The Asteroid Size-Frequency Distribution: Fact and Fantasy

Asteroids are the debris left over from the planet-forming process in the inner solar system, so understanding asteroids furthers our understanding of solar system formation, a key science objective in astronomy today. The size frequency distribution of the present asteroid population provides a critical boundary condition on models of the origin and evolution of these bodies, affords tests of the physical processes responsible for shaping the present population, and is used to estimate the Earth-impact hazard posed by Near-Earth Asteroids. In this presentation I will discuss the current state of knowledge concerning the asteroid size-frequency distribution.