Obliquity dependence of the tangential YORP

Abstract

Context. Tangential YORP is a thermophysical effect that can alter the rotation rate of asteroids and is distinct from the "normal" YORP effect, but to date has only been studied for asteroids with zero obliquity. Aims. The tangential YORP force produced by spherical boulders on the surface of an asteroid with an arbitrary obliquity is studied. Methods. A finite element method is used to simulate heat conductivity inside a boulder, to find the recoil force experienced by it. Then an ellipsoidal asteroid uniformly covered by such boulders is considered and the torque is numerically integrated over its surface. Results. Tangential YORP is found to operate on non-zero obliquities and decreases by a factor of 2 for increasing obliquity.

Accepted for publication in A&A

References in corpus (4)

• The Yarkovsky and YORP Effects
• Tangential component of the YORP effect
• A 3-dimensional model of tangential YORP
• The thermal emission from boulders on (25143) Itokawa and general implications for the YORP effect

Cited by in corpus (5)

• YORP and Yarkovsky effects in asteroids (1685) Toro, (2100) Ra-Shalom, (3103) Eger, and (161989) Cacus
• Systematic structure and sinks in the YORP effect
• Analytic model for tangential YORP
• Evolution of an asteroid family under YORP, Yarkovsky and collisions
• Analytic theory for the tangential YORP produced by the asteroid regolith