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arXiv · 1807.11157

Secular Light Curves of NEAs 2201 Oljato, 3200 Phaethon, 99942 Apophis, 162173 Ryugu, 495848, and 6063 Jason

I. Ferrin·A. Arcila·M. Saldarriaga
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Abstract

Using the Secular Light Curve (SLC) formalism (Ferrín, 2010a, PSS, 58, 365-391), we searched for cometary activity of six NEAS: 2201 Oljato. The SLC exhibits significant cometary activity and evidence of an eclipse. 3200 Phaethon. Is the parent of the Geminid meteor stream and exhibited a faint tail at perihelion in several oppositions. The SLC fails to show cometary activity using a 1995 to 2017 data set, suggesting that we are in the presence of a dormant cometary nucleus. 99942 Apophis. This SLC does not shows evidence of cometary activity, however it shows evidence of an eclipse. The evidence of a double nature is confirmed with Goldstone and Arecibo radar observations. 162173 Ryugu. This NEA is the target of the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft mission. The SLC exhibits an enhancement consistent with cometary activity. It may be possible to confirm or deny this activity by the end of the mission. 495848= 2002 QD7. This NEA shows deviations from a flat distribution near perihelion in 2007 and 2017. However our own observations in 2018 show a bare nucleus, from which we obtain an absolute nuclear magnitude mV(nucleus) = 18.32+-0.03 (using pV=0.04). The equivalent diameter is D=1.43+-0.10 km. 6063 Jason. The SLC of this NEA exhibits low level cometary activity centred at perihelion. The fact that a cursory search for low level active comets among NEAs has uncovered four positive objects out of 6, hints that many more faint comets should exist as yet undetected.

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I. Ferrin, A. Arcila, M. Saldarriaga. 2018-07-31. Secular Light Curves of NEAs 2201 Oljato, 3200 Phaethon, 99942 Apophis, 162173 Ryugu, 495848, and 6063 Jason. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras%2Fsty1474

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