Abstract
We present the size distribution for the Hilda asteroid group using optical survey data obtained by the 8.2 m Subaru Telescope with the Hyper Suprime-Cam. Our unbiased sample consists of 91 ...Hilda asteroids (Hildas) down to 1 km in diameter. We found that the Hildas’ size distribution can be approximated by a single-slope power law in the ∼1−10 km diameter range with the best-fit power-law slope of
α
= 0.38 ± 0.02 in the differential absolute magnitude distribution. Directly comparing the size distribution of Hildas with that of the Jupiter Trojans measured from the same data set indicates that the two size distributions are similar to each other within a diameter of ∼10 km, while these shapes are distinguishable from that of main-belt asteroids. The results suggest that Hildas and Jupiter Trojans share a common origin and have a different formation environment from main-belt asteroids. The total number of the Hilda population larger than 2 km in diameter is estimated to be ∼1 × 10
4
based on the size distribution, which is less than that of the Jupiter Trojan population by a factor of about five.
We present an analysis of survey observations of the trailing L5 Jupiter Trojan swarm using the wide-field Hyper Suprime-Cam CCD camera on the 8.2 m Subaru Telescope. We detected 189 L5 Trojans from ...our survey that covered about 15 deg2 of sky with a detection limit of mr = 24.1 mag, and selected an unbiased sample consisting of 87 objects with absolute magnitude 14 ≲ Hr ≤ 17 corresponding to diameter 2 km ≲ D ≲ 10 km for analysis of size distribution. We fit their differential magnitude distribution to a single-slope power law with an index α = 0.37 ± 0.01, which corresponds to a cumulative size distribution with an index of b = 1.85 ± 0.05. Combining our results with data for known asteroids, we obtained the size distribution of L5 Jupiter Trojans over the entire size range for 9 ≲ HV ≤ 17, and found that the size distributions of the L4 and L5 swarms agree well with each other for a wide range of sizes. This is consistent with the scenario that asteroids in the two swarms originated from the same primordial population. Based on the above results, the ratio of the total number of asteroids with D ≥ 2 km in the two swarms is estimated to be NL4/NL5 = 1.40 ± 0.15, and the total number of L5 Jupiter Trojans with D ≥ 1 km is estimated to be 1.1 × 105 by extrapolating the obtained distribution.
Abstract
We performed a wide-field survey observation of small asteroids using the Hyper Suprime-Cam installed on the 8.2 m Subaru Telescope. We detected more than 3000 main-belt asteroids with a ...detection limit of 24.2 mag in the
r
-band, which were classified into two groups (bluish C-like and reddish S-like) by the
g
–
r
color of each asteroid and obtained size distributions of each group. We found that the shapes of the size distributions of asteroids with C-like and S-like colors agree with each other in the size range of 0.4–5 km in diameter. Assuming the asteroid population in this size range is under collision equilibrium, our results indicate that compositional difference hardly affects the size dependence of impact strength, at least for the size range between several hundred meters and several kilometers. This size range corresponds to the size range of “spin barrier,” an upper limit observed in the rotation rate distribution. Our results are consistent with the view that most asteroids in this size range have a rubble-pile structure.
Abstract
We have developed an automated quick data analysis system for data quality assurance (QA) for Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC). The system was commissioned in 2012–2014, and has been offered for ...general observations, including the HSC Subaru Strategic Program, since 2014 March. The system provides observers with data quality information, such as seeing, sky background level, and sky transparency, based on quick analysis as data are acquired. Quick-look images and validation of image focus are also provided through an interactive web application. The system is responsible for the automatic extraction of QA information from acquired raw data into a database, to assist with observation planning, assess progress of all observing programs, and monitor long-term efficiency variations of the instrument and telescope. Enhancements of the system are being planned to facilitate final data analysis, to improve the HSC archive, and to provide legacy products for astronomical communities.
Extensive air showers induced from high-energy cosmic rays provide a window into understanding the most energetic phenomena in the universe. We present a new method for observing these showers using ...the silicon imaging detector Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC). This method has the advantage of being able to measure individual secondary particles. When paired with a surface detector array, silicon imaging detectors like Subaru HSC will be useful for studying the properties of extensive air showers in detail. The following report outlines the first results of observing extensive air showers with Subaru HSC. The potential for reconstructing the incident direction of primary cosmic rays is demonstrated and possible interdisciplinary applications are discussed.
Abstract
A gravitational wave event, S190510g, which was classified as a binary-neutron-star coalescence at the time of preliminary alert, was detected by LIGO/Virgo collaboration on 2019 May 10. At ...1.7 hours after the issue of its preliminary alert, we started a target-of-opportunity imaging observation in the Y band to search for its optical counterpart using the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) on the Subaru Telescope. The observation covers a 118.8 deg2 sky area corresponding to $11.6\%$ confidence in the localization skymap released in the preliminary alert and $1.2\%$ in the updated skymap. We divided the observed area into two fields based on the availability of HSC reference images. For the fields with the HSC reference images, we applied an image subtraction technique; for the fields without the HSC reference images, we sought individual HSC images by matching a catalog of observed objects with the PS1 catalog. The search depth is 22.28 mag in the former method and the limit of search depth is 21.3 mag in the latter method. Subsequently, we performed visual inspection and obtained 83 candidates using the former method and 50 candidates using the latter method. Since we only have the one-day photometric data, we evaluated the probability of candidates being located inside the 3D skymap by estimating their distances with photometry of associated extended objects. We found three candidates are likely located inside the 3D skymap and concluded they could be a counterpart of S190510g, while most of the 133 candidates were likely to be supernovae because the number density of candidates was consistent with the expected number of supernova detections. By comparing our observational depth with a light-curve model of such a kilonova reproducing AT2017gfo, we show that early deep observations with the Subaru/HSC can capture the rising phase of the blue component of a kilonova at the estimated distance of S190510g (∼230 Mpc).
Abstract
The LIGO/Virgo detected a gravitational wave (GW) event, named GW200224_222234 (also known as S200224ca) and classified as a binary-black hole coalescence, on 2020 February 24. Given its ...relatively small localization skymap (71 deg
2
for a 90% credible region; revised to 50 deg
2
in GWTC-3), we performed target-of-opportunity observations using the Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) in the
r
2 and
z
bands. Observations were conducted on 2020 February 25 and 28 and March 23, with the first epoch beginning 12.3 hr after the GW detection. The survey covered the highest-probability sky area of 56.6 deg
2
, corresponding to a 91% probability. This was the first deep follow-up (
m
r
≳ 24,
m
z
≳ 23) for a binary-black hole merger covering >90% of the localization. By performing image subtraction and candidate screening including light-curve fitting with transient templates and examples, we found 22 off-nucleus transients that were not ruled out as the counterparts of GW200224_222234 with our Subaru/HSC data alone. We also performed GTC/OSIRIS spectroscopy of the probable host galaxies for five candidates; two are likely to be located within the 3D skymap, whereas the others are not. In conclusion, 19 transients remain as possible optical counterparts of GW200224_222234; but we could not identify a unique promising counterpart. If there are no counterparts in the remaining candidates, the upper limits of the optical luminosity are
ν
L
ν
<
5.2
−
1.9
+
2.4
×
10
41
erg s
−1
and
ν
L
ν
<
1.8
−
0.6
+
0.8
×
10
42
erg s
−1
in the
r
2 and
z
bands, respectively, at ∼12 hr after GW detection. We also discuss improvements in the strategies of optical follow-ups for future GW events.
Abstract
We observed the L4 Jupiter Trojans (JTs) swarm using the Hyper Suprime-Cam attached to the 8.2 m Subaru Telescope on 2015 March 30 (UT). The survey covered ∼26 deg
2
of sky area near the ...opposition and around the ecliptic plane with a 240 s exposure time in the
r
-band filter through the entire survey. We detected 631 L4 JTs in the survey field with a detection limit of
m
r
= 24.4 mag. We selected 481 objects with absolute magnitude
H
r
< 17.4 mag and heliocentric distance
r
< 5.5 au as an unbiased sample and then used them to estimate the size distribution. Assuming a geometric albedo of 0.07, the size range of our unbiased sample is ∼2–20 km in diameter (
D
). We fit a single-slope power law to the cumulative size distribution and found that the best-fit index (
b
) is
b
= 1.84 ± 0.05 in
. The slope value (
α
) of the corresponding absolute magnitude distribution (
) is 0.37 ± 0.01. This
α
is consistent with that of the faint-end slope presented by Wong & Brown. The size distribution obtained from this survey is slightly different from the results of previous surveys with a similar size range, which reported broken power-law or double power-law slopes in their cumulative size distribution. Our results insist that the slope of
b
= 1.84 continues from
H
= 14.0 to at least
H
= 17.4. Since this work contains the largest L4 JT samples and is 1 mag deeper than the study by Wong & Brown, we believe that our study has obtained the most robust size distribution of small JTs so far. Combining the cataloged L4 JTs and our survey, we show the entire size distribution of L4 JTs up to
H
r
= 17.4 mag.
Since 2002, we have obtained size frequency distributions (SFDs) of main belt asteroids (MBAs), Hildas, and Jupiter Trojans (JTs) by using the 8.2-m Subaru Telescope equipped with the wide-field CCD ...cameras: Suprime-Cam (SC) or Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC). After combining these SFDs with SFDs obtained from other surveys, we performed a comparative study of SFDs for each group of small bodies in an attempt to obtain clues about planet migration that affected those populations. The large aperture of the Subaru Telescope and the wide field of view of SC or HSC allowed us to detect small moving objects up to apparent magnitudes 24.4–24.5 mag (Rc-band), which corresponds to sub–km in diameter (D) for MBAs and about 1 km for Hildas and JTs. We combined the SFDs obtained from our surveys with those derived from published data to obtain the individual representative SFD for MBAs, Hildas and JTs in the size range of sub–km to 1000 km. We found that the SFDs of JTs and Hildas are roughly flat in the R-plot while that of MBAs has a wavy structure. We also investigated the SFDs of MBAs in the inner, middle, and outer regions of the main belt. We found that the shape of the SFDs changes gradually with increasing heliocentric distance across these regions. This trend continues beyond the outer region, where the SFD becomes flatter as shown by the SFDs of JTs and Hildas. Recent planet migration models suggest that the current JTs originated in the trans-Neptunian region and were captured as Trojans during planet migration. The finding of a gradual change of the SFDs from the inner MBAs to JTs is in line with the idea that trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) were implanted not only into the JT region, but also into the main belt outer region (including the Hildas) at the early solar system.
In order to investigate this implantation hypothesis, we considered a synthetic population of TNOs assuming with a SFD represented by a power-law distribution of N>D∝D-3, (estimated from crater record on Pluto and Charon). We then added this synthetic population to the MBA populations in various proportions. We found that the higher the proportion, the flatter the wavy SFD of MBAs becomes. This simple model yields a rough explanation for the gradual change of SFDs found from the inner main belt to the JT region. However, the shape of the modelled SFDs does not match observations for all sizes. In particular, because important discrepancies are seen in the small size range, we need to consider the removal of small objects by collisional evolution and/or Yarkovsky effect in the future.
•We investigated the size frequency distributions (SFDs) of main belt asteroids (MBAs), Hildas, and Jupiter Trojans (JTs).•We found that the SFDs of JTs and Hildas are roughly flat in the R-plot, while that of MBAs has a wavy structure.•We also found that the shape of the SFDs changes gradually with increasing heliocentric distance from the main belt to Jupiter Trojan region.•We proposed that the SFD shape of each solar system population can be used as a probe for the radial mixing of small body populations caused by planet migration.
The authors regret that we found several typographic errors and inconsistencies in figures in the above article. Specifically, we would like make corrections in Abstract, Figs. 3, 5, 6, and ...References. All of the corrections are minor, and none of them gives any serious impacts on the discussions or conclusions of the article. The authors would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused.
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