Non-principal axis rotation in binary asteroid systems and how it weakens the BYORP effect

Abstract

Using viscoelastic mass/spring model simulations, we explore tidal evolution and migration of compact binary asteroid systems. We find that after the secondary is captured into a spin-synchronous state, non-principal axis rotation in the secondary can be long-lived. The secondary's long axis can remain approximately aligned along the vector connecting secondary to primary while the secondary rocks back and forth about its long axis. Inward orbital semi-major axis migration can also resonantly excite non-principal axis rotation. By estimating solar radiation forces on triangular surface meshes, we show that the magnitude of the BYORP effect induced torque is sensitive to the secondary's spin state. Non-principal axis rotation within the 1:1 spin-orbit resonance can reduce the BYORP torque or cause frequent reversals in its direction.

to be published in Icarus

References in corpus (8)

• Tidal Evolution of Rubble Piles
• Landslides and Mass Shedding on Spinning Spheroidal Asteroids
• The Excited Spin State of Dimorphos Resulting from the DART Impact
• Near-Earth Asteroid Satellite Spins Under Spin-Orbit Coupling
• Internal rubble properties of asteroid (101955) Bennu
• Binary YORP and Evolution of Binary Asteroids
• Tidal spin down rates of homogeneous triaxial viscoelastic bodies
• Simulations of wobble damping in viscoelastic rotators

Cited by in corpus (10)

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• Direct $N$-body simulations of satellite formation around small asteroids: insights from DART's encounter with the Didymos system
• Energy Dissipation in Synchronous Binary Asteroids
• Dynamical Evolution of the Didymos-Dimorphos Binary Asteroid as Rubble Piles following the DART Impact
• Rotation-induced granular motion on the secondary component of binary asteroids: Application to the DART impact on Dimorphos
• The Yarkovsky effect on the long-term evolution of binary asteroids
• Rapid formation of binary asteroid systems post rotational failure: a recipe for making atypically shaped satellites
• Dynamical Data Mining Captures Disc-Halo Couplings that Structure Galaxies
• The binary Yarkovsky effect on the primary asteroid with applications to singly synchronous binary asteroids
• A 3D thermophysical model for binary asteroid systems: Application to the BYORP effect on (175706) 1996 FG3