24988 Alainmilsztajn (provisional designation 1998 MM2) is a background asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 2.5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 19 June 1998, by the OCA–DLR Asteroid Survey at CERGA, Caussols, in southeastern France.[7] The asteroid was named after French particle physicist Alain Milsztajn.[2]

24988 Alainmilsztajn
Discovery [1]
Discovered byODAS
Discovery siteCERGA
Discovery date19 June 1998
Designations
(24988) Alainmilsztajn
Named after
Alain Milsztajn
(French particle physicist)[2]
1998 MM2 · 2000 AK75
main-belt · (inner)[3]
background
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc20.68 yr (7,554 days)
Aphelion2.7472 AU
Perihelion2.0641 AU
2.4056 AU
Eccentricity0.1420
3.73 yr (1,363 days)
277.11°
0° 15m 51.12s / day
Inclination4.7168°
203.01°
233.57°
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
2.24±0.24 km[4]
2.54 km (calculated)[3]
2.8516±0.0008 h[5]
0.20 (assumed)[3]
0.423±0.093[4]
S (assumed)[3]
14.80[4] · 14.894±0.005 (R)[5] · 15.0[1] · 15.34[3] · 15.63±0.45[6]

Orbit and classification edit

Alainmilsztajn is a non-family from the main belt's background population. It orbits the Sun in the inner asteroid belt at a distance of 2.1–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 9 months (1,363 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.14 and an inclination of 5° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]

The asteroid's observation arc begins 3 years prior to its official discovery observation, with a precovery taken by the Steward Observatory's Spacewatch survey at Kitt Peakt in October 1995.[7]

Physical characteristics edit

Diameter and albedo edit

According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Alainmilsztajn measures 2.2 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an exceptionally high albedo of 0.42,[4] while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 2.5 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 15.34.[3]

Rotation period edit

In October 2010, a rotational lightcurve of Alainmilsztajn was obtained from photometric observations made by astronomers at the Palomar Transient Factory in California. The fragmentary lightcurve gave a rotation period of 2.8516 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.09 magnitude (U=1).[5]

Naming edit

This minor planet was named in memory of French particle physicist and astronomer Alain Milsztajn (1955–2007). His research included the structure of the proton and the quest of detecting dark matter by means of gravitational lensing.[2] The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 19 August 2008 (M.P.C. 63641).[8]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 24988 Alainmilsztajn (1998 MM2)" (2016-06-07 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2012). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (24988) Alainmilsztajn. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 1092. ISBN 978-3-642-29718-2. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (24988) Alainmilsztajn". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Nugent, C.; et al. (November 2012). "Preliminary Analysis of WISE/NEOWISE 3-Band Cryogenic and Post-cryogenic Observations of Main Belt Asteroids". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 759 (1): 5. arXiv:1209.5794. Bibcode:2012ApJ...759L...8M. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/759/1/L8. S2CID 46350317. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  5. ^ a b c Waszczak, Adam; Chang, Chan-Kao; Ofek, Eran O.; Laher, Russ; Masci, Frank; Levitan, David; et al. (September 2015). "Asteroid Light Curves from the Palomar Transient Factory Survey: Rotation Periods and Phase Functions from Sparse Photometry". The Astronomical Journal. 150 (3): 35. arXiv:1504.04041. Bibcode:2015AJ....150...75W. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/150/3/75. S2CID 8342929. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  6. ^ Veres, Peter; Jedicke, Robert; Fitzsimmons, Alan; Denneau, Larry; Granvik, Mikael; Bolin, Bryce; et al. (November 2015). "Absolute magnitudes and slope parameters for 250,000 asteroids observed by Pan-STARRS PS1 - Preliminary results". Icarus. 261: 34–47. arXiv:1506.00762. Bibcode:2015Icar..261...34V. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.007. S2CID 53493339. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  7. ^ a b "24988 Alainmilsztajn (1998 MM2)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  8. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 4 May 2016.

External links edit