Polarimetric survey of main-belt asteroids.II. Results for 59 B- and C-type objects

GIL-HUTTON, R.; CAÑADA ASSANDRI, M.

ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS

EDP SCIENCES S A

Lugar: Paris; Año: 2012 vol. 539 p. 1 - 4

0004-6361

 Aims. We present results of a polarimetric survey of main-belt asteroids at Complejo Astronómico el Leoncito (CASLEO), San Juan,Argentina. The aims of this survey are to increase the database of asteroid polarimetry, to estimate diversity in polarimetric propertiesof asteroids that belong to different taxonomic classes, and to search for objects that exhibit anomalous polarimetric properties.Methods. The data were obtained with the Torino and CASPROF polarimeters at the 2.15 m telescope. The Torino polarimeter is aninstrument that allows simultaneous measurement of polarization in five different bands, and the CASPROF polarimeter is a two-holeaperture polarimeter with rapid modulation.Results. The survey began in 2003, and up to 2009 data on a sample of more than 170 asteroids were obtained. In this paper theresults for 58 B- and C-type objects are presented, most of them polarimetrically observed for the first time. Using these data we findphase-polarization curves and polarimetric parameters for these taxonomic classes.