[Baps] MIT Wednesday September 3

[Prof. Richard Binzel]

MIT EAPS DEPARTMENT LECTURE SERIES

David Jewitt
UCLA Department of Earth and Space Sciences

"Activated Asteroids"

DATE:	Wednesday, September 3
PLACE:	Building 54, Room 915 (Green Building)
TIME:	Reception 3:45 PM 
        Talk from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM


ABSTRACT:

It is a continuing source of amazement to those who study it that, despite 400 years of intensive study, our solar system remains in a state of discovery.  Entirely new populations are emerging as we accumulate more and better observations.  In this talk, I will introduce the active asteroids, a newly-identified set of bodies having asteroid-like orbits but comet-like appearances.  Mass loss from these bodies seems to be driven by a remarkably varied set of physical processes including impact destruction, thermal disintegration, radiation torques and ice sublimation.   Active asteroids are relevant to the production of interplanetary debris, to the destruction of asteroids, to the origin of the oceans and more.  I will cover this new work in a style suitable for a broad science audience.


The EAPS Department Lecture Series schedule may be found at:
http://eapsweb.mit.edu/events/spring-2014-department-lecture-series