Time-series and Phase-curve Photometry of the Episodically Active Asteroid (6478) Gault in a Quiescent State Using APO, GROWTH, P200, and ZTF

Josiah N. Purdum; Zhong Yi Lin; Bryce T. Bolin; Kritti Sharma; Philip I. Choi; Varun Bhalerao; Josef Hanuš; Harsh Kumar; Robert Quimby; Joannes C. Van Roestel; Chengxing Zhai; Yanga R. Fernandez; Carey M. Lisse; Dennis Bodewits; Christoffer Fremling; Nathan Ryan Golovich; Chen Yen Hsu; Wing Huen Ip; Chow Choong Ngeow; Navtej S. Saini; Michael Shao; Yuhan Yao; Tomás Ahumada; Shreya Anand; Igor Andreoni; Kevin B. Burdge; Rick Burruss; Chan Kao Chang; Chris M. Copperwheat; Michael Coughlin; Kishalay De; Richard Dekany; Alexandre Delacroix; Andrew Drake; Dmitry Duev; Matthew Graham; David Hale; Erik C. Kool; Mansi M. Kasliwal; Iva S. Kostadinova; Shrinivas R. Kulkarni; Russ R. Laher; Ashish Mahabal; Frank J. Masci; Przemyslaw J. Mróz; James D. Neill; Reed Riddle; Hector Rodriguez; Roger M. Smith; Richard Walters; Lin Yan; Jeffry Zolkower

doi:10.3847/2041-8213/abf2ca

Time-series and Phase-curve Photometry of the Episodically Active Asteroid (6478) Gault in a Quiescent State Using APO, GROWTH, P200, and ZTF

Josiah N. Purdum, Zhong Yi Lin, Bryce T. Bolin, Kritti Sharma, Philip I. Choi, Varun Bhalerao, Josef Hanuš, Harsh Kumar, Robert Quimby, Joannes C. Van Roestel, Chengxing Zhai, Yanga R. Fernandez, Carey M. Lisse, Dennis Bodewits, Christoffer Fremling, Nathan Ryan Golovich, Chen Yen Hsu, Wing Huen Ip, Chow Choong Ngeow, Navtej S. SainiMichael Shao, Yuhan Yao, Tomás Ahumada, Shreya Anand, Igor Andreoni, Kevin B. Burdge, Rick Burruss, Chan Kao Chang, Chris M. Copperwheat, Michael Coughlin, Kishalay De, Richard Dekany, Alexandre Delacroix, Andrew Drake, Dmitry Duev, Matthew Graham, David Hale, Erik C. Kool, Mansi M. Kasliwal, Iva S. Kostadinova, Shrinivas R. Kulkarni, Russ R. Laher, Ashish Mahabal, Frank J. Masci, Przemyslaw J. Mróz, James D. Neill, Reed Riddle, Hector Rodriguez, Roger M. Smith, Richard Walters, Lin Yan, Jeffry Zolkower

Physics and Astronomy (Twin Cities)

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Abstract

We observed the episodically active asteroid (6478) Gault in 2020 with multiple telescopes in Asia and North America and found that it is no longer active after its recent outbursts at the end of 2018 and the start of 2019. The inactivity during this apparition allowed us to measure the absolute magnitude of Gault of H r = 14.63 ± 0.02, G r = 0.21 ± 0.02 from our secular phase-curve observations. In addition, we were able to constrain Gault's rotation period using time-series photometric lightcurves taken over 17 hr on multiple days in 2020 August, September, and October. The photometric lightcurves have a repeating ≲0.05 mag feature suggesting that (6478) Gault has a rotation period of ∼2.5 hr and may have a semispherical or top-like shape, much like the near-Earth asteroids Ryugu and Bennu. The rotation period of ∼2.5 hr is near the expected critical rotation period for an asteroid with the physical properties of (6478) Gault, suggesting that its activity observed over multiple epochs is due to surface mass shedding from its fast rotation spin-up by the Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack effect.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	L35
Journal	Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume	911
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/abf2ca
State	Published - Apr 1 2021

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© 2021. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..

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Purdum, J. N., Lin, Z. Y., Bolin, B. T., Sharma, K., Choi, P. I., Bhalerao, V., Hanuš, J., Kumar, H., Quimby, R., Van Roestel, J. C., Zhai, C., Fernandez, Y. R., Lisse, C. M., Bodewits, D., Fremling, C., Ryan Golovich, N., Hsu, C. Y., Ip, W. H., Ngeow, C. C., ... Zolkower, J. (2021). Time-series and Phase-curve Photometry of the Episodically Active Asteroid (6478) Gault in a Quiescent State Using APO, GROWTH, P200, and ZTF. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 911(2), Article L35. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/abf2ca

Purdum, JN, Lin, ZY, Bolin, BT, Sharma, K, Choi, PI, Bhalerao, V, Hanuš, J, Kumar, H, Quimby, R, Van Roestel, JC, Zhai, C, Fernandez, YR, Lisse, CM, Bodewits, D, Fremling, C, Ryan Golovich, N, Hsu, CY, Ip, WH, Ngeow, CC, Saini, NS, Shao, M, Yao, Y, Ahumada, T, Anand, S, Andreoni, I, Burdge, KB, Burruss, R, Chang, CK, Copperwheat, CM, Coughlin, M, De, K, Dekany, R, Delacroix, A, Drake, A, Duev, D, Graham, M, Hale, D, Kool, EC, Kasliwal, MM, Kostadinova, IS, Kulkarni, SR, Laher, RR, Mahabal, A, Masci, FJ, Mróz, PJ, Neill, JD, Riddle, R, Rodriguez, H, Smith, RM, Walters, R, Yan, L & Zolkower, J 2021, 'Time-series and Phase-curve Photometry of the Episodically Active Asteroid (6478) Gault in a Quiescent State Using APO, GROWTH, P200, and ZTF', Astrophysical Journal Letters, vol. 911, no. 2, L35. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/abf2ca

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title = "Time-series and Phase-curve Photometry of the Episodically Active Asteroid (6478) Gault in a Quiescent State Using APO, GROWTH, P200, and ZTF",

abstract = "We observed the episodically active asteroid (6478) Gault in 2020 with multiple telescopes in Asia and North America and found that it is no longer active after its recent outbursts at the end of 2018 and the start of 2019. The inactivity during this apparition allowed us to measure the absolute magnitude of Gault of H r = 14.63 ± 0.02, G r = 0.21 ± 0.02 from our secular phase-curve observations. In addition, we were able to constrain Gault's rotation period using time-series photometric lightcurves taken over 17 hr on multiple days in 2020 August, September, and October. The photometric lightcurves have a repeating ≲0.05 mag feature suggesting that (6478) Gault has a rotation period of ∼2.5 hr and may have a semispherical or top-like shape, much like the near-Earth asteroids Ryugu and Bennu. The rotation period of ∼2.5 hr is near the expected critical rotation period for an asteroid with the physical properties of (6478) Gault, suggesting that its activity observed over multiple epochs is due to surface mass shedding from its fast rotation spin-up by the Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack effect.",

author = "Purdum, {Josiah N.} and Lin, {Zhong Yi} and Bolin, {Bryce T.} and Kritti Sharma and Choi, {Philip I.} and Varun Bhalerao and Josef Hanu{\v s} and Harsh Kumar and Robert Quimby and {Van Roestel}, {Joannes C.} and Chengxing Zhai and Fernandez, {Yanga R.} and Lisse, {Carey M.} and Dennis Bodewits and Christoffer Fremling and {Ryan Golovich}, Nathan and Hsu, {Chen Yen} and Ip, {Wing Huen} and Ngeow, {Chow Choong} and Saini, {Navtej S.} and Michael Shao and Yuhan Yao and Tom{\'a}s Ahumada and Shreya Anand and Igor Andreoni and Burdge, {Kevin B.} and Rick Burruss and Chang, {Chan Kao} and Copperwheat, {Chris M.} and Michael Coughlin and Kishalay De and Richard Dekany and Alexandre Delacroix and Andrew Drake and Dmitry Duev and Matthew Graham and David Hale and Kool, {Erik C.} and Kasliwal, {Mansi M.} and Kostadinova, {Iva S.} and Kulkarni, {Shrinivas R.} and Laher, {Russ R.} and Ashish Mahabal and Masci, {Frank J.} and Mr{\'o}z, {Przemyslaw J.} and Neill, {James D.} and Reed Riddle and Hector Rodriguez and Smith, {Roger M.} and Richard Walters and Lin Yan and Jeffry Zolkower",

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T1 - Time-series and Phase-curve Photometry of the Episodically Active Asteroid (6478) Gault in a Quiescent State Using APO, GROWTH, P200, and ZTF

AU - Purdum, Josiah N.

AU - Lin, Zhong Yi

AU - Bolin, Bryce T.

AU - Sharma, Kritti

AU - Choi, Philip I.

AU - Bhalerao, Varun

AU - Hanuš, Josef

AU - Kumar, Harsh

AU - Quimby, Robert

AU - Van Roestel, Joannes C.

AU - Zhai, Chengxing

AU - Fernandez, Yanga R.

AU - Lisse, Carey M.

AU - Bodewits, Dennis

AU - Fremling, Christoffer

AU - Ryan Golovich, Nathan

AU - Hsu, Chen Yen

AU - Ip, Wing Huen

AU - Ngeow, Chow Choong

AU - Saini, Navtej S.

AU - Shao, Michael

AU - Yao, Yuhan

AU - Ahumada, Tomás

AU - Anand, Shreya

AU - Andreoni, Igor

AU - Burdge, Kevin B.

AU - Burruss, Rick

AU - Chang, Chan Kao

AU - Copperwheat, Chris M.

AU - Coughlin, Michael

AU - De, Kishalay

AU - Dekany, Richard

AU - Delacroix, Alexandre

AU - Drake, Andrew

AU - Duev, Dmitry

AU - Graham, Matthew

AU - Hale, David

AU - Kool, Erik C.

AU - Kasliwal, Mansi M.

AU - Kostadinova, Iva S.

AU - Kulkarni, Shrinivas R.

AU - Laher, Russ R.

AU - Mahabal, Ashish

AU - Masci, Frank J.

AU - Mróz, Przemyslaw J.

AU - Neill, James D.

AU - Riddle, Reed

AU - Rodriguez, Hector

AU - Smith, Roger M.

AU - Walters, Richard

AU - Yan, Lin

AU - Zolkower, Jeffry

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N2 - We observed the episodically active asteroid (6478) Gault in 2020 with multiple telescopes in Asia and North America and found that it is no longer active after its recent outbursts at the end of 2018 and the start of 2019. The inactivity during this apparition allowed us to measure the absolute magnitude of Gault of H r = 14.63 ± 0.02, G r = 0.21 ± 0.02 from our secular phase-curve observations. In addition, we were able to constrain Gault's rotation period using time-series photometric lightcurves taken over 17 hr on multiple days in 2020 August, September, and October. The photometric lightcurves have a repeating ≲0.05 mag feature suggesting that (6478) Gault has a rotation period of ∼2.5 hr and may have a semispherical or top-like shape, much like the near-Earth asteroids Ryugu and Bennu. The rotation period of ∼2.5 hr is near the expected critical rotation period for an asteroid with the physical properties of (6478) Gault, suggesting that its activity observed over multiple epochs is due to surface mass shedding from its fast rotation spin-up by the Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack effect.

AB - We observed the episodically active asteroid (6478) Gault in 2020 with multiple telescopes in Asia and North America and found that it is no longer active after its recent outbursts at the end of 2018 and the start of 2019. The inactivity during this apparition allowed us to measure the absolute magnitude of Gault of H r = 14.63 ± 0.02, G r = 0.21 ± 0.02 from our secular phase-curve observations. In addition, we were able to constrain Gault's rotation period using time-series photometric lightcurves taken over 17 hr on multiple days in 2020 August, September, and October. The photometric lightcurves have a repeating ≲0.05 mag feature suggesting that (6478) Gault has a rotation period of ∼2.5 hr and may have a semispherical or top-like shape, much like the near-Earth asteroids Ryugu and Bennu. The rotation period of ∼2.5 hr is near the expected critical rotation period for an asteroid with the physical properties of (6478) Gault, suggesting that its activity observed over multiple epochs is due to surface mass shedding from its fast rotation spin-up by the Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack effect.

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DO - 10.3847/2041-8213/abf2ca

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85105028517

SN - 2041-8205

VL - 911

JO - Astrophysical Journal Letters

JF - Astrophysical Journal Letters

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ER -

Time-series and Phase-curve Photometry of the Episodically Active Asteroid (6478) Gault in a Quiescent State Using APO, GROWTH, P200, and ZTF

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