The Extension of the G-Mode Asteroid Taxonomy

✍ Scribed by Marcello Fulchignoni; Mirel Birlan; Maria Antonietta Barucci

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 68 KB
• Volume: 146
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0019-1035
• DOI: 10.1006/icar.2000.6381

✦ Synopsis

Barucci et al. (1987. Icarus 72, 304-324) developed their asteroid taxonomy based on the G-mode statistical method, applied to a sample of 438 asteroids, where each asteroid was described by eight variables (seven ECAS colors and the IRAS albedo). They found that the asteroid population separates into nine major taxonomic classes (C, S, M, D, B, G, E, A, V) and that three of these (S, D, B) can be further subdivided into subclasses. Birlan et al. (1996b. Icarus 124, 352-354) found that the values of the corrected IRAS albedos do not influence the bulk structure of this taxonomy.

The aim of this paper is to define an algorithm that allows us to extend this classification system to any asteroid for which the ECAS reflectances and the albedos become available through new observations.

The algorithm which allows us to extend the G-mode method is presented, along with a test of the procedure utilizing color and albedo measurements for 465 asteroids.