Physical Characterization of the Bilobate Near-Earth Asteroid (85990) 1999 JV6, and Detection of the YORP Effect

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Telescope time has been awarded to study the asteroidal YORP effect on Near-Earth asteroid 1999 JV6.Proposal Abstract: The YORP effect is a torque experienced by small asteroids that is due to both incident solar radiation pressure and the recoil effect from the anisotropic emission of thermal photons. It can modify their rotation rates and spin-axis orientations, and can explain many observed phenomena in asteroidal science. We propose to use the INT+WFC to obtain rotational lightcurves of near-Earth asteroid (85990) 1999 JV6 at specific dates in semester 2016A, the aim of which is to directly detect YORP-induced rotation period changes. We will coordinate these INT observations with observations from the Arecibo Observatory Planetary Radar system. The YORP analysis is greatly enhanced if a radar-derived shape model is available. The analysis of radar data is in turn supported by optical rotational lightcurves, taken close in time to the radar observations.