slowing down its spin rate, is the most plausible for OE84, and we give constraints on its age, since the time it was liberated from its parent body, between 2-10 million years.