Radar observations of asteroids 7 iris, 9 metis, 12 victoria, 216 kleopatra, and 654 zelinda

Abstract

We report 13-cm wavelength radar observations of the mainbelt asteroids 7 Iris, 9 Metis, 12 Victoria, 216 Kleopatra, and 654 Zelinda obtained at Arecibo between 1980 and 1989. The echoes are highly polarized yet broadly distributed in Doppler frequency, indicating that our targets are smooth on decimeter scales but very rough on some scale(s) larger than about 1 m. The echo spectra are generally consistent with existing size, shape, and spin information based on radiometric, lightcurve, and occultation data. All of our targets possess distinctive radar signatures that reveal largescale topography. Reflectivity spikes within narrow ranges of rotation phase suggest large flat regions on Iris, Metis, and Zelinda, while bimodal spectra imply nonconvex, possibly bifurcated shapes for Kleopatra and Victoria. Kleopatra has the highest radar albedo yet measured for a main-belt asteroid, indicating a high metal concentration and making Kleopatra the best main-belt candidate for a core remnant of a differentiated and subsequently disrupted parent body. Upon completion of the Arecibo telescope upgrade, there will be several opportunities per year to resolve main-belt asteroids with hundreds of delay-Doppler cells, which can be inverted to provide estimates of both three-dimensional shape and radar scattering properties. © 1995 Academic Press, Inc.