2010 Annual Research Report

Tricarico worked on Optimal Search Strategies for Near-Earth Objects Surveys, where he was Principal investigator of the NASA-funded Orbit@Home project for large- scale studies in support to near-Earth asteroids and comets research using distributed computing.  Producing high-resolution coverage maps in the space of the orbital elements, important to characterize the population and to assist surveys when choosing search fields.  This project relies on more than 25,000 volunteers and 50,000 computers from around the world to perform its computations.  The search strategy generated is now being tested at the Catalina Sky Survey.  In collaboration with E. Beshore, S. Larson, A. Boattini at Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, and G. Williams at the Minor Planet Center.

Tricarico was also Participating Scientist of the NASA Mission Dawn to Asteroid Vesta where he collaborated with the rest of the Dawn Science Team to study the gravity data collected at the asteroid Vesta, to determine the characteristics of its interior structure, such as the size, density and shape of a possible core, the density of the mantle, and the density and thickness of the crust. Also involved in the search for possible natural satellites of Vesta, and in the thermal characterization of the asteroid.

Papers:

The Dynamical Environment of Dawn at Vesta. P. Tricarico, M.V. Sykes, Planetary and Space Science, 58, 1516-1525, 2010.

Abstracts:

An High Resolution Near-Earth Objects Population Enabling Next-Generation Search Strategies. P. Tricarico, E.C. Beshore, S.M. Larson, A. Boattini, G.V. Williams, American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #42, #60.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 42, p.1086

Constraining Thermophysical Models of Vesta with Dawn. M.V. Sykes, P. Tricarico, J.-Y. Li, American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #42, #39.07; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 42, p.1033

Dawn's GRaND to Reveal the Complex Geochemistry of Vesta. T.H. Prettyman, H.Y. McSween, C.A. Raymond, W.C. Feldman, J.-Y. Li, L.A. McFadden, C.T. Russell, P. Tricarico, 41st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, held March 1-5, 2010 in The Woodlands, Texas.  LPI Contribution No. 1533, p.2299

The Dynamics of Dawn at Vesta. P. Tricarico, M.V. Sykes, 41st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, held March 1-5, 2010 in The Woodlands, Texas.  LPI Contribution No. 1533, p.2289