A Revised Asteroid Polarization-Albedo Relationship Using WISE/NEOWISE Data

April 2012 • 2012ApJ...749..104M

Authors • Masiero, Joseph R. • Mainzer, A. K. • Grav, T. • Bauer, J. M. • Wright, E. L. • McMillan, R. S. • Tholen, D. J. • Blain, A. W.

Abstract • We present a reanalysis of the relationship between asteroid albedo and polarization properties using the albedos derived from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. We find that the function that best describes this relation is a three-dimensional linear fit in the space of log (albedo)-log (polarization slope)-log (minimum polarization). When projected to two dimensions, the parameters of the fit are consistent with those found in previous work. We also define p ^sstarf as the quantity of maximal polarization variation when compared with the albedo and present the best-fitting albedo-p ^sstarf relation. Some asteroid taxonomic types stand out in this three-dimensional space, notably the E, B, and M Tholen types, while others cluster in clumps coincident with the S- and C-complex bodies. We note that both low albedo and small (D < 30 km) asteroids are underrepresented in the polarimetric sample, and we encourage future polarimetric surveys to focus on these bodies.

Links

• PDF https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/749/2/104/pdf
• PDF https://stacks.iop.org/0004-637X/749/104/pdf
• PREPRINT http://arxiv.org/abs/1202.2379
• ELECTR https://doi.org/10.1088%2F0004-637X%2F749%2F2%2F104