An Irregular Shape of the Jupiter Trojan (3317) Paris Revealed by Stellar Occultations and Rotational Light Curves
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Jupiter Trojans are key remnants of the solar system formation, preserving primordial material and recording the history of planetary migration. We present the first 3D shape model of the Jupiter Trojan (3317) Paris, obtained by combining stellar occultations and rotational light curves. We analyzed 12 occultation events between 2020 and 2022, yielding 27 positive light curves. In addition, we compiled 45 rotational light curves covering ∼8 yr, obtained from observations at the Observatório do Pico dos Dias (OPD-Brazil) and from publicly available databases such as the Asteroid Light Curve Data Exchange Format. Light-curve inversion, combined with occultation constraints, yielded an irregular 3D shape model with an equivalent-volume diameter of 126.2 ± 6.2 km and an equivalent-surface diameter of 131.5 ± 6.5. We refined the rotation period to 7.081013 ± 0.000005 hr, consistent with previous estimates and the spin axis as λ = 100 . ° 5 ± 1 . ° 1 and β = 50 . ° 7 ± 1 . ° 4. Using the surface-equivalent diameter of the shape model, we determined a geometric albedo of p V = 0.045 ± 0.002 for Paris. This study contributes to improving our understanding of the physical properties of Jupiter Trojans, and the methodologies developed in this work can be applied to the study of other small bodies in the solar system.
Source: The Astronomical Journal
Authors: Luan M. Catani, Bruno E. Morgado, Eros Gradovski, Pablo Santos-Sanz, Bruno Sicardy, Felipe Braga-Ribas, Gustavo Benedetti-Rossi, Roberto Vieira-Martins, José-Luis Ortiz, Flavia L. Rommel, Altair R. Gomes-Júnior, Yucel Kilic, Josselin Desmars, Marcelo Assafin, Rodrigo Boufleur, Chrystian L. Pereira, Giuliano Margoti, Juan Luis Rizos, Toshio Hirose, Miyoshi Ida, Júlio I. B. Camargo, Jonatã Arcas-Silva, Viviane F. Peixoto, Hélio Dutra, Damya Souami, Rafael Sfair, Thamiris de Santana, Tiago F. L. L. Pinheiro, Luana Liberato, Patrícia B. Siqueira, George L. Hashimoto, Norihiro Manago, Hideki Yoshihara, David Oesper, Joan Aragonès, David L. Aznar, Jerry Bardecker, Kirk Bender, Michel Boutet, Silvia C. Belloc, Ricard Casas, Oscar Canales-Moreno, Jean-Louis Dumont, Gregor Krannich, Pierre Le Cam, Arnaud Leroy, Steve Messner, Waldemar Ogłoza, Lionel Rousselot, Carles Schnabel, Julio Spagnotto, Adrianus Verveen
Institutions: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Valongo Observatory, Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, Laboratório Interinstitucional de e-Astronomia, National Observatory, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Laboratoire Temps Espace, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Institut Polytechnique des Sciences Avancées, Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Université Côte d'Azur, Communauté d'universités et d'établissements Université Côte d'Azur, Cabrillo College
Language: English
Topic: Astro and Planetary Science
Subfield: Space and Planetary Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,499
Funders: Fundación Carmen y Severo Ochoa, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais
OpenAlex ID: W7171503196