Dr. Derek Richardson
Maryland

University of Florida Astronomy Colloquium - Dec. 5th, 2007

Multiplicity Among Small Solar System Bodies and Dwarf Planets

Since the discovery of the first binary "small Solar System body" in 1993, over 100 examples of asteroids and small transneptunian objects with orbiting companions have been found, including two triple asteroid systems. The observations and theories about these objects will be presented, with an emphasis on the possible origins of near-Earth asteroid binaries. Recent detailed numerical simulations show that rotational disruption of fragile asteroids (with little to no cohesion) is the most likely way of forming satellites in this population.