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P. Descamps (IMCCE / Observatoire de Paris UMR-CNRS 8028)
A new method to solve the problem of initial orbit determination of any visual binary system is presented. The apparent orbit, which is the projection of the true orbit on the plane of sky, is expressed in a closed form as a function of the keplerian orbital elements by a suited choice of two angular parameters instead of inclination and argument of the ascending node. With such a choice, the secular variations of the orbital plane and the pericenter are taken into consideration very easily. In such a way we can separate the problem of the geometric orbit determination from the dynamical one and avoid any classical numerical integration. Such a method has been applied to a wide variety of cases ranging from the Pluto-Charon system to binary stars. A special attention is paid to the binary asteroids. In such systems, almost all parameters should be considered as unknowns. Eccentricity and inclination over the equatorial plane of the primary are not necessary zero. Our method allows to fit all the orbital and physical parameters without any assumptions about their values.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: descamps@imcce.fr
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 #2
© 2004. The American Astronomical Soceity.