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R.S. Hudson (WSU), S.J. Ostro, L.A.M. Benner (JPL)
We are currently using 19-m Goldstone delay-Doppler radar images to constrain the shape and spin state of asteroid 1999 RQ36. Preliminary results show the object to be surprisingly spherical with a diameter of ~500 m and spin period of ~2 hr. The surface is remarkably featureless at scales down to the resolution limit of 19 m. Current results will be presented at the meeting.
A radar-derived high-resolution model is being used to study the size and morphology of crater-like concavities on the surface of asteroid 4179 Toutatis. Observable concavities range from ~800 m down to a few times the radar resolution of 19 m. The larger concavities typically display a depth-to-width ratio of about 0.1. We are in the process of determining the distribution of concavity sizes.
Part of this research was conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CaliforniaInstitute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Work at Washington State University was supported in part by a NASA Planetary Geology and Geophysics grant.
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