Presidential Young Investigator (PYI) Award - Planets and Asteroids

总统青年研究员（PYI）奖-行星和小行星。Binzel博士将利用这个总统青年研究员奖继续他对冥王星和太阳系小行星的多方面观测和理论研究。对于冥王星-卡戎系统，宾泽尔博士正试图从行星及其卫星的罕见几何形状中推导出诸如直径、质量和密度等物理参数。宾泽尔博士的小行星研究包括研究小行星群的特征，这些小行星群代表了大型自然碰撞实验的结果。碰撞过程是被称为小行星的残余星子演化的一个重要因素。通过了解已经发生的碰撞过程，可以对原始的星子种群进行表征，并用于约束太阳系形成的模型。冥王星-卡戎系统正在经历一个世纪一次的排列，这为地球上的观测者带来了一系列的相互日食。仔细观察这些事件可以推导出系统组成部分的物理参数。宾泽尔博士的研究将涉及小行星的演化特性和冥王星-卡戎的精确物理特性。

Presidential Young Investigator (PYI) Award - Planets and Asteroids. Dr. Binzel will use this Presidential Young Investigator Award to continue his multi-faceted observational and theoretical research on the planet Pluto and asteroids in the Solar System. For the Pluto-Charon system, Dr. Binzel is attempting to derive physical parameters, such as diameters, masses, and densitites, from the rare geometry of the planet and its satellite. Dr. Binzel's asteroid research involves studying the characteristics of clusters of asteroids which represent the outcome of large natural collision experiments. Collisional processes are a significant factor in the evolution of the remnant planetesimals known as asteroids. By understanding the collisional processing that has occurred, the original planetesimal population can be characterized and used to constrain models for the formation of the Solar System. The Pluto-Charon system is undergoing a once-per-century alignment which results in a series of mutual eclipses for Earth-based observers. Careful observations of these events could lead to the derivation of physical parameters of the components of the system. Dr. Binzel's research will address both the evolutionary properties of asteroids, and precise physical properties of Pluto-Charon.