Presidential Young Investigator (PYI) Award - Planets and Asteroids

总统青年研究员(PYI)奖-行星和小行星。宾泽尔博士将利用这一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-卡隆系统，宾泽尔博士正试图从冥王星及其卫星罕见的几何形状中得出物理参数，如直径、质量和密度。宾泽尔博士的小行星研究涉及研究小行星星团的特征，这些星团代表了大型自然碰撞实验的结果。碰撞过程是残存的小行星演化的一个重要因素。通过了解已经发生的碰撞过程，可以表征原始的小行星种群，并将其用于约束太阳系形成的模型。冥王星-Charon系统正在经历一次每世纪一次的排列，这导致了地球上的观测者一系列的相互日食。对这些事件的仔细观察可能导致得出系统组件的物理参数。宾泽尔博士的研究将既涉及小行星的进化特性，也涉及冥王星-卡隆的精确物理特性。

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.