2012/09/07 by Joseph R. Masiero, A. K. Mainzer, T. Grav +2
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph.EP
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/0004-637x/759/1/14
27 pages, 16 figures, accepted to ApJ
arxiv created 2012/09/07 · openalex publication_date 2012/10/11 · arxiv updated 2015/06/11 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
We have used numerical routines to model the evolution of a simulated Baptistina family to constrain its age in light of new measurements of the diameters and albedos of family members from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. We also investigate the effect of varying the assumed physical and orbital parameters on the best-fitting age. We find that the physically allowed range of assumed values for the density and thermal conductivity induces a large uncertainty in the rate of evolution. When realistic uncertainties in the family members' physical parameters are taken into account we find the best-fitting age can fall anywhere in the range of 140-320 Myr. Without more information on the physical properties of the family members it is difficult to place a more firm constraint on Baptistina's age.