Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
individual
What campus are you from?
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Skylar Butler, Sophomore
Lead Presenter's Name
Skylar Butler
Faculty Mentor Name
Ashley Kehoe
Abstract
To research the Datura Family of asteroids, a prewritten dynamical IDL code was run to track the orbital decay of asteroid fragments released in an asteroid disruption. Different particle sizes were used to analyze the outputs of each size including the semi-major axis, eccentricity, and inclination in order to observe how certain particle sizes’ orbital elements evolve. Using a young asteroid family like the Datura family gives more insight into their original structure and formation because the time is closer to before the asteroid’s breakup. We use these models to constrain the parameters of the dust by comparing the conditions to infrared satellite data sets. The semi-major axis utilizes Poynting-Robertson drag while the eccentricity and inclination are related to the effects of Jupiter. But all of these orbital elements relate to the role of the radiative forces. This research is important to understand potential Earth hazards from space.
Did this research project receive funding support from the Office of Undergraduate Research.
Yes, Climbing Grant
Asteroid Disruptions of the Datura Family
To research the Datura Family of asteroids, a prewritten dynamical IDL code was run to track the orbital decay of asteroid fragments released in an asteroid disruption. Different particle sizes were used to analyze the outputs of each size including the semi-major axis, eccentricity, and inclination in order to observe how certain particle sizes’ orbital elements evolve. Using a young asteroid family like the Datura family gives more insight into their original structure and formation because the time is closer to before the asteroid’s breakup. We use these models to constrain the parameters of the dust by comparing the conditions to infrared satellite data sets. The semi-major axis utilizes Poynting-Robertson drag while the eccentricity and inclination are related to the effects of Jupiter. But all of these orbital elements relate to the role of the radiative forces. This research is important to understand potential Earth hazards from space.