Development and Maintenance of Asteroid Lightcurve Databases

我们的太阳系有大量的小行星，它们的两个更基本的特性是自转周期和大小。仅从这两个特征的相互关系分析中，科学家就可以了解小行星作为一个群体的演化，并将它们用作太阳系形成理论的试验台。为了确定小行星的自转周期和大小，科学家们测量小行星光线随时间的变化，即进行光曲线观测。这项提议支持继续维护这些光曲线观测的数据库。科学家可以免费使用该数据库，以解决有关小行星特征的问题，并确定这对太阳系的形成和演化意味着什么。更广泛的影响活动积极地吸引后院的天文学家和中小学生/大学生，使他们能够直接为科学做出贡献，同时学习科学调查和分析的基础知识，并培养他们的数学和物理技能。这在一定程度上是通过PI维护观测规划工具和网站以及编辑/审查作为这些社区资源的小行星公报的论文来实现的。对于那些使用中等口径(D0.5-m)望远镜和高端商用CCD相机的人来说，光曲线观测是重要的和富有成效的研究项目。通过这些观测，有可能确定小行星的自转速度，通过几年的数据，可以对小行星的形状和自转轴方向进行建模。这项提议将使小行星光曲线数据库(LCDB)得以继续维护。LCDB已经成为参与小行星研究的人广泛使用和严重依赖的工具。来自LCDB的数据将用于广泛的研究项目，例如确定特定大小、轨道组或分类类别的天体之间的自转速度；由于非引力(例如热力)导致的小行星速率的演变；以及不同组中双星小行星的数量。此外，PI将提供一个使用小行星光曲线数据交换格式的原始时间序列测光的中央数据库和一个由小行星中心托管的网站，作为小行星物理参数较大数据库的一部分。ALCDEF数据库将允许研究人员开发形状和旋转轴模型。这些结果可以导致关于自旋轴极点分布的详细研究，这些研究可以应用于更广泛的天体群，并从那里应用到关于太阳系演化的理论。

Our Solar System has an extensive population of asteroids, and two of their more fundamental properties are their rotation periods and sizes. From analysis of just these two traits in relation to one another scientists can learn about the evolution of the asteroids as a group, as well as use them as test beds for theories of the formation of the Solar System. In order to determine the rotation periods and sizes of asteroids, scientists measure the changes in light from an asteroid over time, known as making lightcurve observations. This proposal supports the continued maintenance of a database of these lightcurve observations. The database is freely available to scientists to use to address questions about the characteristics of the asteroids and determine what that implies about the formation and evolution of the Solar System. Broader impact activities actively engage backyard astronomers and school/college students, allowing them to make a direct contribution to science while learning the basics of scientific investigation and analysis and building their skills in math and physics. This is accomplished in part by the PI's maintaining observation planning tools and web sites and editing/reviewing papers for the Minor Planet Bulletin that are resources for those communities. Lightcurve observations are important and productive research projects for those with modest aperture (D 0.5-m) telescopes and high-end commercial CCD cameras. From these observations, it is possible to determine the rotation rate of an asteroid, and with several years of data, it can be possible to model an asteroid's shape and spin axis orientation. This proposal will allow the continuing maintenance of the asteroid lightcurve database (LCDB). The LCDB has become a widely-used and heavily relied-upon tool for those involved in asteroid research. The data from the LCDB will be used for a wide range of research programs such as determining rotation rates among objects of specific size, orbital group, or taxonomic class; the evolution of asteroid rates due to non-gravitational, e.g., thermal, forces; and the population of binary asteroids among different groups. In addition, the PI will provide a central database of raw time-series photometry using the Asteroid Lightcurve Data Exchange Format (ALCDEF) and a web site to be hosted by the Minor Planet Center as part of a larger database of asteroid physical parameters. The ALCDEF database will allow researchers to develop shape and spin axis models. These results can lead to detailed studies regarding the distribution of spin axis poles that can be applied to broader groups of objects and, from there, to theories regarding the evolution of the Solar System.